Synthesizes studies of the effects of modifying the academic calendar in grades K-12 to do away with the long summer break without increasing the length of the school year. Findings show that evidence on such modification is weak, but that modified calendars are associated with higher achievement for economically disadvantaged students. (SLD)

A quantitative synthesis of the results from 66 studies indicated that boys' and girls' science achievement is positively related to affect, but the relationship is weaker than expected. Science achievement correlates more strongly with cognitive abilities than with affect. (Author/BW)

Student behavior problems have been a focus of social concern since the mid-1960s. Although there have been few studies on the long-term effects of interventions on student behaviors, the specialization of classroom management and school discipline has grown. Changes and unresolved issues in student behavior problems are discussed. (DF)

The central finding emerging from this literature review is that rewards can have either undermining or enhancing effects depending on the circumstances. It emerges that the recipient's perception of the functions of the dispensed reward is critically important. (Author/PN)

Camp-related trends reported in the past year in "American Demographics" are listed in the areas of population, youth and education, recreation and leisure, and miscellaneous trends (common hopes and fears). These trends may impact camp strategic planning and camp staff. (SAS)

The aggregate findings of experiments with modern mathematics for the last 30 years show that there have not been many detrimental effects of "new math" either on achievement or attitude. Instead, the evidence points toward beneficial effects in terms of improvement in overall achievement and attitude. (Author/BW)

More than one third of Americans think that reducing school violence is the top challenge facing public schools. The challenge posed by National Education Goal 7 is that, by the year 2000, schools will be free of violence. Despite increased concern about school violence and pursuit of this lofty national goal, this paper presents the argument that…

To give British teachers a better understanding of the working-class culture of some of their students, this article quotes recent studies in which working-class children express their views on school, teachers, work, and leisure. (SJL)

In the early 1990s, the Quality Assurance Unit of Strathclyde (Scotland) Education Department involved parents in the school inspection process by surveying over 34,000 parents of school and preschool students. Survey responses concerning satisfaction with the parent-school relationship and educational quality are analyzed and interpreted in terms…

This book is about the genre of school stories, that is, stories that deal with the education and the educational experiences of boys and girls. The book examines specific authors and specific works from the 1840s to the present, focusing on "crossgendering"--men writing about girls and women writing about boys. The chapters are, as…

Research has increasingly been oriented toward non-cognitive objectives, such as social relationships, anxiety, achievement motivation, and attitudes toward school. Sociometric techniques have been used as a graphic representation of choice of partner, with an intuitive interpretation, the teacher having no objective standards for assessing the…

An emerging image of the teacher as "thoughtful professional" suggests the need for researchers to study teachers' and students' cognitions and knowledge, which mediate effective teaching. Provides examples from current research that illustrate the use of cognitional and metacognitional knowledge in the classroom. (Author/BJV)

Reexamination of national Canadian surveys and Ontario surveys, 1979-1993, revealed that confidence and satisfaction ratings for public education followed a wave-like pattern over time for both general public opinion and parental attitudes. In contrast, corporate executives showed declining confidence in schools and strongly supported…

This review of current research on parents' opinions about public schools provides information of interest to school boards, administrators, and parent leaders who wish to develop parent-community-school partnerships. This article discusses research done by organizations like the Public Agenda Foundation, the Gallup Poll, Phi Delta Kappa, and the…

The effect of school climate on student learning was considered important by educators until the late 1960s, was discounted as a result of major research findings during the 1970s, and is now beginning to reemerge as a potentially critical factor suitable for study, according to the author of this paper. Reviewing the literature, the author notes…