This brochure is part of NAEPFACTS, a new series that briefly summarizes findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Course-taking is generally a powerful indicator of mathematics achievement. This occurs partially because students who are more proficient tend to take more mathematics classes and, at the eighth grade, the…

This publication provides a comprehensive overview of work done across all parts of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Each issue contains short publications, summaries, and descriptions that cover all NCES publications, data products, and funding opportunities developed over a 3-month period. Each issue also contains a message…

Teams at several universities collaborated in studies of the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency program in three cities. This bulletin presents the findings from the Rochester (New York) Youth Development Study (RYDS) concerning the contributions of youth gang membership to delinquency. The RYDS started with a sample of 1,000 boys and girls in…

Intended for parents and educators of academically talented students, the newletter presents highlights of the Midwest Talent Search (MTS) project and related information on gifted education. The goals and course offerings of MTS are described, and an address by Julian Stanley to gifted students is summarized. Summer program highlights of the MTS…

The performance of 2,000 academically talented seventh-grade students on the American College Testing Program (ACT) Assessment was investigated in comparison with 2,000 college-bound 12th-grade examinees. Data from the February 1988 and February 1989 administrations of the ACT were used. Differential test performance and item performance were…

Given that the physical, emotional, and social metamorphosis of today's early adolescents differs chronologically from that of adolescents a century ago, school districts must identify the middle level school grade configuration that will best accommodate local student developmental needs. Educators must first identify the age at which local…

This article discusses the experiences of an 11-year veteran learning disabilities (LD) teacher during her twelfth year of teaching when three severely learning disabled adolescent boys changed from grumbling basal reader users to active, involved readers of quality literature. The article focuses on activities to improve reading fluency and track…

The teaching activities presented in this issue are intended to enhance literature instruction for students in grades 5-9. The activities include those specifically designed for use with "The Diary of Anne Frank,""Johnny Tremain,""The Contender,""No Promises in the Wind," and "Farenheit 451." The journal also contains general activities centered…

Designed as an overview of the progress of middle schools in the last two decades, this document compares results from a 1968 survey that sampled 10 percent of middle schools with at least three, and not more than five grades, and including grades 6 and 7, with those of a similar 1988 survey. Following a brief summary of the origins of the middle…

Over the past 5 years, McKnight Middle School in Renton, Washington, has instituted a new discipline policy, integrated a study skills program throughout the curriculum, upgraded the curriculum, created several reward and recognition policies for both students and teachers, and increased parent and district involvement. The discipline policy…

Intended for writing teachers, the activities in this issue blend right/left brain lessons--kinesthetic, spatial, and playful--to provide students with prewriting experience. The activities include the following: (1) creativity olympics, such as finding criteria by which large groups of students may subdivide themselves into successively smaller…

Adolescents are entering middle level schools today with more sophisticated skills and a broader range of positive experiences than ever before. However, middle-school students undergo major physical, emotional, social, and cognitive changes. This publication describes the role of educators and the school in helping middle-school students develop…

Clothing of the nineteenth century and its reflection of the middle class ideals of how men and women should look is the focus of this publication. Through a series of activities, students are encouraged to think about the interaction of clothing and society, both past and present. Worksheets accompany lessons: "A Change of Clothes" and…

This thematic magazine helps teachers explore archaeology through an introductory article and three lesson plans, one with a student-take-home worksheet. Lesson 1 is designed for group work and involves identification of "artifacts" taken from familiar, contemporary settings, as the students attempt to describe the function of each artifact and to…

This review of the literature on disabilities considers: (1) their effect on individuals, families, and society; (2) their causes; and (3) their prevention. Individual subsections address such aspects as defining disabilities; causes of disabilities at various stages of the life cycle; emotional, social, legal, and practical aspects of effects of…