This action research project was developed in order to increase student literacy, particularly in the area of reading, for students who were considered at-risk. The targeted student population was 2nd grade students who were served within a primary cross-categorical special education program. The classroom was housed in an elementary (K-2) school,…

A study to improve the reading and mathematics skills of selected second-grade students at Albert Sidney Johnston Elementary School utilized educational television programs as supplements to the basal programs in reading and mathematics. This practicum at the all-minority school was designed (1) to improve reading skills to mastery of 7 of the 12…

An historical and sociological explanation for the misclassification of black and Mexican-American school children in special education classes for mentally retarded minors is presented in this dissertation. The California Education Code which extends back to the inception of California public education, reveals the legislative basis for the…

The purpose of this dissertation, an ethnographic case study of white children attending an urban, public elementary school with a ninety percent black enrollment, is to examine their strategic adaptations and to gauge the effect of these adaptations on actual cross-racial interactions. The data were collected through participant and…

This study examines the failure of urban schools to meet the educational needs of minority children and explores the possibilities of using television as a tool for educational change. It discusses three television series ("Sesame Street,""The Electric Company," and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids") with regard to their success as teaching/learning…

The purpose of this study was the determination of variables related to high and low mathematics achievement among black seventh-grade students. Six specific hypotheses were investigated. The research population consisted of 40 black students at two junior high schools; of these 20 were identified as high achievers and 20 as low achievers. Each…

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe teaching strategies with potential to provide inner city minority group students with success experiences in selected areas of art production. Teaching strategies relevant to problems, strengths, and needs of these youngsters in relation to achievement in school are identified, devised, and described…

This study attempted to assess the effects on the achievement and attitudes of preservice teachers at Washington State University of a modular independent study program about teaching reading to minority children. A total of 81 students was randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group completed five…

This dissertation investigates the patterns of intellectual growth and academic achievement of children who experienced similar elementary school education and differed in cultural group membership and socioeconomic status (SES). The subjects of this study were 271 junior high students in the Lincoln, Nebraska public schools who had been in…

This thesis is composed of two studies which look at the impact of exposure to schooling on achievement growth of children. Both use data from the National Follow Through Evaluation. The first study investigates the hypothesis that the difference in achievement growth between poor and non-poor children is greater during the summer months than…

Forty low-achieving seventh and eighth grade students were involved in a study to ascertain whether intelligence, underachievement, or the difference between aural and sight vocabularies could predict relative learning rate with respect to reading achievement gains. For purposes of the study, "relative learning rate" was defined as the ratio of…

This study investigated whether summer vacation accounts for more of the reading achievement gap between minority and non-minority children than does the school year. To test for the summer effect, the reading subtests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills were administered to approximately 1,200 fifth-grade children in 15 public schools in…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Language Agression Hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that measurable high language proficiency is associated with low observable aggression and low language proficiency is associated with high observable aggression. Consideration was also given to qualitative differences in aggressive behaviors…

The major purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mathematics instruction based on the use of manipulative materials in grades 4, 5, and 6. A secondary purpose was to find whether this approach is differentially effective for students in different grade level, sex, or welfare recipient categories. Three treatment groups, one…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of behavior modification on enhancing the self-esteem of low-income Black and Puerto Rican elementary school children. Social reinforcement in the form of teacher praise was given to students who made any legitimate positive statements about themselves. The reinforcement was designed to…