Recent research suggests that, on the whole, school discipline problems are not as widespread as the public believes. In 1975 the Bayh report depicted schools as hotbeds of violence and vandalism. Restudies of the Bayh data show the report was skewed toward large schools, where violence is more likely. The National Institute of Education's Safe…

In 1983-84, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges developed and field tested an instrument, the General Academic Assessment (GAA), to assess community college students' knowledge of several liberal arts areas, including mathematics. The GAA was completed by a sample of 8,024 students at four large, urban community college districts. The…

One of the most robust approaches to researching parents' influence on children's social competence is the study of what has been called "parenting style." Parenting style captures two important elements of parenting: parental responsiveness and parental demandingness. Categorizing parents according to whether they are high or low on…

This booklet addresses the difficulties of comparing and drawing meaning from dropout data prepared by different agencies, and examines the characteristics of students--and of schools--that place students at risk for leaving school prematurely. The booklet describes prevention programs and presents evidence on their effectiveness. It reviews…

Current approaches to educating at-risk students are the result of several shifts in thinking over the last 35 years, and a new way of defining at-risk students is needed to permit changes in school policy and practice to meet these students' needs. Cultural deprivation was originally considered the single cause of at-risk status. Subsequently,…

This study was designed to update the existing research and to examine the relationship between library media programs and student achievement. The schools selected for the study sample were not selected on a random basis; rather, they were library media centers (LMCs) that responded to a 1989 survey of Colorado LMCs. The study relied entirely…

This bibliography provides annotations of 33 major research studies on the school and social factors that impede disadvantaged children's ability to learn and succeed in school. The studies demonstrate that a wide range of educational, familial, and social influences can either put children at risk of educational failure early in their lives or…

Drug and alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy are two behaviors manifested by at-risk children that are both a cause and a result of their lack of success in school and possible subsequent dropping out. The distinction between substance use and abuse may be determined using the following criteria: (1) age of onset; (2) physiological responses; (3)…

Drawing on data about unionism in education as well as in other public and private sectors, this literature review focuses on three areas: the causes of collective bargaining in public education, the reasons for strikes by school employees, and the impact of unions on educational expenses and salaries. The author first discusses the factors…

Six of 11 papers presented at a symposium on language aptitude testing are included in this document. "Cognitive Abilities in Foreign Language Aptitude: Then and Now" (John B. Carroll) reconsiders language aptitude testing 30 years after publication of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). "Preliminary Investigation of the…

Research on academic achievement and high risk students over the past 30 years indicates that the home, the school, or the community can be the source of insufficient educational experiences that contribute to educational disadvantage. About 30 percent of the present school population is estimated to be at risk of failure, and demographic…

Two issues that bear directly on the proficiency of teachers are teacher selection and teacher supervision. A theme common to both issues is that the key to attracting and retaining capable teachers lies in a transformation of teachers' work environment--replacing the bureaucratic model of schooling with the professional model. That transformation…

The research literature on types of student retention, correlates of retention, and action strategies to improve retention is reviewed. Retention or student persistence can be assessed in terms of completion of a degree of certificate, a program but not a degree, or a term or course. Retention may also be persistence to attain a personal goal but…