The Learning Disabilities Program at Arizona State University stresses development of independence and responsibility, self-advocacy skills, and realistic self-knowledge. Program services and the faculty perspective are described. Recommendations are made to assist learning-disabled students in developing survival skills before entering college.…

A nonwriting third grade student's encounter with writing is described. The approach used with the child's class involved choosing their own topic, writing at an individual pace, working with peers, using illustrations, and participating in conferences with the teacher. Through this approach, the bilingual student realized he could be literate and…

Research that studied 120 youth organizations in 34 different communities discovered that most disadvantaged participants gained academic life skills lasting into early adulthood. Schools can help by sharing space and facilities, establishing institutional collaborations, connecting mutual goals, supporting teacher participation, and developing…

Involvement in various college activities and educational gains of black students (n=1,200) attending a historically white institution were compared. Involvement in academic activities had a greater impact on gains of students at the black institution, and social engagement was more important for black students at the white institution. (Author)

Examined effects of conceptually based instruction on development of students' procedural flexibility. Students in primary schools in the Netherlands participated in one of two instruction programs: the Realistic Program Design (RPD) or the Gradual Program Design (GPD). In both programs, conceptual understanding preceded procedural skill. However,…

Asserts that elementary students should learn economics to prepare for their adult roles as consumers, producers, and voters. Discusses the "Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics" that consist of 20 standards and the respective benchmarks that describe the concepts students need to know by the end of grades 4, 8, and 12. (CMK)

This digest describes the development of the standard middle school and its impact on rural areas, discusses the original goals of middle schooling, and suggests how rural schools can meet these goals despite their small size. The earliest middle schools were innovative rural junior high schools that enriched their programs with additional…

A program to serve beginning and transfer students at Western Michigan University who are undecided about their curriculum choice is described. The assessment, referral, and advising services are designed to address students' developmental as well as academic needs. Program activities during 1986-1987 are identified for the following program…

Rough Rock Demonstration School, serving 500 K-12 students on the Navajo Reservation, began its 4-year basic skills program in 1980 with emphasis on math and reading. The project called for impacting K-12 by the 4th year, with target grades for the first year being 1, 5, and 9, thus reaching primary, middle, and high school areas simultaneously.…

Teachers' guidebooks that accompanied commonly used kindergarten, first, and second grade language arts kits or textbooks were reviewed to determine what listening tasks and thinking skills were stressed. Five first grade, five second grade, and two kindergarten kits/textbooks were selected for review. Examination of these materials clearly…

Employing experiential adventure activities to develop leadership skills of young people and teachers, the National Leadership Conference (NLC) program, held during a 10-day session at Camp Miniwanca in Michigan, is constructed from 5 distinctive elements: (1) high intensity orientation; (2) carefully structured learning experiences; (3)…

Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) has developed a peer helper training program based on a modular training design. A peer helper at VWCC is a student attending the college who has been trained and evaluated as being effective in specifically defined interpersonal helping relationships. Peer helpers provide services as an adjunct to those…

Critical themes and specific alternatives for helping adolescents with disabilities to avoid severely limiting their life choices are discussed. The themes concern relating learning experiences to the youth's life, providing experiences that allow and prepare youth for adulthood, and adult caring and advocacy for youth. Interventions supporting…

Reflective teaching has been one of the three main goals of the preservice teacher education programs in the National Institute of Education, Singapore, since the late 1980s. A three-phase study, of which the first two phases are described, is examining how Singapore student teachers think about teaching in the preservice programs, how they…

This study compared doctoral students at three stages of their graduate career in the areas of relations with faculty, relations with peers, emphases of classes and other program experiences, personal gains due to the program, and attitudes toward the program. A sample of 596 doctoral students at the University of Illinois (Chicago) were surveyed…