This report examines urban student achievement using the SAT-9, the most commonly used standardized assessment among the major cities. The study, conducted in collaboration with the test's creator, Harcourt Educational Measurement, highlights student achievement in Great City Schools (GCS) and describes how urban students perform on traditional…

Sociocultural theory emphasizes the social nature of learning and the cultural-historical contexts in which interactions take place. Thus, teacher-student interactions and the relations that are fostered through these contexts play an especially vital role in student achievement. It has been argued that culturally responsive instruction can have a…

This statement presents the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' position on higher education percentage plans. The One Florida Plan bans the consideration of race and gender in university admissions, guaranteeing state university admissions to high school seniors in the top 20 percent of their class, regardless of test scores. Texas' Ten Percent Plan…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to examine contextual and class influences on interracial friendship formation among black, white, Asian, and Hispanic students in grades 7-12, noting the effect of busing programs in interracial friendships and examining whether students had fewer friends in schools in which…

This study examined demographic, clinical, and criminal histories as they related to whether 244 youth (ages 12-18) referred for mental health services at a juvenile corrections facility were repeat or first-time offenders. The population of 244 patients included 144 first-time offenders and 100 repeat offenders. Results of the study found that…

In August 1998, the Wake County Board of Education, North Carolina, adopted the goal that by 2003, 95% of students tested would be at or above grade level as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) testing at grades 3 and 8 bye the year 2003. This report provides an analysis of EOG test results for the 2000-2001 academic year to show how…

The educational experiences of Latinas are affected by the interaction of many factors, including poverty, racism, sexual harassment, and lack of English language proficiency. This Spanish-language digest presents a range of strategies that schools can employ to promote the academic achievement of Latinas. Schools should communicate that Hispanic…

This report illustrates how official poverty rates vary by age, race and Hispanic origin, nativity, family composition, work experience, and geography. The official poverty rate rose from 11.7 to 12.1 percent between 2001-2002. In 2002, people below the official poverty thresholds numbered 34.6 million, 1.7 million higher than in 2001. At 16.7…

This study contains an analysis of admissions practices at the University of Virginia (UVA), originally reported in 1996 and updated for this report. It contains improved data from 1996 and additional data for 1999. Among the findings are that Whites and Asians admitted to the UVA have roughly the same verbal Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)…

This book pulls together leading scholars who focus on the topic of women as superintendents. The four parts include 13 chapters. Part 1, "Crawling Through the Window of a Dream--Surveying the Terrain," includes (1) "'Turning Out the Ladies': Elected Women Superintendents and the Push for the Appointive System, 1900-1935" (Jackie M. Blount) and…

This fact sheet presents basic information on mental retardation for Spanish-speaking educators and others. First, definitions from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) are presented. The fact sheet then analyzes how the new AAMR definitions differ from earlier ones,…

This study examined how 3 Dominican children, ages 2 to 4 years old explore reading and writing in the context of their everyday lives and how adults and older siblings socialize young children into literacy. Data were collected during a school year. Each participant was observed 3 times a week for 2 hours per session, totaling approximately 200…

This paper describes the experiences of Kepner Middle School in urban Colorado as it participates in the School on the Move initiative to make fundamental changes in its teaching and learning. Kepner is one of 85 schools with which the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is involved in partnerships for change. Kepner is located in a…

This paper discusses problems related to identification of gifted Hispanic children in rural areas. While the federal definition of giftedness is subscribed to by most states, local districts tend to seek and find White, middle-class academic achievers. One problem associated with identification of gifted minorities is that the research and…

Interviews with 158 Latina mothers of first-grade children examined the influence of mothers' acculturation and education on their attitudes toward and involvement in their children's education. The interviews covered participants' demographic and sociocultural characteristics, perceptions of their role and efficacy, knowledge of school-related…