Effects of child characteristics and home environment on caregivers' behavioral intentions regarding placement were examined longitudinally for 100 families of children with severe mental retardation. Prior behavioral intentions significantly predicted actual placement independent of other factors. Among child characteristics, only normative…

The impact of race/ethnicity on depressed mood among adolescents and whether pubertal development influences depressed mood was studied with 877 adolescents, 728 mothers, and 447 fathers. Latino adolescents reported more symptoms of depressed mood, a finding independent of socioeconomic status. Effects of puberty are discussed. (SLD)

An analysis of perceptions of social cleavage and inequality among approximately 9000 Israeli eighth and ninth graders showed students accurately comprehended a multifaceted society with major social divisions. A social map with inequality was revealed in which ethnicity played the least prominent role. Personal and social traits influenced…

Explains why high-level verbal interaction is the key to learning in collaborative groups. Discusses influences on high-level verbal interaction in collaborative groups, including prior achievement, friendships, and status and expectations. Notes ways that teachers can train students in high-level verbal interactions. (SR)

Examined the emotional content of conversations of 100 mother-child dyads about the children's school experiences. Mother-daughter dyads made more emotional references than mother-son dyads, especially when discussing interpersonal relationships or emotions experienced by the daughters. Ethnic and socioeconomic differences are also discussed. (SLD)

Peer nomination and peer rating procedures are reviewed with regard to their relevance to assessing children's social acceptance and social status in school settings. Strengths, limitations, and potential applications of peer nomination and peer rating sociometric methods are discussed. A new method of capitalizing on the relative strengths of…

Discusses the future of social studies education in the electronic age of knowledge and distributed intelligence, focusing on: technology as teacher (the Internet as educator and Internet research); technological realities (computer availability, computer adequacy, Internet access, and software); the teacher (teacher training and support staff);…

Two decades after two U.S. and UK studies jump-started the school-effectiveness research movement, the American Educational Research Association invited the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement to present a symposium on international developments. The six papers herein critique and assess the movement's contributions.…

Discussion of trends in gifted education finds a tension between "matriarchal" (equality-oriented) and "patriarchal" (excellence-oriented) pedagogy and promotes "patriarchal pedagogy" as more appropriate for, and beneficial to, the development of gifted education in the United States. This approach fosters access by gifted students to appropriate…

The percentage of high school graduates in the rural South improved during the 1990s but lagged behind urban figures; the percentage of rural college graduates grew slightly. Rural-urban differences in educational attainment were even greater among minorities. The rural-urban income gap also widened and is not expected to improve, with few new…

Examined the association between free meal entitlement (FME) and the socioeconomic characteristics of schools in Scotland using a national survey of school leavers (n=8,545). Results suggest that FME is an inconsistent measure of poverty and only a partial proxy for socioeconomic circumstances. (SLD)

Analyzes national survey data on children's differential access to computers at home and school, noting varying conditions that affect how children experience computers. In 1998, over 75 percent of children had access to computers at school, though computer experiences differed by socioeconomic status. Poorer students had significantly less access…

Examines some of the myths surrounding the community college presidency, recommending that an honest self-appraisal may assist aspirants when evaluating the benefits and costs of the position. Suggests that, based on the author's personal experience as college president, holding the position of chief executive officer may not necessarily provide…

Examined correlates of degree attainment (GED certificate or high school diploma) in high school dropouts of Mexican American or non-Latino white descent. Results for data from 519 dropouts indicate that 59.2% of dropouts return to obtain high school credentials, and that school capability, age at dropout, and socioeconomic status significantly…

Identifies factors that working-class/middle class black men perceive to cause significant stress following divorce and strategies that they use to reestablish their lives. Black men experience profound postdivorce psychological distress. Black men rely on: (1) family and friends; (2) church-related and social activities; and (3) heterosexual…