Noting that it is by studying children's regular activities and their roles and interpersonal relationships that we come to understand how children develop as members of their cultural groups, this study examined children growing up in urban settings in a variety of societies. The study used an ecological perspective largely based on…

Following a previous study's finding that demographic and psychosocial factors mediated the effect of ethnicity in predicting standardized reading performance, this study examined the effects of these predictors on immigrant adolescents' reading achievement. It investigated the extent to which Asian-origin and Spanish-speaking groups differed in…

This book uses data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to examine whether students who attend restructured high schools learn more and have access to a more equal education. The NELS:88 examined the educational status and progress of a large, nationally representative sample of 8th grade students, retesting and…

These three symposium papers summarize the outcomes of studies that explored the accessibility and the utilization of youth mental health services. The first study, "The Role of Diagnostic Systems" (Theodore Fallon and Mary Schwab-Stone), involving 219 children (ages 6-12), examined the perils involved in the use of categorical diagnosis to…

This edition focuses on the topic of closing the achievement gap from the perspectives of urban and suburban school districts. After an introduction by Judy Stewart, the first article, "Addressing Racial Disparities in High-Achieving Suburban Schools" (Ronald F. Ferguson), shares findings from a recent survey of more than 34,000 students…

Most social scientists assert that Whites and African Americans exist in different economic, political, and social environments and that these contextual differences contribute substantially to group differences in violence and other antisocial outcomes. This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and structural…

This brief explores the pros and cons of three alternative approaches to college admissions policies: race-based preferences, which are backed by most Democrats; class-rank plans (admitting the top students in each high school), which is backed by the Bush administration; and economic affirmative action for the disadvantaged of all races, which…

This report discusses findings from the Current Population Survey of 1998 that found Americans with disabilities are less than half as likely as their counterparts to own a computer, and they are about one-quarter as likely to use the Internet. Others findings indicate: (1) among persons 65 years of age or older, only one-tenth of those with…

This study surveys African Americans to assess perceptions of and life experiences with the issue of skin tone. Thirty-seven African American adults agreed to complete a survey packet and participate in a semi-structured focus group discussion. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the Skin…

A study comparing the effects of student self-concept, classroom environment, and socioeconomic status on student aspirations and achievement surveyed 3,397 students in 28 rural and urban high schools in Western Australia over a period of 3 years. Government and nongovernment schools in metropolitan areas and in four categories of rural and remote…

This study investigated how economically and sociologically underprivileged students readied themselves for college, highlighting factors affecting the lowest socioeconomic status (SES) students' chances to: secure college qualifications, graduate from high school, and apply to four-year institutions. Data from the 1998 National Educational…

Students who engage in eLearning without basic computer skills may struggle with the technology instead of the academic content, drop out of courses, and then be excluded, not only from online learning, but also from technology enhanced, classroom-based learning. The purpose of this study was to identify those students, and whether those without…

This bulletin is based upon reports to the International Commission on the Teaching of Mathematics concerning the development of the teacher of mathematics in the better secondary schools of different countries. For the most part, only those schools which are under the immediate direction of the Government have been considered. And even here…

Imagine what a difference it would make if every child loved to read. Every teacher knows the difference that a love of reading makes to a child's performance; reading opens so many doors. However, research has long shown not only that men and boys in the developed world lag behind women and girls when it comes to engaging with reading. Thus…

A study of secondary English and mathematics classes indicated that, reflective of class inequalities in the larger society, students in higher tracks were exposed to more and higher status knowledge, better instructional quality, and more positive social relationships than those in lower tracks, who were mostly poor and minority students.…