This study described novice teachers' case dilemmas, analyzing them for assumptions made by teachers about teaching and learning as well as for solutions to the dilemmas. Twenty-one of the thirty-six dilemmas emphasized either minority students, students of low socioeconomic status, or students from single-parent households. Among the issues…

The term "socioeconomic gradient" is often used to describe the relationships between social outcomes and socioeconomic status (SES) for individuals in a specific community. In research on child development the social outcome is typically a measure describing cognitive ability, health, behaviour, social skills, or personality traits.…

Using data from the U.S. Decennial Census and the National Longitudinal Surveys, we find little evidence of differences in the return to schooling across racial and ethnic groups, even with attempts to control for ability and measurement error biases. While our point estimates are relatively similar across racial and ethnic groups, our conclusion…

This paper focuses on sociological and demographic characteristics of Hispanics, particularly Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans living in the United States. Sections are organized around data tables and figures (based primarily on 1990 census data), with explanatory text, and cover minority populations in the United States, Latino…

This digest discusses how race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and area of residence, whether urban, suburban, or rural, impact girls' sports experiences. The social context of girls' lives shapes their sports choices and opportunities, with financial restraints often restricting African American girls' opportunities. When access to sports is…

The purpose of the study was to determine the characteristics of the 10 best school districts in Arkansas for 1992-93. State legislation (Act 688) of 1989 established an Office of Accountability within the State Department of Education that would provide, among other things, an annual school report card. The school report card assesses the…

Background characteristics and future plans of average and above average Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General test takers are described for the various racial and ethnic groups. Characteristics included: (1) percentage of females; (2) undergraduate college major and grades; (3) intended field of graduate study; (4) graduate degree objective;…

A study explored the lives of families and successful readers within "at-risk" environments. This inquiry sought to identify and understand the home and family characteristics that enable children to defy the myths and become successful readers and literacy users, when individuals and institutions would suggest they would fail. Through…

Extensive research has been conducted on numerous factors influencing the academic achievement of school children. While many studies have emphasized individual factors to explain differences in social behavior and academic achievement, others have examined macro-level factors, including those addressing the role of parental socioeconomic status.…

This large-scale evaluation of Indiana's Prime Time, a funding mechanism designed to reduce class size or pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) in grades K-3 examined the academic performance of nearly 11,000 randomly selected third graders on the state mandated standardized achievement test as a function of class size, PTR, and presence of an instructional…

Although earnings generally increased in rural areas in the 1990s, Hispanic population growth led to lower wages for at least one segment of the rural population--workers with a high school degree (skilled workers), particularly men in this skill group. Using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Current Population Survey, this report…

A study examined evidence of any labor market payoff for school dropouts and if they acquire cognitive skills, and studied whether the payoff differs by gender and race/ethnicity. It analyzed data containing information on the universe of school dropouts in New York and Florida who took the General Educational Development (GED) exams between…

This study used internationally comparable household datasets to investigate the interaction of gender and wealth in generating within-country inequalities in educational enrollment and attainment. Data from 57 Demographic and Health Surveys in 41 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific were used to carry out…

During the Western Australian School Effectiveness Study (WASES), 28 rural and urban high schools and 3,500 students were surveyed to investigate features of effective schools, and 21 schools and 1,024 students were studied longitudinally. Effective schools were identified in terms of higher than expected science and mathematics achievement, when…

This report is a compilation of four different studies involving kindergartners (N=950) who participated in the "I LIKE ME!" program. I LIKE ME! is a 12-week program that uses a personalized reader with "I" statements as positive inducements for learning and achievement for kindergartners. The goals of the program are to bring home, school, and…