Compares three critical transitions at the end of elementary school and during secondary education prior to and after educational reform in the Netherlands. Concludes that the educational reform efforts promoted more equal educational opportunities by increased student participation. (CFR)

Studies patterns of computer use based on data from the National Science Foundation's Longitudinal Study of American Youth in which 7th- and 10th-grade students were surveyed for five consecutive years. Highlights include parental backgrounds; socioeconomic status; parental attitudes; student attitudes; gender differences; computer ownership; and…

Investigated the effects of and relationship between the number of parenting transitions (divorce, remarriage) and adjustment in three samples of adolescent girls and boys not identified as being at risk for problems. Found qualified evidence of a negative linear relationship between the number of parenting transitions experienced and child…

Discusses a study of whether Chinese-American families in small businesses promote educational achievement by transmitting high aspirations to the next generation. Concludes that proprietors exert positive influence on their children's educational attainment. Suggests that small business participation has encouraged intergenerational educational…

Investigation of relations among children's perceptions of their parents, motivation, and school performance for 456 children in grades 3 through 6 suggests that perceived maternal support and involvement are associated with perceived competence, control understanding, and perceptions of autonomy, whereas paternal support is related to perceived…

Describes a year-long study in second and fourth grades examining how teachers' school-to-home communications influence parent perceptions about school and their effects on children's motivation. Results from 25 classrooms (15 controls) confirm the importance of school-to-home communications and the positive relationship between parents' comfort…

Black high school seniors and white high school seniors were surveyed regarding the influence of school counseling, parental agreement with educational goals, and curriculum choice on college aspirations. Black students used counseling more frequently. Though the races differed significantly in high school programs, there were no significant…

Examines mother-daughter relationships and teenage pregnancy prevention in 153 school-aged mothers. The consistent finding is that negative daughter-mother relationships foster earlier first pregnancies, whereas positive relationships resulted in later-age pregnancies. Consistently positive relationships are second in potency for delaying or…

Describes a longitudinal investigation designed to study emotional disorders over the course of adolescence in children of depressed parents (beginning in sixth grade). The "Development of Depression" project integrates family processes, cognitions, and life events to examine the mechanisms leading to depressive symptoms and disorders.…

Examined how maternal education, economic conditions, and instrumental support influenced maternal psychological functioning, parenting, and child development among single Black mothers. Found that maternal education positively related to earnings, which, with instrumental support, negatively related to financial strain. Financial strain related…

Interviewed mothers of preschoolers with autism about their children's child care programs and factors that influenced program selection. Rated the importance of program features, knowledge of the care settings, and frequency of their involvement at school. Found mothers reported high involvement in activities, conferences, and classroom…

Risk and protective factors associated with disordered eating were examined in girls in middle-level school. Analysis showed that low competence in physical appearance, high importance of social acceptance, high self-oriented perfectionism, and low parental support were correlated significantly with reports of high levels of disordered eating.…

This prospective longitudinal study examined the unique and combined effects of neighborhood characteristics on parental behaviors in the context of more distal and more proximal influences. Although generally culture and context did not moderate other relations found between neighborhood characteristics, family context, and child behaviors, the…

This study examined associations between multiple parental behaviors and children's participation in out-of-school math, science, and computer activities for children in 2nd (n = 125), 3rd (n = 123), and 5th grade (n = 200). Mothers and fathers reported how often they encouraged their children's activities, participated in activities with their…

In the present quantitative and qualitative study, school psychologists provided responses to a paper-and-pencil survey about their perceptions of the disproportionate representation of African American students in special education. They described their perceptions of the causes and solutions for overrepresentation by providing ratings on…