Although computer-assisted interview tools have much potential, little empirical evidence on the quality and quantity of data generated by these tools has been collected. In this study we compared the effects of using Virre, a computer-assisted self-interview tool, with the effects of using other data collection methods, such as written responding…

The elimination of racial and ethnic health inequities has become a central focus of health education and the national health agenda. The documentation of an increasing gap in life expectancy and other health outcomes suggests the need for more effective strategies to eliminate health inequities, which can be informed by better monitoring and…

This article summarizes five K-12 school-based dating violence prevention curricula/programs that have gone through some form of evaluation and peer review. These programs were selected as a result of a broad and comprehensive review of the relationship violence literature that has been published in the past decade. Program objectives, components,…

Traditionally, educational institutions have relied heavily on the use of tables and graphs to analyze and present enrollment data. However, in dealing with information that has a spatial component (such as enrollment data), graphs and tables are often insufficient for communicating the spatial dimension. An effective way to add this extra…

This paper examines the widespread practice of Chinese learners choosing (and sometimes refusing) to adopt English and Anglicised names. Data collected from questionnaires and interviews with both students and teachers are analysed in order to arrive at an understanding of why such a practice has arisen and continues to be perpetuated throughout…

With an increasing number of Chinese learners pursuing higher education in Western universities, the characteristics of Chinese students have raised many discussions and debates (e.g. Carson, 1992; Watkins & Biggs, 2001). Two contradictory views are commonly reflected in the existing literature: being passive, quiet, submissive, or disciplined…

We analyse social interactions during the first days of class in a secondary mathematics classroom (15 and 16-year-olds) with a high percentage of immigrant students. Our analyses show the co-existence of different models for both the interpretation and the use of classroom social norms and socio-mathematical norms. Valorising some behaviours over…

Contemporary views of literacy as a wide range of sociocultural practices acknowledge a comprehensive account of adolescents' literate lives, which includes previously unrecognised vernacular literacies. Contrasting descriptors such as official/unofficial and sanctioned/unsanctioned have been used to describe adolescent writing from different…

Across the US, some schools are hallmarks of high academic performance. These schools display consistently high test performance, and their students are sought after by competitive colleges and universities. These schools are successful, with consistently above-average test scores, low dropout rates, high percentages of children attending college,…

The current high-stakes accountability environment has created strong incentives for educators to systematically collect and use data to inform instructional decisions. This article examines the strategies employed by three urban school districts to promote data use for instructional improvement and their effect on administrator, principal, and…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Miller Time: Committee Chairman Outlines NCLB Improvement Priorities; Sets September Goal for House Reauthorization…

This collection of chapters presents research focused on emerging strategies, paradigms, and theories on the sources, experiences, and consequences of stress, coping, and prevention pertaining to students, teachers and administrators. Studies analyze data collected through action research, program evaluation, surveys, qualitative interviewing,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Canadian adult students collaboratively learn with peers in both formal and non-formal adult literacy programs. A multisite case study research design was used involving several local literacy organizations. Data collection occurred over a four-month period and focused on nine different program…

The purpose of this article is to describe a capstone course in undergraduate student geographical research in which GIS and other geospatial tools were used to teach undergraduate students basic geographical principles. The course uses the "cooperative learning" pedagogical approach to address one of a number of client-supplied research projects,…

Research literature on students as researchers demonstrates a spectrum of constructive ways in which students are being actively engaged in school and classroom action inquiries. Any identified tensions lie in the degree to which students themselves are genuinely engaged as action researchers. Increasingly, externally driven agendas for change and…