The relationship between education and broad changes in American society is explored in these chapters, most of which were previously published essays. The first part of the book examines families, schools, and the challenges of economic opportunity. Chapter 1 examines the relation between family and schooling in colonial 19th-century America,…

This report presents information on personal student victimization from the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES), based on the responses of 6,504 students in grades 6 through 12 who were surveyed. The data indicate that unsafe conditions at school are a reality for most students in the United States. The report found that 56 percent of…

This report presents information on student strategies to avoid harm at school, based on responses from 6,504 students in grades 6 through 12 surveyed by the 1993 National Household Education Survey (NHES). Half of the students surveyed indicated that they did not use any strategy to avoid trouble at school, whereas the other half reported using a…

This study sought to understand how South African Sotho and Zulu children learn and communicate at home. Data were collected from 80 homes of 5-year-olds through observation and supplemented by audiotaped sessions. The analysis sought to identify the social rules and constraints governing the amount, style, and content of the information…

Prompted by repeated failure on a required English language proficiency test by a large proportion of undergraduates, educators at Cardinal Stritch College (Wisconsin) conducted a study to determine predictors of failure or success on the test, and whether revision of course placement standards should be considered to improve test performance.…

The relationship construct between physicians and patients was explored in the context of medical education and evaluation focusing on the clinical performance of third-year medical students. The Relationship Instrument, a performance-based assessment, was constructed to measure interpersonal and communication skills of the physician interacting…

A study examined beliefs about language learning held by students of Arabic and Swahili in six African studies programs. A survey administered to 134 students gathered demographic information and student attitudes about 47 statements concerning language learning strategies, ability, usefulness, and skill difficulty, multilingualism, and reasons…

Hierarchical cluster analysis techniques were used to identify subtypes of 125 Minnesota students with learning disabilities (LD) in grades 1 through 6, and to investigate their academic performance. The measure used for clustering was the Basic Academic Skills Samples (BASS), an index of student proficiency in basic academic skill areas (reading,…

An evaluation of the developmental first grade, or pre-first grade, program of the Irving Independent School District (Texas) was conducted through four studies. Students are placed in the pre-first grade as a transition between kindergarten and first grade, typically on the basis of some assessment of maturity. The first study examined the…

Differential predictors of the educational achievement status of homeless children were studied using multivariate statistical modeling. The effects of more general influences such as age, gender, and maternal educational level were studied before the influence of intellectual, behavioral, and emotional factors was examined. Participants were…

Researchers have found it difficult to measure various forms of indirect aggression, such as exclusion from groups, because such behaviors are difficult to observe in field settings such as school playgrounds. This study examined gender and developmental differences in aggression, investigated across-gender aggression, and looked at teachers'…

This report presents student application and registration data for universities in Ontario, Canada, for the Fall of 1995. Tables and graphs present information on: (1) the total number of applications and registrations from 1986 through 1995; (2) application and registration ratios; (3) active applications and registered applicants by university,…

Noting that school recess periods are one of the few times when children interact with their peers on their own terms--with minimal adult intervention--this book examines recess behavior and its social and pedagogical implications. In addition to studying spontaneous peer interaction among school children, the book addresses issues of: (1) the…

A series of studies conducted in the late 1980s suggested that American adolescents lack adequate knowledge in geography, history, science, and current events. This paper examines motivational predictors of students' knowledge of current events and AIDS. Researchers surveyed 579 middle school students from 4 middle schools, and 1,548 high school…

This set of factsheets presents information and statistics about adolescent mothers in the United States in the areas of: (1) births and marriage; (2) aid to families of dependent children (AFDC); (3) education and training; (4) living arrangements; and (5) subsequent pregnancy. Even though the adolescent birth rate in the United States is…