A study at a small liberal arts college found grades earned in a required, interdisciplinary freshman year seminar (FYS) were better predictors of academic achievement and persistence than high school rank, Scholastic Assessment Test scores. FYS grades were found a useful substitute for cognitive and noncognitive variables that correlate with…

Investigates group differences in the relationship between stress-coping variables and substance use with urban middle school students. African-American adolescents had the lowest rate of substance use, Hispanics were intermediate, and Whites had the highest rate. The strength of predictive relationships for stress-coping variables was lower for…

Examines the correlates of substance abuse among New Jersey middle school students by employing an epidemiological perspective in which an individual's risk of using cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs is predicted to increase in relation to the amount of vulnerability and/or risk an individual faces. (Author/MKA)

A study of 76 college students with learning disabilities (LD) participating in a liberal arts college LD program found that students with more inclusive, less structured supported programs within the secondary school settings were more successful in graduating from college. Although neither performance nor full-scale IQ interacted with these…

Examined the context of class activities and teacher/child interaction in 10 preschool centers in Bahrain. Found that children at educationally-oriented centers played more at cognitively challenging tasks and engaged in more dialog with others than counterparts at care-oriented centers. In general, children were more likely to engage in…

Review of the research about outcomes in adult life for more able individuals within the autistic spectrum focuses on cognitive, linguistic, academic, and adaptive functioning; educational and employment history; independence and social relationships; and behavioral and psychiatric problems. The stability of IQ and other measures over time, and…

Examined predictors of development in very low birth weight infants from diverse backgrounds. Found that low income and greater frequency of medical problems predicted developmental risk on the Bayley Scales. In two-parent households, paternal education predicted developmental scores. Several individual biomedical factors predicted…

Two studies involving adolescents with disabilities examined secondary and transition practices. Findings indicate that career-related work experience and completion of student-identified transition goals were highly associated with improved graduation and employment outcomes. Individualization of services around student goals and personalized…

Proposes a conceptual framework based on attachment theory and parenting styles typology for examining the relationship between family context variables and the development of self-regulation skills. Also presents initial findings from a study of the parental practices and values associated with academic self-regulation in college students.…

Compared pronunciation of targeted vocabulary items in spontaneous speech by 23 adult Chinese learners of English as a Second Language grouped according to mode of instruction: (1) traditional drilling activities; (2) self-study with tape recordings; (3) interactive activities; and (4) nonintervention control condition. Ratings of pronunciation by…

Describes a study of the effects of mastery learning strategies, interactive video mathematics, individualized instruction, and traditional lectures on community college student achievement, comparing outcomes by instructional method and student characteristics. Finds higher achievement for mastery learning and video methods and for adults 22…

Assessed the association of parental discipline and monitoring with early conduct problems of 123 children in a highly disadvantaged, African American sample. Analyses indicated that, after earlier conduct problems were controlled for, coercive parent discipline and poor parental monitoring at age 4.5 predicted age 6 conduct problems. Associations…

This study of community college students investigated predictors of student dropout in distance education courses. Considered locus of control, gender, number of distance education courses completed, age, financial assistance, and number of hours employed, and used correlation and discriminant analysis to show locus of control and financial aid…

Uses two sets of quality measures of group care to assess their predictive power for measures of the development of children in German group day care. Reports finding that measures of adult-child, child-child, and adult-adult interactions predict development levels when measured by long-term participant observation in a natural day care…

Examined young adult participation in high school activities and identity group as predictors of later substance use, psychological adjustment, and educational and occupational outcomes. Found both participation and identity may consolidate specific skills, attitudes, values, and social networks that have a far-ranging impact on the transition to…