Stimulated recall was used with 28 classroom teachers to examine their thought processes during instruction. Results indicated that at-risk children received more negative comments about attending and ability than did average achievers. Special education students received more positive and negative comments about attending than did average…

This study quantified possible changes in the classroom learning experiences of high- and low-ability pupils, which might accompany an organizational change from streamed to mixed-ability classes for science learning in secondary schools. Deteriorations in the quality of the classroom interactions of both high- and low-ability pupils were found.…

The results of four early intervention studies are analyzed and found to make a strong case for expecting educable-level achievements from children with Down syndrome. The importance of functional indicators of educability that can complement intelligence test results in determining an appropriate educational placement is stressed. (Author/JDD)

Describes a study that investigates the perceived academic self-efficacy of first-generation students at a large Midwest community college. Indicates that first-generation students have lower self-perceptions of their academic ability than students whose parents have some college experience. Contains one data table and 12 references. (JDI)

Examines four key themes from a national study, focusing particularly on beliefs and practices of middle school teachers and principals as they relate to academically diverse learners. Provides insight into how middle level educators think about and address academic diversity in their schools and classrooms, and suggests areas for staff…

This chapter is adapted from the address that inaugurated the American Educational Research Association annual lecture series commemorating the anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court decision in the case "Brown v. Board of Education." The authors begin this chapter by paying tribute to Kenneth Bancroft Clark, who led the distinguished group of…

This article presents the author's response to Edmund Gordon and Beatrice Bridglall's paper titled "The Affirmative Development of Academic Ability: In Pursuit of Social Justice." Placing her comments in a historical context, the author states that Gordon and Bridglall point out that the "Brown v. Board of Education" case was the result of decades…

Beginning in fall 1991, Napa Valley College (NVC), in California, switched from essentially mandatory placement of incoming students to an advisory, self-selection system, where students receive course recommendations based on assessment test results. In order to evaluate the validity of NVC's assessment procedures, a study was conducted of…

Social cognitive theory suggests that individuals' beliefs about their efficacy in specific contexts, such as school, influence their motivation in those settings. The relationship between various sociocultural factors and the development of adolescents' perceived academic self-efficacy are investigated in this paper. Participants (N=202), drawn…

Positive relationships between student study behaviors and academic achievement were examined in this extension of a large-scale Far West Laboratory project. Participants were 196 college students drawn from 28 sections of an introductory psychology course over a 4-semester period, involving 12 instructors. Subjects' activities and allocation of…

This research review summarizes two major sets of meta-analyses on five kinds of ability grouping programs: (1) XYZ classes (high, middle, and low classes); (2) cross-grade grouping; (3) within-class grouping; (4) accelerated classes; and (5) enriched classes. One group of meta analyses concluded that the strongest benefits from grouping were…

Following the implementation of a matriculation plan at Rancho Santiago College (RSC), a study was conducted to examine the appropriateness of student course placement as assessed by faculty and students and to investigate faculty's perceptions of changes in students' skill level preparation over the past few years. Questionnaires were completed…

As part of the American College Testing (ACT) High School Profile Service, national norms are provided to reflect the characteristics of students who took the ACT Assessment during their junior or senior years and graduated from high school in 1990. Four-year averages for ACT-tested graduates are illustrated. The tables of norms include: (1) mean…

College preferences and choices of a sample of high-ability high school seniors applying to colleges in spring 1984 were studied to determine the award of no-need (merit) aid to the students and the degree to which such aid influences college choices, in relation to other factors. A multistage model of college choice behavior was employed that…

College choice is a critical decision facing many high school students. Although some research has examined where students go for help in making college choices, few studies have examined how race or gender differences of the students or differences in their standardized test scores affect their information sources. Entering college freshmen…