Recounts a student teacher's field experience which involved conducting a case study of one elementary student. She followed the class's only Hispanic student who was labeled a low achiever with an uncooperative family but who was actually very capable. Though she could not intervene, the experience shaped her teaching career. (SM)

Describes a study in which average eighth graders in an urban junior high school were placed into prealgebra classes normally reserved for high achievers. The average achievers in the prealgebra classes understood mathematical concepts better and enrolled in more advanced mathematics classes during high school, than did their cohorts. (GLR)

Draws from in-depth interviews with 107 African-American, Hispanic, and Native American baccalaureate recipients regarding personal, educational, and societal influences on their decisions to persist in school and graduate. Highlights characteristics common to graduates, the problem of low teacher expectations, and strategies for successful…

Explores academic self-efficacy of 382 male and 319 female Chapter 1 elementary school students using the Self-Efficacy for Academic Tasks scale. Factor analyses reveal no sex differences in factor structure. Verbal skills and compliance explain 66 percent of the covariation. Efficacy beliefs decline between second and fifth grades. (SLD)

A total of 98 elementary school teachers described their strategies for dealing with problem students and the ways in which they would handle incidents presented in 2 vignettes. Teachers usually reported the same strategies but differed in the coherence and elaboration with which they articulated the strategies. (MDM)

Investigates how master music teachers maintain discipline in their classrooms. Suggests the discipline of music and the need to use time effectively encourage disciplined classroom environments. Stresses teachers' ability to balance musical goals with student needs and interests. Notes that students respect these teachers' musicianship and…

Labeling students by their behavior is dangerous because, once labels are established, it is difficult to see when they become inappropriate. The article discusses five levels of labeling and suggests that it is more appropriate to describe behavior than to describe people and objects. (SM)

Discusses how the Minority Mentorship Project, a cross-cultural program at Texas A & M University, changed the attitudes and perceptions of preservice teachers to work with a culturally diverse school-age population. Integration of multicultural education, human relations training, and cross-cultural mentoring provided appropriate strategies…

This study investigated the relationship between characteristics and views of 35 middle school sexuality education teachers and their students' responses to the course. Teacher and student questionnaires indicated a variety of teacher variables were significantly related to students' sexual knowledge, attitudes, and anticipated behaviors and to…

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…

Lists 20 basic instructional principles for increasing academic success of at-risk learners, including maintaining high expectations, administering praise, using learning technologies, teaching learning strategies, accommodating learning styles, teaching vocabulary directly, establishing an experiential base for learning, encouraging cooperative…

Discusses barriers to African-American student progress, persistence, and achievement in science and engineering graduate study, including lack of encouragement, bias in graduate school admission criteria, lower faculty expectations of black students, financial support and fellowship structures, lack of opportunity to become professionally…

Describes pilot programs in Appalachian high schools designed to improve math and science instruction through systemic change and higher standards. Strategies include using videoconferencing for professional development, incorporating employers' expectations into curricula, bridging gaps between academic and vocational programs, integrating…

A total of 87 inservice teachers and 99 preservice teachers viewed videotapes depicting inappropriate behavior of an African-American female, an African-American male, a white female, and a white male. The gender of the teacher and the gender of the student had the most influence on teachers' perceptions of behavior. (Contains references.)…

If schools were strongholds of intellect, the most academically able would be stars. Gifted kids often have trouble with school; academically uninterested kids enjoy cult-hero status; and the humanities are undervalued. Schools' purpose has been to train future employees and consumers, not create intellectual citizens. (MLH)