Author of the landmark work "Baby and Child Care," Benjamin Spock changed how parents and indirectly professional caregivers raise children. Spock believed all infants are inherently good and discipline is mistakenly identified with punishment. He felt quality child care was essential to successful development and play for infants and…

A survey of 172 teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders found that 71% reported they currently use level systems for behavioral management. Analysis notes similarities and differences between level system users and nonusers, characteristics common to level systems, and inconsistencies in perceptions of effectiveness and…

David Whisnant describes his contribution to Appalachian studies as a synthesis of cultural knowledge from folklorists and political economy from left-wing scholars to create the concept of cultural intervention. He discusses the formative years of Appalachian studies, its strengths, the split between organizers and academics, and progress made in…

An urban New Jersey district changed its high-school suspension policy, giving chronically tardy students administrative detention. Suspensions have been halved, and more students are graduating. Other successful programs include peer mediation and an alternative-education/tutoring program for disaffected middle-schoolers. (MLH)

Looks at American foreign language education from the standpoint of an outsider and compares it with foreign language education and teacher preparation in Russia. Discusses teacher education and language teaching and theories. Suggests both systems have advantages that are rooted in intellectual traditions and are unlikely to change. (Author/VWL)

Behavior problems demanding severe disciplinary actions are disruptive, eroding forces in classrooms. Effective group guidance programs have students keep track of concerns, problems, or difficulties encountered. The Problem Tracker, allowing students to record stressful or problematic situations, provides a buffer permitting more thoughtful…

Suggests a method that allows searchers to analytically compare the Boolean and probabilistic information retrieval approaches. Sample performance figures are provided for queries using the Boolean strategy, and for probabilistic systems. The variation of performance across sublanguages and queries is examined, as well as the performance of models…

Discusses administrator responsibility and student rights under the Fourth Amendment. Reviews search and seizure case law in school settings, highlighting "New Jersey v. TLO,""Vernonia v. Acton," and other landmark decisions. Some experts advocate a moral or cultural ethos fostering a sense of family and community, character…

Interest in women's issues in India has grown since 1975, when a report on the status of women raised concern about women's equality. Women's studies entered India's university curriculum only in 1986 but with little encouragement from the emerging women's movement. In India, women's studies looks to the West for research methods and ideas and is…

Reports on a four-year mentoring project developed for African-American adolescents. Self-esteem, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, grades, school attendance, and disciplinary infractions were examined. No significant differences were found between the control and intervention groups. Offers explanations for why it is difficult to document the…

Presents a case study of an experienced professor's comments on a design report in a first-year engineering class. Compares these comments with the commenting styles of technical-writing teachers. Finds the comments are highly directive and at odds with the preference for facilitative comments prevailing in composition studies. Notes that…

A Virginia Department of Education survey of urban, suburban, and rural schools using block scheduling revealed fewer disciplinary problems, a strong teacher preference for this format over traditional scheduling, and positive effects on standardized test scores in reading and mathematics. When time is used well in schools, school climate improves…

Self-report surveys completed by 2250 high school seniors indicated their participation in types of problem behaviors and their perceptions of their parents' parenting styles. Parenting style was significantly related to adolescent behavioral adjustment in this sample. Implications are discussed. (SLD)

A study of 160 undergraduate journalism students trained to design projects (stacks) using HyperCard on Macintosh computers determined that right-brain dominant subjects outperformed left-brain and mixed-brain dominant subjects, whereas left-brain dominant subjects out performed mixed-brain dominant subjects in several areas. Recommends future…

Focuses on Subject-Pair Analysis, a technique for comparing examinations in different subjects, to demonstrate that reliance on statistical comparisons of standards between subjects is misplaced. Explicates the fundamental assumptions underlying the Subject-Pair Analysis. Argues that this and related analyses are inappropriate for dealing with the…