Concepts in this book are presented to help parents and teachers help students create a positive vision of themselves and their abilities. The first section explores the idea of institutional racism and how it affects the mind sets of people charged with educating young people, specifically African American youth. Instrumental methods designed to…

Belief in the ability to teach or to teach a particular subject can help fuel success in the first stages of a teaching career. The need for a reliable instrument with which to probe preservice elementary teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in the teaching of science led to the development of two versions of a teacher efficacy scale that were tested…

Based on responses to a questionnaire and interviews with 327 faculty from research universities, liberal arts colleges, a comprehensive university, British universities, and a longitudinal study concerning the transition to retirement, this study examines academic retirement experiences. An introductory chapter gives background information on the…

In New Canaan, Connecticut, several meetings were convened to communicate kindergarten expectations as they relate to the 14 preschools that feed into 3 public elementary schools in New Canaan, and to develop and systemize more effective and efficient transitional practices from the preschool arena to the public school setting. Attending the…

The transition from secondary to postsecondary science courses is characterized by low student retention rates. Student difficulties may be related to an incongruity between secondary student preparation and postsecondary faculty requirements. The purpose of this study was to learn how well matched secondary and postsecondary teacher assumptions…

This book describes New York City's Central Park East (CPE) Elementary School, which provides inner city children with the highest quality educators and pedagogy and is considered one of the most academically enriching U.S. schools. The book gives voice to young adults who emerged from poverty as a result of powerful experiences within CPE.…

In the fall of 1998, the Education Trust constructed and administered a survey of 1,200 schools that had been identified by the states as their top-scoring or most improved schools with poverty levels over 50%. The 366 elementary and secondary schools that responded to the survey serve student populations that are largely poor in urban and rural…

This pamphlet discusses ways that teachers can make a positive difference in promoting confidence in mathematics in talented girls. It discusses the influence of gender bias and the need for teachers to believe that girls can do mathematics and do it very well. The benefits of cooperative learning versus competitive learning are addressed, as well…

Adolescent development research and theory have tremendous potential to inform the work of high school teachers, counselors, and administrators. "Understanding Youth" bridges the gap between adolescent development theory and practice. Nakkula and Toshalis explore how factors such as social class, peer and adult relationships, gender…

The need to evaluate educational programs is briefly addressed, and the application of the Discrepancy Evaluation Model (DEM) at a hypothetical residential school for the visually handicapped is described. (Author/SW)

All teacher evaluation forms completed in the arts and sciences division of a large community college were analyzed. Multiple regression was used to predict teacher rating. Items relating to teacher characteristics as perceived by the students (e.g., "tries to help students understand," etc.) had a consistant impact on rating. (Author/MLW)

Undergraduate subjects with either an internal or external locus of control were used to investigate the relationship between locus of control and responsiveness to expectations regarding their own and their teacher's competence. As predicted, internal subjects were more receptive to the expectation regarding self than external subjects.…

Three approaches, focusing on (1) individual differences, (2) an aggregate composite, and (3) an aptitude-treatment interaction model to assess classroom climate, are discussed. A description of how a classroom climate approach to secondary-level psychological services can be implemented is presented. (Author/PN)

There is a sense among today's students that they are passengers on a sinking ship, even though they are optimistic about their own futures. A new curriculum including interdisciplinary study, majors in problems rather than disciplines, career internships, and theses is proposed to counter student attitudes. (MSE)

Cooper and Baron's conclusions (EJ 174 719) that teachers' performance expectations were more potent predictors of their reinforcement behavior in class than were their attributions of responsibility is criticized on the basis of methodological flaws in the study. Evidence associations between teachers' attributions of responsibility and their…