Responds to previous article on validating curriculum-based measurement (Derr-Minneci and Shapiro, this issue). Contends that research reported by Derr-Mennici and Shapiro neither validated curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in reading from behavioral perspective, nor investigated accuracy of CBM. Organizes comments around three points of emphasis…

Responds to previous article on validating curriculum-based measurement (Derr-Minneci and Shapiro, this issue). Contends that, in examining variation in oral reading rate across their three settings, Derr-Mennici and Shapiro's assessment procedures were of unknown accuracy, and that these procedures themselves varied among settings, making it…

College students drink more alcohol than the general population, and the nature of college life is a strong influence on students' drinking behavior. Reduction in student drinking behavior depends not only on establishment and enforcement of rules but also on education about the principles behind the policies. (MSE)

Assessment of eight preschool children with a history of prenatal cocaine exposure and eight peers without such history found no statistically significant differences between groups on multiple behavioral variables or language skills. Cocaine-exposed children did exhibit higher levels of passive behavior. (Author/JDD)

Second-year optometry students were asked to review videotapes of themselves performing two patient examinations to increase awareness of the examination process. A study of compliance with the assignment and later performance found that the perceived or potential gains from viewing one's own performance were not reflected in clinical evaluations.…

Investigated relations among moral reasoning, classroom behavior, and sociometric status. Among boys, hedonistic moral reasoning was associated with lack of social competencies, acting-out behavior, and low social preference. Moral reasoning influenced sociometric status indirectly through social behavior, and explained variance in sociometric…

Assessment and intervention of an eight-year old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who displayed disruptive behaviors during academic instruction involved three phases: (1) a brief functional analysis; (2) a curriculum-based assessment; and (3) an intervention derived from the assessments. Results showed an immediate reduction in…

Examines prevalence of cigarette smoking and explores its relationship with individual, family, school, and psychological factors among Korean adolescents. Current prevalence of cigarette smoking was 8.45 percent. Smoking prevalence increased with age among boys. Perceived peer use, academic stress, grade, and type of school were associated with…

Autonomic reactivity to cognitive stress was assessed in 10-year-old boys who were rated as either disruptive (n=18), anxious-disrupted (n=18), or not disruptive or anxious (n=15). Electrodermal activity, cardiac reactivity, and muscle tension were higher during a mental arithmetic stress task for the anxious-disruptive group. (Author/SW)

Examines selected components of existing school smoking policies in schools nationwide as part of the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation. Schools were questioned about their smoking policies, related resources, and compliance. Results indicated that school tobacco use policies consistently failed to meet the conditions for health…

Study examined the perceptions and coping behaviors of low-skilled sixth graders in physical education. Interview and field observation data indicated that students used several strategies to cope with repeated failure (avoiding the task, remaining silent, acting out, and trying to execute skills in the face of classmate criticism). (SM)

The causes of violence in schools, as in society, are multiple and complex; they are rooted in the intolerable economic and social conditions created by Brazil's development model, characterized by unequal wealth distribution, widespread poverty, and an exclusive society. By mirroring this exclusionary process, the educational system is inherently…

A survey of 241 Nigerian teachers found that subjects felt that the principal marker of giftedness is learning characteristics rather than general behavioral characteristics or creativity. The demographic variables of sex, educational level, and age did not have any significant differential effects on the perceptions of the subjects. (Author/JDD)

Discusses a study of the effects of a schoolwide behavior management program on Australian elementary school teachers' use of encouragement. Concludes that, although teacher encouragement of students increased during the program, encouragement levels reduced following the intervention's withdrawal. Calls for further research into the effects of…

Reports on a study involving college students who completed a questionnaire measuring involvement, moods, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and intentions concerning specific leisure activities. Reports one year later showed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted leisure intentions;…