Opportunity-to-Learn (OTL) benefits all students by providing information about how to improve the academic achievement of students, especially poor and minority students. This paper discusses ways in which the OTL conceptual framework can be expanded. OTL's conceptual framework identified four variables that have a powerful influence on teachers'…

Those who have dealt with students over a period of years have come to realize that an increasing number of them are disruptive. This book offers alternatives for responding to disruptive students. Solutions are offered from the perspective of a mental health professional with years of experience on a college campus. A code of student conduct is…

"Culture shock" is the expression generally associated with the frustrations that occur when persons have difficulty functioning in a different culture or when persons are exposed to individuals from another culture. Culture shock typically occurs in a 4-stage process that can unfold over varying lengths of time: the honeymoon, crisis,…

A challenge for teachers and administrators has been to develop security policies that will effectively reduce violence and improve school climate. This paper describes students' reactions to security measures implemented at a Chicago high school that served a low-socioeconomic-status neighborhood comprised predominantly of African-American and…

This study examined the academic engaged time of six students with low incidence disabilities who were enrolled in general elementary classrooms. These students participated in regular classes for reading or math, and at least one other subject area. The academic engaged time of these students was compared to that of six students without…

A study investigated how differences in student characteristics might affect the relationship between heightened interest in national news and news-seeking behavior. Data were taken from the Youth Civic Involvement component of the 1996 National Household Education Survey. Telephone interviews were conducted with 8,043 students in grades 6 through…

Little research has been conducted on middle school conduct codes or their effect on unacceptable behavior. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the conduct codes of 59 middle schools across the United States. All of the middle school handbooks addressed unacceptable language (for example, obscenity, harassment, and profanity) in…

The places and circumstances in which teens encounter frightening or abusive behavior are presented in this book; students act out or read aloud the skits in order to initiate discussion. This book prompts teenagers to confront the violence in their lives by helping them examine the underlying causes of the violence, by provoking discussion about…

This report describes a program that was designed to identify and modify disruptive student behavior and improve academic performance. The targeted fifth grade class had been noted for inappropriate behavior and sporadic academic success, with problems documented by teacher observation surveys and self-reporting by students. Probable causes…

To ameliorate violence in schools, many programs are being developed to provide students with tools to help them successfully resolve conflicts. However, there is a limited amount of quantitative data supporting their effectiveness. This study was an effort to add to the pool of research on the effectiveness of peer mediation training in schools.…

Although the issues of conflict and violence cannot be blamed on schools, schools are one of the most logical places to tackle problems associated with conflict. This booklet offers practical tips to help school leaders, staff, and students resolve their disputes peacefully. It focuses on student-versus-student and student-versus-teacher…

Parents and members of the public want safe schools that are free of violence. This document explicates Illinois' state plan for ensuring safety and order in its public schools. The plan contains 44 steps that are designed to commit the state to school safety; restore safety and order; implement conflict-resolution programs; prevent violence by…

The Cognitive Enrichment Network Education Model (COGNET) is a program designed to enable children to achieve greater school success by establishing a school-based community of learners. This paper describes COGNET and presents several studies on its effectiveness. The paper begins with a discussion of the model's basic assumptions on child…

Findings from the 1994 Missouri School Health Education Profile and the 1995 Missouri Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the executive summary and key findings of the 1996 School Health Education Profile are here combined. The 1994 profile is based on questionnaires completed by 252 principals and 244 teachers. The 1995 survey reports on information…

A 1995 Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) report investigated violence among students and the frequency of and basis for suspensions and expulsions among the state's student population. This paper presents findings of a study that examined educational stakeholders' perceptions of school suspension, expulsion, and violence in Kansas schools.…