Examined 11th and 12th graders from upward striving, overprotective, indifferent, and conflicted homes concerning their attitudes toward their parents and academic achievement. Found upward-striving patterns of parenting significantly associated with underachievement. Pressuring these adolescents aroused reactions of anger, resentment, and…

Examples of financial aid packages and family finanicial support strategies for low- and middle-income families are provided to illustrate the variety of approaches to financing higher education. The discussion is based on two recent American Council on Education reports. (MSE)

This document discusses a program designed to decrease students' off-task behaviors in order to help create a positive learning environment. The targeted population consisted of elementary students from two midwestern communities. Children attended schools in both lower-middle class and upper-middle class schools. The problem of off-task behavior…

The author suggests that the White middle class teacher preparing to teach Black students in an inner-city school should explore his/her motives for doing so. Listed are reading materials which should be helpful to the inner-city teacher. (KC)

Self-concept test scores among Inuit, Montagnais Indian and White seventh and eighth graders in four Labrador communities showed some differences in net conflict, self-satisfaction, self-criticism and identity. These may be due to several factors: reading ability, cultural differences, isolation, and other factors in Labrador culture. (MH)

Analysis of self-report data from middle class adolescents shows that both peer relationships and elements of adult-child conflict affect the probability of vandalism. The strongest factors are peer-related, possibly because vandalism may be seen as a way of establishing positions within peer hierarchies. (Author/MC)

Hirsch, author of "Cultural Literacy" (1987), wishes that progressive instructional methods were carefully monitored to see whether kids are actually learning. An "anti-subject-matter" orientation suits middle-class students better than kids from less educated families. Most elementary curricula stress "tool skills"…

Examines barriers faced by African-American students at predominantly white colleges, suggests a typology of discrimination, and presents a tentative theory of cumulative discrimination. Data from interviews with 24 college students, administrators, and faculty members from a sample of 180 middle-class urban African Americans indicate that the…

Case histories from the Berkeley Guidance cohort--the Depression experience of middle and working class women and the military experience of their sons--demonstrated that (1) economic adversity enhanced middle class resilience and health while negatively affecting working class women's health and (2) military service gave men of deprived…

Fifty low income minority gifted high school sophomores were compared to 42 higher income Asian and Caucasian gifted sophomores on college and career counseling needs. Results showed many intergroup similarities in motivation, career planning interest, and knowledge about college issues. Data suggest, however, some different college and career…

Examined relationship between participation in school activities, part-time work, and self-esteem in 442 high school students. Found that self-esteem was affected by nature of school activity and by gender. Found no significant correlates of self-esteem among boys. Among girls, significant correlates of self-esteem were hours worked, age, and…

Use of computers for instruction in public schools in New York City is compared with that in public schools in suburban Westchester County. Survey responses from 90 city and 46 suburban schools emphasize hardware availability, the nature of instructional software, and perceived problems/progress in integrating computers into the curriculum. (SLD)

If high- and middle-income parents make disproportionate use of school choice through residential and private school decisions, lower-income parents are more strongly represented in public school choices, many related to desegregation options. Magnet schools and voucher systems benefit those who hear about them. Universal controlled choice has had…

A phenomenological study of a 26-member involved-parent culture unearthed a conception: involved parents participate in their own and other children's lives both inside and outside schools. The portrait of an involved parent is more multicultural (and multifaceted) than commonly portrayed. Educators should welcome minority parents. (Contains 34…

Examined the quality of care provided to children from low-income families, using data from a nationally representative survey of child care centers and a five-site observational study of centers. Found that the quality of care in centers serving predominantly low-income families was better than centers serving middle-income families. (MDM)