This four-page issue brief summarizes findings from Mathematica's evaluation of Teach For America. The researchers found that TFA teachers outperformed non-TFA teachers in the same schools in math and achieved the same results in reading. However, TFA teachers also reported greater challenges in managing their classrooms. TFA and non-TFA teachers…

Knowing how to interest and motivate pupils is a skill, which separates the "great" teachers from the mediocre. This book will inform and inspire staff and give them confidence in dealing with pupils who are not naturally "teacher pleasers." The book explains: (1) how personality affects learning styles; (2) suggests assessment tools and…

This report identifies core principles and best practices for schools and communities to use in creating, practicing, enforcing, and assessing expectations for all students, enabling them to develop as ethical, responsible, and involved citizens. The report defines the attributes of a healthy and sustainable process for schools and communities as…

The purpose of this paper is to explain how origami can be used to foster life and academic skills in struggling students in rural schools. At-risk students often lack the social, behavioral, study, self-management, academic and life skills to face their daily challenges. This paper describes: (1) benefits of origami and its integration into…

In spring 1999, the Palm Beach County, Florida, Public Schools implemented an after school program designed to improve students' behavior, school attendance, and academic achievement. The program targeted 63 at-risk students in a high-needs elementary school. Students were identified as having behavioral and/or academic problems. Participants…

The articles in this issue dealing with school safety discusses what rural and small urban settings are doing to prevent violence and to educate young people about prosocial alternatives to violence. The research is quite clear that female, minority, and gay students are the targets of a disproportionate amount of harassment and violence, both in…

This present research reveals how beer advertising affects adolescents' knowledge of beer brands, drinking attitudes, and drinking behaviors. In addition to traditional psychological approaches for measuring media effects on alcohol-related behaviors and attitudes, market research advertising tracking methods were included to permit a clearer and…

When educators face the stress and strain in the classroom brought on by disruptive and difficult students, solutions are not always readily available. In this book, a model for identifying, managing, avoiding, and rising above conflicted relationships is presented. This how-to guide blends theory and research with tangible examples gathered from…

This report profiles two Milwaukee, Wisconsin, public schools that are providing students with safe and orderly classrooms while using suspension only as a last resort. It places the successful schools' experiences in the context of research that defines effective school discipline practices and explains how suspensions can harm students.…

School reform in New Zealand in the 1990s greatly affected funding strategies and school social dynamics. This paper investigates the effects of per-pupil funding and the track system on the sensibilities of students in one New Zealand secondary school. Per-pupil funding and the track system are used in an effort to attract parents (consumers) and…

Responding to questions regarding what research tells us about the importance of school size to student achievement, this report reviews recent research on the topic. It concludes that to the extent that small schools are better able than large schools to create forward planning conditions, then small schools appear to be a promising strategy. The…

This issue of the quarterly publication focuses on Fostering Success in School and Beyond for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. Editorial introduction notes that today's K-12 educators must effectively work with increasingly diverse populations in their classrooms, including educating students identified as having emotional/behavioral…

In fall 1995, a study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness, according to student perception, of the educational planning system of the San Diego Community College District (California). Of the 26,753 students who enrolled via the district's telephone registration system that fall, 6,937 answered at least one question on an optional survey…

Numerous approaches to behavior management in schools have been offered but many of these rely on strategies or procedures. A different kind of approach, which focuses on essential principles, is offered here. It includes a range of suggestions, but application of its principles depends on the particular school and community. The position adopted…

This study examined the evolution of the accuracy and thoroughness of teachers' recall of their own, and their students', specific classroom behaviors, noting its relationship to the frequency and level of their reflection. Participants of the study were three groups of elementary teachers (four novice student teachers, five teachers with 1-6.5…