IN A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SELF-CONCEPT, SENSE-OF-COMPETENCE, READING ACHIEVEMENT, AND DEPENDENCE IN KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE CHILDREN, 110 MIDDLE CLASS, WHITE KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN FROM THE NEW YORK CITY AREA WERE TESTED AND RATED DURING THEIR KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE YEARS. THE TESTS AND RATING SCALES…

THIS EXTENSIVE STUDY INVESTIGATED THE SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS PROVIDED BY TWELVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND EIGHT HIGH SCHOOLS IN EIGHT NEW JERSEY COMMUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS INVOLVEMENT IN, KNOWLEDGE ABOUT, AND SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOLS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE ASSESSED ACCORDING TO (1) THE EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OF 1,392 MOTHERS…

This conference paper identifies two factors in contemporary educational programs which may have a detrimental effect on disadvantaged youth. First, it is felt that from a historical as well as a contemporary perspective, it is clear that the public schools are designed to meet the needs of the middle class. Thus, even if the same educational…

The use of either tax credits or an expansion of existing financial aid programs to aid middle income students is examined in this paper. Section I describes various types of mechanisms for providing student financial assistance and explains the current legislative proposals in relation to proposals of an earlier time. An evaluation of key…

An investigation of changes in functioning of mothers and fathers following divorce is presented in this paper. Subjects were 24 white middle class boys and 24 girls and their divorced parents, from homes in which custody had been granted to the mother, and the same number of children and parents from intact homes. A multimethod approach,…

Designed for use in curriculum development, this value orientation packet addresses the cultural value orientations of American Indians (specifically, the Lakota on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota) and those of mainstream society in an effort to help individuals understand that values differ from culture to culture. Specifically, this…

People fail to communicate because they fail to read accurately the cultural signs that each person is sending. This consistently produces bewilderment, and often feelings of anger, frustration, and pain. Communication becomes virtually impossible when people not only operate from different cultural codes, but are unaware that different codes are…

This study of attitudes of elementary school teachers in the Minneapolis Public School System revealed a marked discrepancy between attitudes of successful and non-successful teachers of lower class black children. An analysis of a 186 item questionnaire showed that the effective teachers displayed empathy and commitment to teach disadvantaged…

The study described here was intended to test Basil Bernstein's contention that different types of speech patterns can be identified for lower and middle class children, and that lower class children may, because of their speech behavior, have difficulty in performing cognitive tasks necessary for success in the school situation. Spontaneous…

To ascertain and assess the changes in social and attitudinal characteristics among migrant and ex-migrant workers because of participation in adult education programs, a sample of 208 subjects were randomly selected from the Southwest. The selection was made from 3 program groups--adult basic, vocational, and pre-vocational education. Each…

This paper presents two studies which explored the manner in which the father interacts with his newborn infant and compared paternal and maternal interaction patterns. In contrast to earlier studies, a direct observational approach was employed that permitted a detailed specification of father behaviors in the presence of the newborn. In the…

The Anchor Test Study provides a method for translating a pupil's score on any one of eight widely used standardized reading tests for Grades 4, 5, and 6 to a corresponding score of any of the other seven tests, as well as furnishing new nationally representative norms for each of the eight tests. In addition, the Study presents new estimates of…

The objective of the study is to examine the effects which buying and moving to a house in a middle-class suburb may have on a black family: the extent to which the head and spouse are fully employed, the occupational level of their jobs, and whether workplaces are located in areas of expanding opportunity. Interviews were conducted in 1971 among…

This paper reports findings of a main study and a corollary study designed to clarify the relationship between interpersonal and intrapersonal language by examining the spontaneous classroom interpersonal verbal output of children 4-5 years old in relation to social class and intelligence. The report presents (1) preparation of the data of the…

This is a case study of the TRY Foundation, a privately funded non-profit corporation devoting its resources to "community and human development in disadvantaged areas." Activities sponsored by its primate unit, the Willowbrook Chapter of Watts, Los Angeles, include: thrift shop, preventive dentistry clinic, Operation Vegetable…