The development of children's language skills was studied in an experimental research project involving programmed versus incidental instruction in a prekindergarten program. It was hypothesized that children who attended a prekindergarten with programed instruction would score significantly higher on language skills tests than would a comparable…

Summarizes a qualitative study of family/school relationships in White working class and middle class areas. Concludes that schools have standardized views of the proper role of parents in schooling. Suggests that the concept of cultural capital is useful to understand social class differences in children's school experiences. (Author/RKM)

Higher education costs are borne by four parties: taxpayers, parents, students, and philanthropists. From a cost-sharing paradigm, a number of public policy instruments may be viewed as devices to apportion higher education's costs among their potential bearers. (MLW)

This study of a middle-class housing estate in Great Britain shows how the women of the community foster a collective culture conducive to the academic success of the children. This reinforcement of social stratification inhibits working-class advancement and calls into question the efficacy of school reform in achieving equity. (SK)

Reports on an experiment in which adults were asked to identify the gender of prepubertal children by listening to a tape recording of their voices. Findings link social class and sex stereotypes. (AM)

Presents salient features of workshop discussion examining values, culture, and identity in early childhood education. Discusses issues related to identity, child rearing, language, and curriculum content for trainers and children. Considers the relationship between minority and majority cultures, language and power relations, and dominant and…

Investigates the sensorimotor exploration of novel stimuli of 18 Aboriginal and 18 Caucasian Australian children of 4-6 years. Findings indicate that Aboriginal and Caucasian children displayed similar levels and patterns of visual and tactile exploration of a novel object, with Aboriginal children manipulating at a higher rate. (RJC)

Author of an article on educating an industrialized middle class in Arab-Islamic countries responds to a critique by reemphasizing the need for a nonacademic technological institute to produce a middle class of highly qualified technicians. The article argues that vocational and technical education must be planned by the state. (SM)

Explores the dilemmas posed by the analysis of working class issues in education by professional sociologists. Questions whether the inequalities experienced in the educational system by working class people have been "colonized" by middle class academics for their own professional purposes. (CFR)

Assessed the significance of distinctive versus shared family realities. Data indicated a divergence of adolescents' and parents' perception of the family in domains that concerned adolescents' emerging intellectual and emotional autonomy. Parents' and adolescents' perceptions converged in regard to domains that threatened family cohesion. (BC)

Montgomery County High School in Mount Vernon (Georgia) revised the U.S. history course as an initial step in making provisions for gifted and talented students. The curriculum and evaluation process are described. The course helps address concerns about underprivileged students and middle-class youth who may require more challenge. (SLD)

Researchers assessed the ability of third and fifth graders to recall and report types and amounts of physical activity from the previous day. The study assessed the validity of the Caltrac electronic accelerometer as a field measure of physical activity. Children's reported physical activity minutes were higher than monitored minutes. (SM)

Describes the new system of financial aid at Princeton University, which is designed to blunt Princeton's image as a school for wealthy students and to increase enrollment of gifted students from working class families. Whether this will in fact increase enrollment of black students at Princeton is questioned. (SLD)

The annual survey by the College Board of student financial aid traces development of a system that has grown dramatically, is now dominated by federal student loan programs, and has undergone a long-term shift in purpose from creating access for the disadvantaged to broadening choice and convenience for the middle class. These developments have…

Investigated interactions among 18 African American mother-infant pairs participating in an early intervention program for infants with developmental delays or at risk for developmental disabilities. The hypothesis that mothers would become less responsive to infants over time as a function of drug addiction, poverty, or serious developmental…