A study determined the impact of a literacy program including social cooperative literacy experiences on literacy achievement of first-, second-, and third-grade children. Treatment in the experimental groups, which consisted of 204 children from 3 first-, 3 second-, and 3 third-grade urban classrooms included designing classroom literacy centers,…

This study was conducted to assess the level of AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors of a group of predominantly sexually active high school seniors (N=734) and to evaluate the relative effectiveness of three AIDS prevention activities in improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among these students. The educational program…

To assess the potentially stigmatizing effects of the label "developmentally delayed," a term used to identify young children in need of early intervention, this study surveyed preschool teachers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The 89 teachers who responded to the survey were all female, and all but 16 had received some…

This teacher's handbook is part of a training package on effective classroom management. The materials were developed to accomplish three goals: (1) to provide an alternative to presently available texts and training programs that could be used by school personnel without outside expertise; (2) to provide comprehensive training for school…

This report describes the results of two statewide surveys: (1) The 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey; and (2) The 1992 New Mexico School Health Education Survey. These findings are intended to be used by educators across New Mexico to help focus the development of effective school-based comprehensive health education programs. Childrens' health…

To determine factors influencing attrition and retention at Pennsylvania College of Technology, a survey was conducted of the 767 students who were enrolled in spring 1992 but neither graduated nor enrolled in fall 1992. Study findings, based on responses from 373 former students, included the following: (1) only 11% of the minority non-returners…

This paper reports on the application of a token economy approach to increase on-task behavior and decrease inappropriate "call-outs" of nine seventh and eighth grade Caucasian male students in a self-containted emotional support classroom. The program included a behavioral contract, token economy "bucks" kept in a classroom bank, and a list of 12…

To examine the proposition that students who do not remain active participants in class or school may be at risk for school failure, regardless of status characteristics such as ethnicity or family income, two studies of engagement and achievement were conducted. The studies used a nationwide sample of eighth-grade students from the U.S.…

This study examined the effectiveness of Project Spectrum, an intervention program for at-risk students and an approach to assessment and curriculum development that identifies a child's area of strength and constructs the education and learning experiences around the child's competencies. A total of 119 students in 6 first grade classrooms…

Findings of a study that examined the effects of teacher behavior and organizational factors on student behavior in peer work groups are presented in this paper. Methodology included observation of one classroom from each of 10 Dutch elementary schools that frequently used forms of peer work groups and teacher interviews. Findings indicate that…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the influence of organizational and instructional factors on the efficacy of cooperative learning in Dutch classrooms, as measured by student achievement. To answer the question "What is the degree to which primary schools in the Netherlands use cooperative learning," a questionnaire…

This report and a motivation seminar were prepared for teachers in the Social Sciences Department at Champlain Regional College (Quebec) to study motivational dispositions of students who either avoided registering for a course in Quantitative Methods or failed out in important numbers. Teachers' consensus was that students in general seemed to…

This report contains data from the 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, administered to 1,440 high school students throughout Wisconsin. Included are data on the prevalence of injuries; drug use; sexual behaviors; dietary behaviors; and physical activity. The results revealed that over 80% of students rarely or never wear bicycle helmets and 50%…

This paper examines theories on discipline in education, discussing the effect of teachers' behaviors on their students. The issue can be addressed from psychological, critical, and feminist theoretical perspectives. Currently, the psychological method of handling student behavior dominates schools, with behavior modification programs in place to…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention designed to assist students in developing their social skills to enhance the classroom atmosphere. The targeted population consisted of fourth-, fifth- and sixth- grade students in lower- to middle-class suburbs of a Midwestern city. Off-task, verbal and physical inappropriate…