Variables that influence growth and change in educational outcomes in the last 2 years of high school were studied using data from the High School and Beyond (HSB) study. The HSB study provided a database of thousands of variables for about 30 students from each of 1,000 randomly selected high schools in the United States in their sophomore and…

In 1991, staff at the Business Resource Center (BRC) at Tacoma Community College, in Washington, began to reevaluate their approach to serving students. Up to that point, the BRC had been teacher centered, with staff operating under the assumptions that only the students who succeeded were actually "college material," that students would cheat if…

As dropout rates, drug addiction, and other problems continue to increase among youth, there arises a need for more effective approaches in dealing with problematic students. This book offers therapists and other helping professionals some practice-based solutions for fostering the healthy development of children and presents a model of…

This report uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS) to examine four dimensions of school performance: (1) student engagement in their education, as measured by the average number of days of school missed in a year; (2) student learning, as indicated by their grade point averages, receipt of…

At the close of each fiscal year, the 50 public community colleges of the Illinois Community College System (ICCS) are required to submit detailed student records to the ICCS Board providing data on annual enrollments and completions for credit-generating students. Highlights for fiscal year (FY) 1993 include the following: (1) ICCS institutions…

In 1990, a study was conducted at Snead State Junior College (SSJC) of students who were enrolled at the college in fall 1989 or winter 1990 but did not return in the subsequent quarter. Of 661 students identified as nonreturning, 489 were surveyed by telephone to determine their reasons for not returning. Demographic data on these students were…

Student involvement theory defines student involvement as the amount of physical and psychological energy that a student devotes to the academic experience. Research on student involvement conducted at community colleges and universities has shown that the quality of time spent was a more important factor in explaining student achievement than…

Teacher-student classroom relationships and behaviors at the University of Alaska's Fairbanks campus are compared with instruction by audioconference and computer conference, with attention to instruction of Native Alaskan students. Classroom behaviors of Natives and non-Natives are contrasted, particularly with regard to participation and signs…

To examine the hypotheses that differences exist between Indians and non-Indians in the nonverbal regulation of conversation and that these differences cause functional difficulties in classroom interaction, the study quantitatively examined differences in the nonverbal repertoires of students and teachers in an American Indian school system and a…

Student rights to freedom of speech and the legitimate degrees of control available to principals are discussed in this paper. An overview of pertinent federal litigation focuses on two landmark cases involving oral and written speech, respectively: Bethel School District #403 v. Fraser; and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. A conclusion is…

Focusing on children's developmental use of written language in kindergarten and first grade, this report looks at connections between the social and academic dimensions of classroom life. The first section examines literacy as an aspect of growing up and becoming a member of society. By highlighting the social and academic divisiveness schooling…

Appropriate school facility design promotes a balance between student freedom and control. This report evaluates research on architectural approaches affecting student control and offers design recommendations. Since 1960, school discipline and vandalism problems have exploded. Senator Birch Bayh's committee reported that certain crimes are…

This study investigated the types of tactics and strategies students used in working with computer simulations and examined if the skills acquired when using the computer simulation could be applied in other settings. Sixth grade students (N=50) from three different schools participated in the study and were observed over a period of six weeks.…

Cross-school observation, which is part of a joint project involving a college education department and two large suburban high schools, is described. The Collaborative Project for School Improvement (CPSI) involves a joint steering committee and joint inservice sessions, as well as shared resources and a student teaching center. Program planning…

Several central concerns of Canadian multiculturalism: promotion of the principles of equality, individual acceptance, and understanding and respect for diversity are quite common to the social studies area in particular. The paper examines the quest to avoid emphases on human differences and instead to stress commonalities. This rethinking of…