This issue brief provides information and guidance to state education agencies (SEAs) regarding their accountability for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) legislative mandates in the area of dropout prevention for students with disabilities. It also highlights the role of State Performance Plans as…

This report synthesizes the research to date addressing the construct comparability of the SAT Reasoning Test and prior SAT I: Reasoning Test and the series of research studies addressing the equatability and subpopulation invariance of the SAT and SAT I.

Objective: To explore in a multiethnic primary care population the impact of child gender and of race/ethnicity on parent and child reports of school-age anxiety and on the factor structure of the Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Method: A consecutive sample of 515 children (8 to less than 13 years) and their…

Studies have examined the impact of environmental variables on academic achievement among student athletes in the revenue-generating sports of men's basketball and football. However, while evidence concerning the positive impact of male student athlete and faculty interaction is virtually unequivocal, we are not certain whether the benefits…

This study reports the results of a cross-sectional analysis of variables associated with parents' reading to young children among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Texas. The participants were 600 WIC mothers visiting WIC clinics in Texas. The data were collected by survey, and…

This study examined whether the efficacy of "keepin' it REAL", a model program for substance use prevention in schools, was moderated by gender, ethnicity, and acculturation. Gender differences in program efficacy may arise through boys' higher risk of drug use, inadequate attention to girls' developmental issues, or cultural factors…

Interracial/interethnic marriage in America is a barometer of racial/ethnic relations and intergroup social distance. Using data from the 5-percent Public Use Microdata Sample of the 1990 and 2000 censuses, we interpret trends in intermarriage in light of new assimilation theory, recent changes in racial classification, and rapid demographic…

Background: The substantial increase in youth obesity during the last two decades may have serious biological as well as behavioral/mental health consequences. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess how ecological factors and hence overall well-being were related to body mass index (BMI) in youths. Methods: Three BMI categories (normal;…

This study examined the influence of academic self-efficacy and social support on the academic success of Indian-American and Caucasian-American undergraduate students. 200 Indian-American and Caucasian-American students completed a demographic form and five surveys. The data showed that academic self-efficacy had a significant effect on college…

The present study examines relations between school policy, teacher responses to violence and students' victimization outcomes as reported by teachers in a nationally representative sample of schools in Israel. Data were analysed using Structural Equations Modeling for the full sample of teachers, as well as group comparisons by school level,…

This study examined sense of belonging among a national sample of 2,967 first-year students. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships between several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. Findings indicated that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific American students reported…

The study explores the role of race and differences in coping among 290 white women and black women with and without alcoholic parents, addressing two questions: (1) Does coping vary by parental alcoholism or race? and (2) How is coping in adulthood affected by childhood stressors and resources and by adulthood resources? Standardized…

Although previous researchers found that several individual, family, and school characteristics influenced adolescents' academic performance, religion related factors have not typically been considered for models of bachelor's degree attainment. Using longitudinal data in a national database, the authors examined the relationship between high…

The study reported in this article investigated motivation and integration dimensions that influence college academic achievement of first-generation students compared to nonfirst-generation students. Participants consisted of 277 ethnically diverse students who were attending a community college. Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses…

A growing body of research suggests that minority college students' race and ethnicity affect their academic performance. Some researchers say subtle factors, like fears of not fitting in or perceptions that professors have low expectations of them, may hinder the progress of today's nonwhite students more than blatant discrimination does.…