This report presents trial school-district-level results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics 2003, 2005, and 2007 assessments at grades 4 and 8 for 10 urban public-school districts: Atlanta City School District; Austin Independent School District (ISD); Boston School District; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; City…

The Nation's Report Card[TM] informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in the United States. Report cards communicate the findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a continuing and nationally representative measure of achievement in various subjects over time. The results from…

The Education-Drug Use Connection focused primarily on a nationwide sample of adolescents, first surveyed when they were nearing the end of 8th grade in the years 1991, 1992, and 1993, and followed biennially for eight years thereafter. (Full details on samples and methods are provided in Bachman et al., 2008, and are not repeated here.) The…

This study conducted in four secondary schools across three years, provides an example of how stakeholder perceptions about school quality might be obtained and analyzed to aid in setting administrative objectives. The participating schools served predominantly Caucasian students in suburban and rural areas. Approximately 30% of students at these…

The growth in public preschool education is based on research that shows high-quality prekindergarten has a positive effect on children's chances of succeeding in school and life. Beneath the surface of this growth, however, lies a troubling lag in preschool education participation by the nation's largest, fastest growing and yet most…

Peer- and teacher-reported prosocial behavior of 339 6th-grade (11-12 years) and 8th-grade (13-14 years) students was examined in relation to prosocial goals, self-processes (reasons for behavior, empathy, perspective taking, depressive affect, perceived competence), and contextual cues (expectations of peers and teachers). Goal pursuit…

This study examined the influence of perceived parental, peer, and cultural factors on Black American adolescent attitudes toward substance use. One-hundred-eight Black American youth (grades 9-12) from economically disadvantaged urban neighborhoods of New York, completed self-report measures on: (a) parent-child involvement, parental supervision,…

Objective: To examine symptomatology and mental health service use following students' contact with a large urban school district's suicide prevention program. Method: In 2001 school district staff conducted telephone interviews with 95 randomly selected parents approximately 5 months following their child's contact with the district's suicide…

This article explores racial and ethnic differences in adjusting to college and the consequences different adjustment strategies have on college outcomes. The author begins by summarizing the major perspectives in education on the roots of college attrition. In the process of comparing and contrasting these perspectives, she highlights three…

This digest analyzes information from two recently completed national surveys to determine the extent to which various vocational education programs improve employment opportunities in the United States. The impact of a General Educational Development (GED) certificate on workers' wages is also analyzed. Data are from the 1992 National Adult…

The Chattanooga (Tennessee) public schools are building a national reputation for the work they are doing to improve the city's schools. The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, which has promised substantial grants for the reform of urban middle school education in Chattanooga, asked the Southern Education Foundation, through its Focused Reporting…

Alternative mathematical items administered as prototypes at the spring 1989 Field Trials of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are evaluated for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential speededness. Results for Algebra Placement (AP) and Student Produced Response (SPR) items are presented and contrasted with results obtained on two…

The developing body of literature on multicultural concerns in adult education, on feminist theory, and on critical and feminist pedagogies provides insights for adult educators grappling with the complex issues surrounding the creation of inclusive learning environments. Educators must be aware of the politics of knowledge production and…

This portion of the annual report on the state of education in Arizona focuses on statistical and financial data for the 1992-1993 fiscal year. Section 1 provides general statistical information in the following categories: (1) state funding and revenues; (2) expenditure history; (3) average daily membership history; (4) state summary of number…

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are used to provide a report on moving student achievement toward the standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). These standards established broad goals about what students should know and should be able to do in mathematics from kindergarten through…