Alverno College students receive no grades and do not compete with each other, but to graduate, they must demonstrate competence in eight "abilities": communication, analysis, problem solving, valuing, social interaction, taking responsibility for the global environment, effective citizenship, and aesthetic response. (MSE)

Undergraduate education students (n=111) and graduate students (n=79) with teaching experience indicated resemblances among 20 different kinds of abilities in which 12-year-olds might excel. Both groups of teachers agreed on five categories of giftedness: analytic/cognitive ability, personality and social skills, creative arts, motor skills, and…

Tested the effectiveness of a framework that linked developmental and multicultural counseling theories for use among elementary-school-age students (n=117). Designed to help students develop a variety of social and interpersonal skills that would increase their ability to resolve conflicts resulting from negative prejudices, the intervention was…

Supports the idea that second language teachers should "teach the test," provided that such tests meet the criteria of authentic assessment. Authentic assessment focuses on constructivist learning and communicative tasks; the integration of teaching, learning, and assessment; quality and coverage of content; and quality and fairness of standards.…

Assessed effects of maternal employment on infants with mothers working 20 or more hours per week or fewer than 20 hours per week. Found that neither differences in maternal employment during child's first year, nor child's entry into nonmaternal care before age one, predicted differences in cognitive and socioemotional development at ages two and…

Two studies examined elementary school students' self-beliefs over time and how the transition to middle school affected those beliefs. Found that self-esteem did not change during elementary school but decreased following the middle school transition. Competence beliefs and beliefs about the usefulness and importance of different activities…

Contends that an interdisciplinary curriculum and cooperative learning are well suited to middle school students. Asserts that the approaches help students learn higher order thinking skills and improve social skills. Maintains that authentic or performance-based assessment is appropriate for these techniques and this age group. (CFR)

Three ninth-grade male students with emotional or behavioral disorders were taught game-related social skills of appropriate peer reactions and appropriate reactions to losing and winning. A skills-training model involving social modeling, behavior rehearsal, and behavior transfer was used, as was self-monitoring. Transfer to the gym setting and…

This study describes the participation of English-as-a-Second-Language (L2) students in the daily classroom events of a mainstream first-grade classroom. It discusses how, through socially significant interactional routines, classroom members jointly constructed the L2 students' identities, social relations, and ideologies, as well as their…

Reports on the certification requirements for school library media specialists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Testing and educational requirements are given, competencies and skills needed in various subject areas are listed, and the role of the American Library Association is explained. A directory of credentialing agencies is…

Forty-eight general education and 48 special education students (grades 3-6) were rated by general education teachers, and 75 students were rated again 1 year later. Significant differences between students successful and unsuccessful in mainstream environments were found on socioeconomic status and social/behavioral variables (peer relationships,…

Studied the extent to which mothers' beliefs about children's social behaviors change during their children's transition from early to middle childhood and the extent to which these beliefs can be predicted from the circumstances of the mothers' lives and the mothers' perceptions about the social support resources available to them. (BB)

Discusses cross-cultural communication as it relates to the needs of trainers going abroad or working with international trainees. Highlights include interpersonal communication skills, self assessment, assessment of the target population, adapting instructional components, social roles and relationships, socioeconomic environment, teaching and…

After four years of schooling, at-risk children who had participated in a developmental kindergarten program scored higher on academic, social competency, and self-perception measures than children who had not participated in the program. Gender and racial differences were found. (BC)

A survey of 111 teachers and 25 teacher trainers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders found general consistency between groups on time requirements, importance of competencies, and adequacy of teacher preparation programs in 6 competency areas: assessment, planning, instruction, behavior management, consulting, and administrative…