Students of high intellectual ability and their parents were tested on a battery of cognitive tests. Vernon's model of intelligence best fit results. A verbal-educational and a practical-spatial-mechanical factor explained most performance variance. Among children, age related to verbal but not spatial or mechanical abilities. (Author/RD)

A review of literature pertaining to the effects of parental absence on children suggests that various types of absenteeism affect children differently. One-parent homes are examined with reference to effects on sex-role development, academic achievement, intellectual development and delinquency in children. (MS)

Does homework work? Homework is the cause of more friction between school and home than any other aspect of education and becomes the prime battlefield when schools, families, and communities view one another as adversaries. This comprehensive third edition tackles all the tough questions: What's the right amount of homework? What role should…

This report provides an analysis of recent findings on drug and alcohol use trends among girls. Data indicate that girls have caught up with boys in illicit drug and alcohol use and have actually surpassed boys in cigarette and prescription drug use. Also, more girls than boys are new users of substances. Marijuana is the illicit drug most widely…

This report examines the use of computers and the Internet by American children enrolled in nursery school and students in kindergarten through grade 12. The report examines the overall rate of use (that is, the percentage of individuals in the population who are users), the ways in which students use the technologies, where the use occurs (home,…

The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the reasons why successful mathematics students have been able to thrive in schools labeled academically unacceptable and (2) why they have chosen to stay in these academically unacceptable schools despite having the option to leave for a better performing school. Qualitative methods including…

Recognizing that the development of an emotional bond between children and their parents stems from the ability to express love and the willingness to share time together, this book is designed to assist parents spend quantity time with their children and establish opportunities for appreciating each other's company. The book is based on START…

This study explored the meaning of motherhood among Navajo teenagers, their mothers, and community informants living in a small, rural town on a Navajo Reservation. Participating were 8 Navajo teenage mothers ranging from 16 to 19 years, 7 grandmothers (mothers of the teens) who ranged from 41 to 57 years, and 6 community informants: two teachers,…

This book presents information as to how teenagers select their friends. Material was garnered through a review of the literature and hundreds of interviews. The book opens with a focus on how teenagers make friends, and includes such issues as the power of self, finding groups, peer impact, the merging process, seeking significance, and putting…

Recent research has identified several long-term negative life outcomes associated with teenage childbearing for parents and their children. To better understand teen births, data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 were used to examine factors associated with a second teen birth or a closely spaced second teen birth within 24…

In February 2000, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and other specialists in the field of fathers and families convened the "Employment and Fatherhood: The Education, Work, and Economic Nexus" roundtable. This discussion considered how interrelationships among education and schooling, literacy, employment and employability, and…

The CASASTART Field Guide is the result of 9 years of research, experience, and evaluation in cities where the program has enhanced the capacity of communities to serve high-risk youth through formal partnerships that reduce their use of drugs and alcohol and promote their positive development. The Field Guide is a practical "how to" manual on…

This paper summarizes work from a dissertation that examines the determinants of public school performance, focusing on the roles of incentives and parental involvement. The thesis presents theory and related empirics. In the theory, it analyzes the effects of competition on public school productivity, with and without parental involvement, as…

This report describes a program for increasing academic growth through motivating students to read. The targeted population includes kindergarten, first, third, and high school special education students. The lack of motivation in reading was documented through data revealed by pre-surveys and post-surveys of students' interest in books. Analysis…

Children of active parents tend to be more active. This Digest describes the various socialization factors that influence a child's interest and involvement in physical activity. While role modeling exerts some effect, recent research suggests that the nature of parental influence may be much more complex. A useful theoretical model to explain…