To examine parental sex stereotyping of young children, a study was undertaken in spring 1993 of 59 parents and caregivers and their infant and toddler children at child care centers and schools in Arkansas. Interviews and observations were conducted of the parents/caregivers, focusing on the types of toys bought for children, the toys that the…

Volume 2 of the "Neighborhood Poverty" series incorporates empirical data on neighborhood poverty into discussions of policy and program development. The chapters are: (1) "Ecological Perspectives on the Neighborhood Context of Urban Poverty: Past and Present" (Robert J. Sampson and Jeffrey D. Morenoff); (2) "The Influence of Neighborhoods on…

This publication discusses issues of parent-teacher partnerships that affect children's development. An introductory chapter suggests that the central figures in fostering the development of a child's potential are the significant adults in the child's world. Chapter 2 considers family relationships as prototypes for later partnerships, and lists…

This book uses detailed case studies of two secondary schools in England to examine the relationship between curriculum choice and gender identity among 14-year-old students making their first choices about what to pursue at examination level. It reveals a two-way process. Pupils' decisions on what to take are influenced by how they perceive…

Through a study of six-year-olds who were successfully becoming literate, this book explores literacy and literacy learning among poor Black urban families. The ethnographic approach examines the experiences of four families whose lives and aspirations make it clear that literacy is an integral part of the children's daily lives, and that the…

Researchers attempting to identify factors that affect the participation of Mexican American females in science courses and careers studied cultural, social, and educational factors affecting 2,442 Arizona secondary school students. Questionnaire responses and interviews with the students and their teachers, counselors, and parents revealed that…

Efforts to solve intergenerational literacy must focus on the family as a unit. However, schools traditionally have a poor track record in dealing with minority/disadvantaged students and involving their parents. Studies have demonstrated the importance of family/community influence on children as well as the cultural and linguistic insensitivity…

This study examines effectiveness of preschool and family intervention in prevention of cultural-familial retardation. It attempts to resolve part of the complex of influences on early intellectual development in those born into seriously disadvantaged environments that could account for the increased risk for certain children to be identified as…

A seminar paper concerning the relationship between applied and basic research in the study of educational and social inequality, and two commentaries are presented. The paper--"In Defense of Ivory-Towerism: Confessions of an Unreconstructed Basic Researcher," by Karl L. Alexander, the seminar's main speaker, presents the point of view of a…

Home environment factors which influence school learning were reviewed. Socioeconomic status (SES) has explained only about ten percent of the variance in achievement. Also, there is very little that can be done to change SES over a short period of time. Dave and Wolf studied what parents do, rather then who they are; they investigated the…

The effects of family background characteristics (family income, parents' marital status, parents' education, and number of children already enrolled in postsecondary education) upon parents' postsecondary educational plans for their children, parents' saving for their children, and the amount of planning parents do with their children are…

A 30-year longitudinal study was undertaken in order to document the course, and determine the outcome, of all pregnancies in a community of Asian Americans on Kauai, the western most of the Hawaiian Islands and equidistant from the continental United States and Japan. The project's goal was to document both the good and poor outcomes of the…

Developed as a supplemental curriculum guide for elementary teachers, the guide assists in implementing Native American activities to classroom curriculum to make students aware of the numerous tribes within the state of Washington. Divided in three geographic, cultural areas (Northwest Coast region, Puget Sound Lowlands region, and Plateau…

This paper reports the results of an ongoing study of home school programs incorporating the fourth through twelfth grade levels of large urban school districts. It examines the nature and scope of programs designed to improve student learning through parent involvement in tutoring, managerial and socializing activities as they relate to…

Using school records, questionnaires, interviews, and psychological tests, researchers studied the factors affecting academic achievement in a large, urban, technical high school. For 20 high-achieving and 20 low-achieving seniors, data were gathered on sex, ethnicity, personality factors, high school and college entrance test scores, grade point…