Summarizes the extent to which the literature has conceptualized poverty and self-sufficiency within the broader person-in-environment context. Findings from an ethnographic study of a multicultural community illustrate how residents redefine self-sufficiency in the context of the environment. Support is defined as a prerequisite for…

A survey of 285 high school seniors in six rural Pennsylvania schools found that student plans to attend postsecondary education were strongly influenced by parents' educational attainment and somewhat influenced by sibling educational attainment. Family financial situation was not a factor in student choice of postsecondary educational options.…

Relates an interview focusing on the traditional Assiniboine view of the family. Discusses philosophy and religion, economics, and the destruction and reconstruction of the family. Discusses the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's effort to develop a model of family services that will help Assiniboine and other Native-American students succeed in higher…

Classroom social climate, stress, social support, quality of family life, psychological distress, and academic self-concept were modeled in a path analysis as predictors of school satisfaction (N=129). A caring, supportive school community was most predictive of students' satisfaction. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts with…

A study investigated parental behaviors or practices associated with seven high-achieving, limited-English-proficient children (ages 3-11) of low-income, educationally disadvantaged Hispanic mothers. The mothers had high expectations, a firm belief in the educational system, and a desire to be linked with the school. A list of 36 supportive…

Explores the concepts of risk and resilience applied to eighth graders and suggests advantages in considering a definition of risk grounded in actual school performance and behavior rather than to various group-level probabilities of failure. Evidence shows the importance of family supports, school responsiveness to students, and student…

Examined frequency with which children were exposed to various parental actions, materials, events, and conditions as part of their home environments, and how these exposures related to well-being. Found the most consistent relations between learning stimulation and children's developmental status, with relations for parental responsiveness and…

Draws on ethnographic fieldwork in southern Bolivia to explore how rural Bolivian youth negotiate structural constraints on choices of work versus secondary education, including local versus urban location, economic resources, parental attitudes, gender, family characteristics, social networks and support, and peer role models. Suggests the notion…

Two studies examined a "child x environment" model of early school adjustment. Findings indicated that entry factors directly and indirectly influenced behavior, participation, and achievement in kindergarten. Initial behavioral orientation influenced the type of relationships formed with peers and teachers. Stressful aspects of…

In the context of schooling, resiliency refers to the ability to thrive academically despite adverse circumstances. In this study the relationship between academic resilience and student's collateral learning is explored in 20 students of Cree ancestry. The individual resilience of each student was examined by identifying protective factors for…

The effective practice of school psychology requires a strong research and theoretical base, a framework that encompasses developmental processes and outcomes, both adaptive and maladaptive, which facilitates assessment and intervention and offers insight into classroom and family dynamics. Attachment theory provides the school psychologist with…

This article provides an overview of the literature on relational aggression of school-aged children and adolescents, with the specific aim of making this information relevant to school settings and education professionals. Relational aggression is discussed in terms of definitions, terms, and the importance of the school context. The literature…

This study assesses the effects of three factors on dropping out of high school and later drug use: antecedents to dropout; predictors of drug use articulated by criminological theories (e.g., social bonds, peers, and strain); and postdropout factors associated with adult social bonds (e.g., marriage and employment). Two findings emerge from the…

The purpose of this study was to inform early intervention practice by exploring the various adaptations families make to promote their child's learning, the supports they perceive as helpful in creating adaptations, and the supports they perceive as still needed. Holistic case studies were developed for 5 families of infants and toddlers with…

Murphy examines the influence of four African American families' beliefs, values, and interactions on their children's academic achievement. Parents' high expectations and focus on educational attainment, religious and spiritual values, and kinship bonds, as well as active oversight of homework and encouragement of critical thinking, establish the…