The relationship between the age of first coital experience and the sexual behaviors of adolescents in their late teens is examined. Separate analyses are done for females and males and for Black and White youth. Findings suggest that early coital onset has enduring effects and that early intervention is indicated. (AF)

How parent configuration (2-parent, mother-extended, or solo-mother) and number of siblings affect first graders' conformity to the student role was studied for 256 African-American and 228 white students. The positive effects of two-parent families may have been overestimated in previous research in which sibling effects are neglected. (SLD)

Describes a study of how Chinese-American family and community behaviors, routines, values, and expectations affect the educational achievement of Chinese-American children. Finds that some traits, valuing effort over innate ability and parental involvement, do support academic achievement in association with certain social and economic…

Investigated how family processes influence high school student dropout behavior. Used a sample of 114 dropouts from 1 California high school, 48 of whom were matched to similarly profiled continuing students. Identified factors that explain students' dropout decisions: permissive parenting, negative parental reactions to grades, excessive…

Describes a difficult sixth grade girl who spent her elementary school years fighting to feel happy. The article focuses on a teacher's efforts to raise the child's self-esteem by examining her home life then taking appropriate steps to encourage success (e.g., tutoring younger students). (SM)

Excerpts chapter five from Ele Monoszon's "The Establishment and Development of Soviet Pedagogy." Examines general problems, objectives, principles, and methods of the Soviet pedagogical theory of upbringing. Notes research and theories of key Soviet educators in the 1970s and 1980s. (CH)

Focuses on common issues of program access, quality, relevance, and sustainability in providing education to rural women, particularly in India. Addresses familial, sociocultural, individual, and institutional factors that constrain female educational attainment. A study in Madhya Pradesh, India, provides insight on form, content, and operation of…

Identifies four components of family capital that are important for the educational attainment of children: human capital, financial capital, social capital, and cultural capital. The relative importance of each component is illustrated by a case study of socialist Czechoslovakia where social capital was operationalized by membership in the…

Examines relationship of psychological and socioenvironmental factors with adolescent suicidal ideation. Finds that daily hassles and negative life events for males and social support and depression for females are significant factors related to suicidal ideation, as are changes in depression and hopelessness. Argues for the need to examine…

Research examined the experiences of 14 student teachers living in isolated areas who completed the University of Ottawa's 2-year community-based Native teacher education program. Factors contributing to successful completion included a personal support network, program elements that fostered a sense of social and institutional integration, and…

Examined sources of children's reading, vocabulary, general information, mathematics, and letter-recognition skills upon entrance to kindergarten. Predictors included ethnicity, gender, child IQ, family environment, maternal education, and months in child care. Found the need for strong parental involvement in children's development and subsidized…

A study examined writing proficiencies of eight bilingual fifth-graders and their teachers' beliefs about their writing. Writing skills of strong second-language writers equalled those of strong first-language children. Weak second-language writers were not significantly behind first-language writers. Family literacy experiences and the…

The struggle against racism is an ongoing process that requires continuing self-reflection that leads to personal change and social action. Experiences from the author's Italian-Irish Catholic childhood, his adolescence during the sixties, and experiences of counselor training and the counseling profession provide insight to the development of…

The impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks on adolescents' mental health is reported. Two successive cohorts of students in 6 New York state high schools, identified from health courses, completed an in-school self-report baseline assessment of hopelessness, impairment, and help-seeking behavior. One year later, these students completed a…

This article examines family, friend, and media influences on competent and problem behaviors in a sample of 1,174 urban minority youth followed over 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Students completed annual surveys at their schools. Each of the contextual factors investigated was significantly associated with concurrent aggression and delinquency as…