People worry about dropouts because they believe that leaving high school before graduation is detrimental, both to the individual and to society. This view does not include students' view of the situation, and in order to clarify students' perceptions of at-risk factors, qualitative data on high school seniors were collected. The central question…

This digest examines the developmental consequences for children who are the victims of or witnesses to family and community violence. A baby's ability to trust depends upon the family's ability to provide consistent caregiving, which is compromised when the infant's family lives in a community racked by violence. When they reach toddlerhood,…

Qualitative, in-depth interviews of resilient at-risk students were used to identify factors that these students believe contributed to their success in school. Resilient students in six urban, suburban, and rural school divisions in the Richmond (Virginia) area were nominated by principals and guidance counselors. Of the 115 identified, 62 were…

The constructs of concrete and formal operational reasoning were examined in 459 15-year-old secondary school students (234 males and 225 females) in Singapore. Log linear models were used to explore the relationships between Piagetian level of reasoning, the level of intelligence, gender, and type of home-speaking environment among these…

In focus group interviews, 39 parents of children (ages birth to 21 years) with developmental disabilities, emotional disorders, and technology-supported needs shared their perspectives regarding special needs, crisis situations, and parent/professional relationships. The purpose of the study was to determine what is necessary to keep children…

A student teacher who was concerned about a third grader's difficulties with her assignments, apparent low self-esteem, and anger observed the child in school for a 6-week period on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 2 hours each day. For 2 weeks, the child was also observed at a recreational center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for an…

This cross-cultural study compared the lives of Chinese children and British expatriate children, assessed the children's perception of potentially stressful life events, and examined the relationship between the children's cognitive maturity and their adjustment skills. Subjects were 25 British preschool children living in Singapore and 25 local…

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…

This study examined the characteristics and developmental patterns of National/State Teacher of the Year (NSTOY) honorees, through analysis of 196 honorees' responses on "The Great American Success Quotient Test." Results are analyzed in terms of personal characteristics or traits, experiences in chosen field, academic experience,…

These three papers report preliminary findings of an early intervention collaboration study on developmentally vulnerable infants and their families in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Subjects, 190 infants with Down syndrome, motor impairment, or developmental delays of unknown etiology, were recruited from 29 community-based early intervention…

Noting that some schools have adopted practices or policies that encourage parents to become more involved in their children's school activities and events, this statistical report (based on the National Household Education Survey) details the level and character of parental involvement in school activities. Findings highlighted are: (1) parents…

This book advances a philosophy of education and a vision of elementary schools as institutions that offer a solution that responds to the changing needs of today's families where schools become "schoolhomes" in which learning is animated by an ethic of social awareness. Following an introduction that sketches the sweeping social changes since the…

This digest examines the developmental consequences for children who are the victims of or witnesses to family and community violence. A baby's ability to trust depends upon the family's ability to provide consistent caregiving, which is compromised when the infant's family lives in a community racked by violence. When they reach toddlerhood,…

This document summarizes the proceedings of meetings held by the North Carolina Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk in autumn 1992. Presenters were representatives of North Carolina governmental agencies and other organizations or programs. Findings include the following: (1) The term "students at risk" places…

This study used a social constructivist framework to examine how one at-risk fifth-grader constructed her literacy through social interaction in her nonschool, prior school, and present school experiences. Through open-ended interviews and classroom observations, experiences that fostered and hindered the child's literacy development were…