This paper focuses on the necessary preconditions for the development of the Turning Point program in a large urban school district. Organizational strategies, the selection process, and the schema for delivery of services are presented, along with an analysis of participant interviews, selection criteria, and budgetary considerations. The Turning…

In September 1996, the Missouri Commissioner of Education appointed a statewide task force on the Achievement of African-American Students. The findings of the state-level task force, the views of Missouri students, and the experience of successful educators all support the conclusion that the single most important nontangible element required to…

Previous literature on classroom testing of second language speech skills provides several models of both task types and rubrics for rating, and suggestions regarding procedures for testing speaking with large numbers of learners. However, there is no clear, widely disseminated consensus in the profession on the appropriate paradigm to guide the…

This study examines the question of students as context for what happens in school and the ways in which educators' subjective interpretations of the realities students bring with them to school influence every aspect of the school environment. The focus is on contemporary, nontraditional students whose academic backgrounds, families, values, or…

As part of the investigation into the achievement differentials between white and black students in Michigan, a study was done of the nature of sense of futility (SOF) at the individual student level and the relationship between the SOF correlates and self-concept ability. The sample included 2 groups of fourth and fifth graders in a random sample…

Moving children from a psychiatric treatment facility to community schools presents significant challenges for children, teachers, and families. This study examined the potential conflicts between the expectations of receiving teachers and the behaviors of elementary school students (N=17) using the Assessments for Integration into Mainstream…

This study was undertaken to obtain descriptive information about teachers' perceptions of effective classroom management within an inner-city middle school. Thirteen teachers in one such school in Tennessee were interviewed about their classroom management behaviors. Teachers appeared to have an elaborate system of beliefs related to the themes…

International comparisons show that U.S. students perform well in reading, less well in science, and more poorly still in mathematics. Researchers have found that several factors in combination appear responsible for the complex pattern of achievement, and no quick fix appears available for problem areas. Research suggests that it is quality and…

This collection of papers represents the reading, writing, film-viewing, and discussion exercises that were the center of a 5-week research institute held in North Carolina for educators from the Isaac Dickson Elementary School and the University of North Carolina, Asheville. The papers are (1) "A Model for Staff Development in Multiculturalism"…

A significant problem for many schools in the United States is the shortage of qualified mathematics and science teachers entering the profession; this, in turn, is having an adverse effect on the quality of education. The purpose of this study was to survey the 320 mathematics and science education graduates (40% responded) from Kansas State…

This 354-item annotated bibliography is intended to help teachers improve the educational experiences of diverse student bodies. Research reports, journal articles, books, and audiovisual materials are briefly described that focus on effective teaching methods for use with minority group students, special needs students, and females. The following…

The bibliography is intended to provide practitioners in early intervention programs with information about self-report (by parents) measures as they relate to evaluating family outcomes. Twenty-five measures are described in terms of content, format, reliability, and validity. Sources for obtaining the measures are also identified. Instruments…

Use of multiple data sources for evaluation of faculty performance by the DeKalb County (Georgia) School System is described. Focus is on two evaluations, the administrator evaluation and the counselor evaluation; the former has been employed longer than any other component of the evaluation system, while the latter is scheduled for its second…

Previous research has failed to support the widely held assumption that the academic difficulties experienced by many minority and low socioeconomic status youth are due to their "outsider" standing vis-a-vis the middle class culture thought to govern the social relations of schooling. This analysis suggests that this proposition errs in…

The influence of family background, including parental education, on college student attrition was evaluated with first- and second-generation American students. A total of 701 enrolled students and those who left before graduation were surveyed at a primarily residential private liberal arts college and at a primarily commuter state-supported…