Argues for a consistent relationship between self-concept and academic ability, claiming that they are highly interactive. Proposes a self-concept inventory that can help school personnel identify behaviors that indicate self-concept status. The instrument could guide perceptions as workers examine the nature of students' self-concept dynamics.…

George Washington University (District of Columbia), already under fire for recruiting a basketball player who pleaded guilty to sexual assault, has also drawn criticism for offering an academic scholarship to his victim. The athlete has met academic requirements to earn a grant and to play in his freshman year. (MSE)

Two British studies of undergraduate student cheating are reported: the first is a study of university staff (n=20) and students' (n=112) perceptions of cheating, resulting in a classification of cheating behaviors; the second used student (n=128) self-reports to identify age, gender, discipline, and institutional characteristics related to…

Inclusive classrooms are responsible for delivering appropriate education to culturally diverse and behaviorally at-risk students. The Intervention with Dissimilar Learners Model (IDL) addresses diverse student needs. Research shows that this four-level intervention system is effective. The paper explains the use of the IDL to increase positive…

This study examined response to treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin) across 6 measures of cognitive, academic, and social functioning in 71 boys (ages 7-11) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Response ranged from 18 percent to 71 percent across the six measures, suggesting that classifying a child as a responder to methylphenidate…

Describes a study in which one group of community college students expected to be questioned orally and at random in class about a reading assignment, whereas another group expected to volunteer answers. The students expecting questions read more pages and had higher quiz scores. Discusses lack of preparation for lecture classes. (DMM)

The Linkage Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice links small groups of entering first-year students with similar academic skills in three courses whose instructors meet beforehand to coordinate assignments and class materials. Describes the evolution and outcomes of the Linkage Program, highlighting its effects on academic persistence.…

This case study demonstrates the use of functional assessment to improve the classroom behavior of a 10 year old with mild mental retardation. The process involved conducting a brief prefunctional assessment, identifying variables for hypothesis testing, and developing and implementing an intervention based on the hypotheses. (DB)

Among American Indian and non-Indian adolescents, drug and alcohol use was most likely to occur at weekend parties, at night with friends, and while driving around. Use at school was comparatively low. Heavy drug users were more likely to have friends who used drugs and encouraged drug use. (SV)

After discovering at least 64 percent of their students were either tactile or kinesthetic learners, educators at North Carolina elementary school began grouping kids according to their tactile/kinesthetic or auditory/visual strengths and altered reading instruction schedules every three weeks so that each group had opportunities to learn at best…

Based on a 24-year medical practice, observes that Native American societies maintained group unity and suppressed interpersonal conflict through behavioral norms: noninterference, noncompetitiveness, emotional restraint, and sharing. Understanding these child-rearing norms, along with traditional attitudes and nonformal teaching practices, is…

Responds individually to Shoenfeld's objections that Ohlsson, Ernst, and Rees' model is unclear; that the hypotheses about learning are unjustified; that the models have not been tested against extant data; and that it is unclear whom the model models. (MDH)

Discusses the use of correspondence training in the classroom to improve learning outcomes. Defines the training as an experimental behavioral strategy that takes into account the degree to which people achieve what they are aiming to do. Concludes from research involving middle school students that the subjects achieved a better work output in…

This study found that use of a dependent group evaluation system effectively decreased the group's inappropriate verbalizations and that the 9 students (ages 11-13) with disabilities had positive reactions to the system. The system involved delivering reinforcement based on an identified student's rating and congruence of the student's rating with…

A four-equation simultaneous equations model was developed to analyze whether college student effort and achievement are jointly determined. Testing with 544 undergraduate students indicated that increased student efforts in working with faculty improved their grades, but course effort and library effort had no significant effect on grade point…