A study of 437 pharmacy students in Texas found prepharmacy grade point average the best predictor of academic performance for most demographic variables. The number of hours contributed to community activities was the best predictor of academic performance of older and black students. Students with poorer academic performance were likely to be…

Effects of instruction, grade level, and sex on persuasive writing were investigated using 55 fourth graders, 55 sixth graders, and 49 eighth-graders instructed in writing with 1 of 4 strategies. Older children wrote better than younger children. Girls wrote better than boys in assessments immediately after the study, but not two weeks later. (SLD)

Roles of language proficiency and general developmental factors on metaphor interpretation were examined for 60 Spanish- and English-speaking and 60 monolingual English-speaking children aged 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 years. Language proficiency in English and socioeconomic status were considered, but both were less important in metaphor interpretation…

The impact of personalizing mathematical word problems and rewording them for explicitness was tested with 68 second and 59 fifth graders. Second graders benefited from personalization and rewording in combination; fifth graders benefited from personalization, not rewording. Personalization makes problems more motivating and easier to represent…

Illinois birth records in 1985 provide information about the educational levels of black, white, and Hispanic-American adolescents aged 15 to 19 years having first and second births. Age and ethnic differences exist in the relationship of first and second births to educational levels of young parents. (SLD)

Demographic characteristics of juvenile victims of crime and a potential relationship between victimization and self-reported delinquency are examined for 877 adolescents from a large midwestern city. Lifetime victimization rates (LVRs) are higher for those involved in delinquency, and LVRs rise with age and higher levels of delinquent behavior.…

Investigates the relationship between family social status of 1,734 seventh through twelfth grade students in an urban Southern California district and crime or delinquency committed by these students in a school context. Acts of school delinquency are related to school attendance, sex, and age. Discusses reasons for the relationships. (SLD)

Research suggests that primary control increases as humans develop from infancy through middle age and then decreases in old age. To minimize losses, individuals rely on cognitively based secondary control processes in middle and old age. Literature on adult control processes is reviewed. (SLD)

Empirical research on the role of school recess is reviewed. Effects of child-level and school-level variables on recess behavior and the impact of recess on classroom behavior and social and cognitive competence are discussed. It is concluded that recess has important educational and developmental implications. (SLD)

Explores in-group variation in minority educational achievement by studying why a disproportionately high number of young Khmer women drop out of school in the United States. An ethnographic study (over 125 interviews) in metropolitan Boston (Massachusetts) demonstrates the importance of understanding cultural and social-historical influences on…

A study investigated pre-enrollment variables as predictors of 1-year retention of 1,140 first-time students at a community college. Risk of dropping out was associated with lower high school grade point average, 20-24 year age range, part-time attendance, and being a member of an ethnic minority other than Asian. (Author/MSE)

In a survey, 150 individuals evaluated 7 professions on prestige, honesty and ethical standards, importance to society, and interesting and challenging nature of occupation. Overall, university professors were rated lower than doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and clergy; the same as lawyers; and higher than bankers. Respondent income, age, and…

A study investigated developmental differences in children's self-perceptions of masculinity and femininity among 251 girls and 266 boys from grades 2 through 7. Meaningful developmental changes occur during the middle childhood period. Single summary scores ignore variations in gender-typed subtrait and raise study methodology questions. (JB)

Extended career self-efficacy model using ethnically mixed rural high school population and list of occupations known to students and balanced for prestige level. Examined ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, age (grade), self-esteem, and stressful life events. Gender differences were observed in interest and self-efficacy estimates for…

A total of 1,179 urban inner-city high school students were surveyed about drug and alcohol use. The extent of use and relationships among use and sex, age, and grade were analyzed. The results confirm that drug use increases as grade level rises and provide other insights into adolescent behavior. (SLD)