An instrument to measure cocaine-related expectancies across a continuum of use, the Cocaine Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ), was developed and tested with 765 college students and 87 cocaine abusers. Expectancy factors identified by the CEQ were found to be powerful predictors of cocaine use. (SLD)

"Star" urban teachers are driven by the desire to develop good people. Their undergirding ideology is high expectations for low-income students, and they see their role as fundamentally different from that of other teachers. (SK)

To survive the difficult transition to site-based management, principals must look and feel sharp, learn the language of effective teaching and learning, be visible, train teachers in decision making and consensus building, promote a school vision, be truthful, make heroes and heroines of others, have high expectations, evaluate performance, and…

Surveyed 72 counseling psychologists regarding perceptions of clients' unrealistic expectations about counseling. Most perceived some clients as having unrealistically high expectations about need for concreteness; likelihood of counselor nurturance, directiveness, and empathy; and probability of beneficial outcome; and unrealistically low…

Examined relationships between trainees' (n=57) cognitive style, program membership, amount of practicum experience, and needs and expectations for supervision. Results from trainees from three graduate programs at one university suggest that trainees' expectations and needs regarding supervisory experience differed by amount of practicum…

A psychological contract is a set of unwritten reciprocal expectations between trainee and training program. Public agency trainers must establish and manage psychological contracts through clearly defined objectives and development of a learning climate that leads to effective training. (SK)

Notes, when client, counselor, and those in client's relevant environments hold differing conceptions of disability, and hence conflicting expectations of the rehabilitation process, that process may be impeded. Proposes an approach to conceptualizing this potential problem using Hershenson's model of faith, logic, and power as successive…

Investigated relationship between students' academic self-concept, their achievement-related expectancies, and their subsequent college persistence among 2,324 first-year college students who were tracked for 4 consecutive academic years. Results revealed that student self-perceptions of academic ability and expectations for academic performance…

Creative writing classes provide an opportunity to develop confidence in presenting one's own work and critiquing others. Adults can explore interests while experimenting with self-expression and taking personal risks. (SK)

For over a decade, Reginald Clark conducted research on low-income students identified as well-motivated, high achievers. Clark's effective families shared a feeling of control over their lives, frequent communication of high expectations, dreams of future success, reliance on hard work and active engagement, and emphasis on spiritual growth. Tips…

Adults viewing a videotape of a basketball game were instructed to push a button each time the ball was passed. Adults without mental retardation performed better than those with mental retardation. When a woman carrying an open umbrella walked through the action, 15% of subjects without and 60% of subjects with mental retardation noticed her.…

Three ways in which teacher expectations relate to scholastic performance are documented: self-fulfilling prophecy, perceptual bias, and accuracy. The role that teacher expectations may play in gifted underachievement is explored, and recommendations are offered for enhancing the school experiences of gifted underachievers. (JDD)

For at-risk students, opportunities to help others may provide a way to break the devastating cycle of failure--to substitute caring for anger and replace low self-esteem with feelings of worth. Educators are advised to select genuine (and optional) opportunities, choose tasks matching students' abilities, avoid praising helpers publicly, and have…

Investigated gender differences in efficacy-expectation/performance discrepancies of high school students (n=131) in English, mathematics, reading, and science. Students reporting greater efficacy expectation performed at higher levels, particularly in mathematics. Majority of student efficacy/performance discrepancy scores fell outside congruent…

A Colorado high school dramatically increased its effectiveness after its staff committed to creating an intimate, nurturing environment for students. Achieving this mission involved teaching students the prosocial skills necessary to cope with any authoritarian system, creating a culture fostering positive relationships and cooperation,…