To determine the effects of teaching experience on changes in accuracy of teachers' recall of their own and their students' specific classroom behaviors during teaching, researchers observed and interviewed elementary teachers with a range of experiences. Results suggested that teachers progressed in thoroughness of recall along different paths…

Investigates the attribution of success and failure in five naturally occurring clusters of 7th-grade students (N=217): Popular Insiders, Ambitious Insiders, Outsiders, Alienated Disengaged, and Invisible Students. Discusses the achievement attributions of each cluster and argues that school counselors need to understand achievement-related…

Focuses on the emotional/cognitive processes associated with teacher ratings of empathic and socially competent behaviors. Results indicate that children (N=120) with higher empathy ratings and at higher grade levels received higher scores on a storytelling measure--the Thematic Apperception Test. Clarifies the social information processing of…

Examines patterns of alcohol use at a mid-South state university so as to discover the reasons students (N=403) endorse for not drinking on those occasions when they chose not to drink. Results indicate that safety needs, the risk of underage drinking, the affordability of alcohol, and religiosity all contributed to decisions not to drink. (RJM)

In Florida, the Learn & Serve America program has fostered evolutionary, perhaps revolutionary, changes in teaching and learning. Data from 1995-96 Florida Learn & Serve grantees mirror the positive results of the previous academic year. By heavy majorities (62% to 82%), participating students showed improvements in attendance, conduct,…

Describes a new psychoeducational treatment model for antisocial youth. Discusses the principles and methods for cultivating a positive caring culture in the schools and how the program equips youth for effective peer helping by integrating positive peer culture with training in moral development, anger management, social skills, and correcting…

Describes how staff in one school concluded that its suspension policies and practices were counterproductive, leading them to develop proactive discipline procedures that transformed the school culture from a depersonalized organization to a community of mutual respect among all its members. The program emphasizes recognition of students' good…

Investigates the effects of child behavior problems on teachers' (N=3) intervention fidelity across two intervention protocols: escape extinction and functional communication training. Results indicate that a high rate of behavior problems during escape extinction appeared to punish teachers' efforts. A low rate of behavior problems was evident…

To analyze smoking behavior among students, used cross-sectional data from a multiethnic cohort of 5th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students (N=368) so as to examine the psychometric properties of two Transtheoretical Model of Change scales. Findings support the concurrent validity of the scales. (RJM)

Tests the impact of two social-cognitive interventions implemented in the 6th grade (Intervention 1) and 8th/9th grades (Intervention 2) on student's skill acquisition and on their 9th and 10th grade substance use. Results indicate positive program effects for Intervention 2 on skill acquisition and overall drug involvement. (RJM)

Assesses the impact of a school-based sexual risk reduction program on adolescents' knowledge, need for information, problem-solving and communication skills, and intention to talk about and to practice safer sex. Results indicate significant treatment effects with knowledge, perception of skills, and frequency of communication. Other results are…

The Massachusetts Supreme Court overturned a lower court's ruling against a speech pathology teacher whose contract was not renewed following a parent's complaint. The teacher had explained 4-letter words to 13 year-olds, bringing them up in class, then discouraged further usage. Judges decided the teacher had acted creatively in response to…

This article describes components of effective behavior management programs in inclusive classrooms and how one teacher evaluated behavior problems in her classroom and effected dramatic changes. The article suggests proactive methods for enriching classroom climates and promoting a community of learners that includes students with challenging…

Examination of the effects of difficulty level of academic tasks on the behavior of 2 subjects (ages 9 and 12) with severe behavior disorders found that difficult tasks were generally associated with lower percentages of time-on-task and higher percentages of time engaged in disruptive behavior than were easy task conditions. (Author/DB)

This study analyzed the association between physical activity level and cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana use among public high school students. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data showed significant associations among white males for use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana. Higher physical activity levels were inversely…