This practicum project implemented and evaluated an 8-month program designed to reduce negative behaviors among first- through fifth-grade students. Counseling referrals, student interviews, and faculty surveys indicated that the negative behaviors of gossip, name calling, and exclusion of fellow students from class and play activities were…

This study identified teachers' perceptions of violence in society and in schools and the responsibility of schools to help create a more civil society. Participants were 78 predominantly white elementary and secondary teachers taking a graduate class at a Texas university. Each participant completed a survey instrument, "Are Schools Responsible…

This paper addresses the problem of faculty members being confronted, in or out of the classroom, with students' personal reactions to some of the subject matter, especially sex and gender material, found in today's college sociology courses. The paper suggests some ways in which sociologists view student sharing of personal reactions and…

A survey of health risk behaviors was administered to a representative sample of 7,776 Idaho students in grades 8-12. Respondents were 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian, and 2% Black. These rural adolescents reported that they had engaged in some health risk behaviors at rates comparable to those of other U.S. adolescents: 57%…

This document describes a form of curriculum infusion for college instruction in which information about alcohol and other drug problems relevant to the content of a course is provided and related assignments are made. Specifically, the paper focuses on an English writing assignment that involved student self-reflection on his or her use or…

This study compared the behaviors of mainstreamed disabled students to those of their normative peers in the same classroom. Observational sessions were conducted in 48 classrooms in 3 rural West Virginia school districts. Data were collected on 71 disabled students in grades 3-7 over a 4-week period, including students with mild mental…

Comprehensive school health education is a primary prevention strategy for teaching the nation's children and their parents the skills needed for a healthy lifestyle. This publication provides information about the U.S. Department of Education's Comprehensive School Health Education Program (CSHEP) and presents four papers commissioned for the…

Many students today face barriers to learning such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Others are exposed to violence, substance abuse, or poor relationships in their home and community. North Eugene (Oregon) High School is trying to combat these barriers to learning with anger-management classes. These classes not only stress the…

Discipline is identified as a major issue affecting schools, especially in urban settings. This study uses a transformative screen, Student Voice, to legitimize the perceptions of students from groups of color regarding disciplinary action experienced or witnessed. The research was guided by three questions: What factors influence student/teacher…

This study defines efficacy for teachers as a teacher's sense of ability to function as an instructional leader in the classroom, and knowledge of, and contribution to, school instructional policy. A brief review of two previous studies indicates that school policies and the mission of the school tend to affect teachers' beliefs about their…

The West Virginia University Cooperative Extension Service developed a 4-H curriculum designed to provide targeted potential school dropouts with opportunities to develop specific skills. These included decisionmaking, parliamentary procedure, group processes, public speaking, leadership, and life skills. In addition, participants would have…

A national survey of the health care of international students was conducted to: (1) determine if incidence differences in certain conditons found among international students at the University of Southern California are unique to that institution or typical of other universities; (2) analyze the interaction between health center staff and…

This paper provides a preliminary report on a bilateral collaborative study recently concluded in the United States and Japan, conducted to determine whether changes in attitudes and behavior occurred in Japanese teenagers participating in one-month homestays in 26 states in the United States. The sample consisted of 426 exchange participants…

The successes of the Japanese educational system have been widely praised by western educators in recent years. But this success appears to have a dark side; an educational framework that places students in fierce competition with one another and in which school-related violence and suicide occur with disturbing frequency. This paper focuses on…

Year-long observations of 51 teachers in 11 junior high schools resulted in identification of 2 groups of teachers who were rated as either more or less effective in classroom management during the year. Subsequently, these groups were observed and comparisons were made of their behaviors and activities during the first three weeks of school.…