The goal of "closing the achievement gap" in education is often proclaimed and is emphasized in the "No Child Left Behind Act." What is meant by the achievement gap and how much progress has been made? A large body of literature examines the causes, conditions, and explanations for the achievement gap. Many educational…

At study sites in Rochester (New York), Denver (Colorado) and Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), three research teams studying the impact of family disruption on juvenile delinquency have interviewed approximately 4,000 participants at regular intervals for a decade, recording their lives in detail. Findings to date indicate that preventing delinquency…

The Home Environment Review was administered to the parents of sixty-seven Head Start children. In addition, the Caldwell Preschool Inventory was given to the children. A relationship was found between the child's achievement in school and the quality of his home environment. (Author)

Explains a new technique designed not only to pinpoint the home location of its student body for recruiting purposes, but also enables a college or university to study academic, social and economic factors of its student body. (HS)

Reports a cross-sectional study examining intensity of stimulation and verbal stimulation in home circumstances as these factors relate to psychological development across several age groups (7th, 11th, 15th, or 22nd month of life). (WY)

Reviews findings of two large adoption studies. Both examined the levels of intellectual and personality development, as well as the degree of resemblance, among family members. Focus is directed toward intelligence quotient and school achievement tests, with briefer attention given to personality interests and attitudes. (Author/RH)

Compared Moos Family Environment Scale scores from 15 physically abusive families with scores from 15 nonabusive families. Results showed that abusive families were less supportive of one another and less free to express their wants and desires, more independent, more likely to express anger and aggression, and more rigid. (JAC)

Only one difference between the language patterns of four parents of autistic children (six to nine years old) and parents of normal children (one to two years old) emerged: the parents of the normal children engaged in a greater proportion of adult-directed language than did the parents of the autistic children. (Author)

The new direction in research on the home educational environment is away from prediction based on indirect, static measures such as socioeconomic status. Instead, attention is focused on the teaching and modeling behavior in the home. Positive changes in the home environment often produce increases in children's school achievement. (RL)

Describes the Mother-Infant Project at Michigan State University which compared the childbearing and initial child-rearing experiences of teenaged and older mothers. Discusses educational level, economic status, medical care, length of pregnancy and labor, home environment, and mother's attitudes toward the baby. (CT)

Variables from three categories were inspected as correlates of HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment) inventory ratings for 43 severe perinatal risk or developmentally disabled infants at 8 to 9 months postexpected date of delivery. (Author)

Describes a child's gradual discovery and awareness of the meaning of print and her beginning reading experiences. (HTH)

The coping patterns of developing self-reliance, accepting the demands of the profession, building social support, and maintaining family intergration, reported by 42 wives, were associated with specific dimensions of family functioning--interpersonal relationships, personal growth, and system maintenance. (Author)