A guidance instructional program at Mentor High School in Ohio relies greatly on free time as the primary motivator of low achievers. (Author/MLF)

Compared to grade 8 students in intermediate schools, grade 8 students in K-8 schools are more involved with school activities and assume greater responsibility for those activities. K-8 schools apparently serve the needs of young adolescents better than intermediate schools. (SB)

English translations can be used to teach classical Chinese poetry to students above the intermediate level who have a limited vocabulary. To overcome this deficiency, and to bridge the gap between vernacular and literary Chinese, several texts are suggested. Examples are given to show the benefit of English translations. (PJM)

Relevance is a function of how much substantive change a subject introduces into a student's life. This can occur when teachers bring real dynamism into the classroom and inject imagination into teaching. (Author/MLF)

Two tools for helping students develop a sense of responsibility for their learning are presented. An "I Can" chart encourages students to reflect on their learning and state on a chart what they can do after a skill has been learned. A "My Goals" list helps students set personal goals based on class objectives. (SM)

Recounts activities from a kindergarten classroom to illustrate how a multicultural approach cultivates a school environment embracing diversity and educating students about responsibilities associated with freedom. Stories include those related to students viewing each other in terms of individual characteristics rather than their ethnic group,…

The purpose of this article is to present a brief review of research linking social cognition and emotion to responsible behavior. Implications for school psychologists are discussed, with a particular emphasis on the importance of developing and implementing prevention and intervention programs that address the multiple components of responsible…

Proposes sex education, a necessary and appropriate undertaking for public schools, be presented in a broad context that emphasizes values along with personal and community responsibility. Notes educators can strongly advocate abstinence while providing youngsters with age-appropriate sex information and ways to proceed responsibly and safely.…

Proposes that literacy learning is social, recursive, personal, and idiosyncratic. Suggests that learning contracts orchestrate child centeredness and increase independence. Concludes that contracts connect previously isolated content area with the personal interests and needs of students, and establishes a classroom climate in which students are…

Examines how John Stuart Mill would have viewed present-day educational liberalists' claims that children should be included in Mill's principle of individual liberty. Concludes that educational liberalists cannot rightly claim Mill as spokesman for their views. (KO)

Describes a career awareness program run by secondary students and business volunteers to provide speakers for a career exploration class. Notes that the responsibility that students take in this program helps them prepare for careers. (CH)

Court decisions concerning Indiana University and the University of Rhode Island conflict on whether college fraternities are to be held responsible for individual assaults on their premises. The responding parties see both cases as showing that students who really want to get drunk can elude the best efforts to regulate them. (MSE)

Violent incidents have marred Friday-night football games, Saturday-night dances, and other activities in schools across the country. Describes what a number of districts are doing to protect students at such events and offers advice from school security officers. (MLF)

Presents strategies for peer conferences to help elementary students grow as writers. The strategies help make the process easier and more efficient. Suggestions are that teachers have warm-up activities, provide a conference space, allow students to choose conference partners, and have students keep records during conferences. (SM)

Metal detectors and increased security alone cannot curb violence in today's schools. To reduce school violence in the nation's capital and elsewhere, the home, community, and schools must unite to support young people and teach them responsibility for their actions. One program, the Student Efficacy Initiative, helps students resolve conflicts…