This study examined mathematical self-concept of college students and how it may develop differently between men and women. The study used data from a 1985 Cooperative Institutional Research Programs Survey and a follow-up survey in 1989 which included information from over 27,000 college freshmen and incorporates information acquired directly…

School culture has recently emerged as a framework for the study and interpretation of the structure and development of schools. A work culture productivity model is described, and the development of a culture instrument is reported. The concept of school work culture, a subset of systems culture, refers to the collective work patterns of a…

Based on research on the features that are found in effective school-wide bilingual education programs, assessment strategies for such programs are offered. The features are in three groups: indicators relating to school context (ethos, management, and resources that affect the attitudes of school staff, students, and parents in language minority…

This study examined the sense of community felt by students and teachers at 24 elementary schools in 6 school districts in different regions of the United States. The study is based on the assumption that students who feel part of a caring community will adopt the community's norms and values. On a 38-item questionnaire, students indicated the…

Forty-one college students with disabilities were surveyed to obtain their perceptions of how other students, faculty, and staff view them and to collect data about the accessibility of the university campus. A majority of the students surveyed believed that others viewed them as capable. Approximately one-fourth felt that others responded to them…

This paper examines the nature of student conduct disorders, including both the origin and treatment of such disorders. In Part I, distinguishing characteristics of the syndrome are discussed and issues related to philosophy, definition, and delivery of services are considered. Two major subcategories of conduct disorder, socialized and…

For a national program assessing college graduates to succeed, it must be institutionalized at the majority of colleges and universities in the nation. The information generated must play a clear and key role in formulating state and institutional higher education policy, college matriculation standards, and degree-granting decisions. Such an…

The current resurgence of racism on America's college campuses suggests that institutions may need to take a more conscious look at how they might be influencing students' racial attitudes. This paper examines: (1) the individual student characteristics and beliefs that influence white students' racial attitudes at college entry; (2) the impact of…

The language arts program presented in this volume evolved from work with at-risk students at an inner-city high school in Tucson (Arizona). The original computerized literacy program sponsored by International Business Machines, the Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), was expanded into a comprehensive 3-year program designed to meet…

This volume offers nine chapters on focal issues in current urban education that are of a middle-range of abstraction and have long-term consequences for students. Individual chapters provide examples of possible interventions appropriate to the unique context of urban schools. The following chapters correspond to nine problems of practice, which…

This book addresses what keeps women out of the highest levels of academia in the United States and Canada and demonstrates that while many women believe that when they fail it is their fault, their fate is more likely to be sealed by the barriers they face within the male environment. The book presents a list of the forms that the maleness of the…

The Minority Assistance Program (MAP) was established at the University of South Carolina in 1986 to help black entering freshmen become integrated into campus life. Specific objectives are improving academic achievement and retention rates of minority students. This comparative study assessed whether or not the program is accomplishing these…

This paper presents a model for designing computer-based simulation environments within a constructivist framework for the K-12 school setting. The following primary criteria for the development of simulations are proposed: (1) the problem needs to be authentic; (2) the cognitive demand in learning should be authentic; (3) scaffolding supports a…

This paper presents a framework and model for design of open-ended learning environments (OELEs). First, an overview is presented that addresses key characteristics of OELEs, including: use of meaningful, complex contexts; provision of tools and resources; learner reflection and self-monitoring; and social, material, or technological scaffolding.…

This paper describes a study undertaken to examine how four variables (domain knowledge, topic knowledge, individual interest, and situational interest) impact recall of information from a hypertext environment. Participants in the study were 107 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the School of Education at a large northeastern…