A study involving 697 male and 765 female ninth and twelfth graders was undertaken to assess learned helplessness in attribution patterns associated with personal failure. Although significant gender differences were identified, little evidence was obtained supporting the learned helplessness model for adolescent female achievement motivation.…

Examines the attribution of achievement to ability and effort in low- and high-motivation groups. Randomly selected subjects are assigned to one of four feedback conditions that combine levels of consensus with success and failure. Suggests that attributional differences between motivational groups can be systematically enhanced or attenuated by…

A study investigated the effects of an intensive group counseling workshop on 155 low-achieving high school students (in grades 10 through 12) considered to be at high risk of dropping out. Results indicate that the intervention was unsuccessful due to intra-group bonding that led to alienation from school activities. (TJH)

This examination of the New American Schools Development Corporation initiative in Bensenville (Illinois) details the controversy over the reform effort and argues that factors such as school governance, local control, and school finance played major roles in determining program outcomes. The importance of political influences in reform efforts is…

A total of 125 7-year-old students who were poor readers were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental teaching conditions: reading with phonology, reading alone, phonology alone, or a control. Although the phonology alone group showed the most improvement on phonological tasks, the reading with phonology group made the most progress in reading…

Perfectionism is associated with many traits in the documented ACOA personality profile. Perfectionism instrument scores of 36 ACOA clients were compared with 173 nonclinical, non-ACOA university students. No statistical differences were found. ACOA group showed significantly higher scores on three subscales designed to measure maladaptive…

An investigation of identity politics in an inner-city multiethnic neighborhood secondary school and a citywide, entirely African American secondary school reveals differing senses of belonging to a cultural community, but some students in the neighborhood school also manage to resist the stereotype of poor academic performance. (SLD)

Studies the problem of rural Iowa school personnel classifying students according to a "folk" classification of risk rather than research-derived risk factors. The authors construct a "cognitive map" for these teachers of at-risk students. The implications of the content of this map for meeting the needs of at-risk students are…

Shows how troubled students who usually act tough and indifferent open up and become interested in learning and willing to show their weaknesses in an in-school suspension environment. Argues that such students need increased skills and a safe environment, movement toward creativity and compassion, and movement away from thoughts of survival. (TB)

Discusses Lynne Goodstein's (1994) assertion that an attempt at multicultural curriculum transformation at one university was a failure. The author argues that most faculty and administrators do not understand the issues or the content involved in curriculum transformation and have not been trained for it. Learning from these failures is critical…

Discusses some of the lessons learned from an attempt at multicultural curriculum transformation as described by Lynne Goodstein in her paper, "The Failure of Curriculum Transformation at a Major Public University: When 'Diversity' Equals 'Variety'" (1994). The author argues why these curricular change setbacks should not be considered…

Responds to Paula Rothenberg's and Elizabeth Kamarck Minnich's arguments that multicultural curriculum change is important and that setbacks, as the one reported by the author, should not halt the effort. The author acknowledges the lack of professional focus on curricular transformation and the need for greater efforts in raising professional…

Study examined why one school district required some children to take two years to reach first grade. Staff interviews, classroom observations, and demographic analysis indicated extra-yearing was implemented by a small, powerful few. More poor and fall-born children were placed in the program, which did not affect student achievement. (SM)

Although the public school choice plan implemented in Richmond, California, in 1987 through 1990 received much favorable publicity, the school district filed for bankruptcy in 1991. This paper describes the plan and the events preceding financial collapse and presents data on student absenteeism, dropout rates, test scores, and school…

Social control and social learning theories were combined to construct a model of delinquency that specifies the contributions of various factors, including parenting, social skills, value commitments, and school problems. Results with a sample of 61 families of seventh graders largely support the model. (SLD)