This paper presents the development and evaluation of a World Wide Web-based lesson developed to cultivate situated learning. This research employed the quasi-experimental method along with semi-structured interviews to investigate the effects of a Web-based lesson on science learning in the senior high school level. Three classes of second-year…

Noting that Rhode Island has seen a significant increase in child poverty over the last decade in the context of a national decline, this Kids Count issue brief presents an in-depth examination of the economic well-being of children in the state. The brief notes that the highest rates of Rhode Island childhood poverty are among families with young…

This edition focuses on the topic of closing the achievement gap from the perspectives of urban and suburban school districts. After an introduction by Judy Stewart, the first article, "Addressing Racial Disparities in High-Achieving Suburban Schools" (Ronald F. Ferguson), shares findings from a recent survey of more than 34,000 students…

This handbook is a tool that reporters can use to uncover the hidden dimensions of race in public education and ask the right questions about the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Section 1, "Race Revealed", includes "Special Education" (Daniel J. Losen); "Dropout and Graduation Rates" (Daniel J. Losen);…

This report describes initiatives taken within Oregon University System (OUS) institutions to enhance representation, inclusion, and engagement of diverse populations. It offers both absolute (numerical) representation and percentage representation and change, which provide a perspective on proportions and growth for U.S. citizens within total OUS…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated the consistencies and the differences revealed among teachers and school counselors when using the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) to rate the strengths of children at three separate school levels: elementary, middle, and high school. The sample included 60 children (ages…

This report examines data from the National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of Data (CCD) on public high school dropout and four-year completion rates. The four-year completion rate is the proportion of students who leave school from grades 9-12 as completers. The CCD four-year completion rate is limited to public school data from…

Most social scientists assert that Whites and African Americans exist in different economic, political, and social environments and that these contextual differences contribute substantially to group differences in violence and other antisocial outcomes. This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and structural…

This study surveys African Americans to assess perceptions of and life experiences with the issue of skin tone. Thirty-seven African American adults agreed to complete a survey packet and participate in a semi-structured focus group discussion. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the Skin…

This report makes policy implementers and educators aware of the importance of work attendance and its relation to student outcomes. It also encourages policymakers to better implement and supplement existing policies through different strategy options. The focus is on the Pacific region. Rather than recommending a punitive approach, the report…

This article examines issues in the education of culturally different students in the nation's schools. The first section examines factors underlying the future education of this population including demographic increases in numbers of culturally diverse students in the schools, historic discrimination against these groups, and…

In most elementary classrooms, some students struggle with learning, others perform well beyond grade-level expectations, and the rest fit somewhere in between. Within each of these categories of students, individuals also learn in a variety of ways and have different interests. To meet the needs of a diverse student population, many teachers…

America's substance abuse epidemic has come to rural America. Adults in small metropolitan and rural areas are just as likely as those in urban America to use and abuse illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Young teens in small metropolitan and rural areas are more likely to abuse substances than those in large metro areas. Based on a wide variety…

This book contains selected presentations from a conference on urban Appalachians held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in September 1995. The papers present diverse perspectives on the migration from rural Appalachia to industrial centers, questions of Appalachian culture and identity, community development in Appalachian neighborhoods, and rural Appalachian…

The primary objective of this study was to investigate overall patterns of gender differences and similarities of test performance in mathematics. To achieve that objective, observed test scores on the Delaware standards-based assessment were analyzed to examine: (1) gender differences and similarities across grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 over 2 years;…