Using the 1990 General Social Survey, this document analyzes two questions: (1) what are the images that people have toward several prominent ethnic groups on various dimensions or characteristics; and (2) do the images people have about ethnic groups influence other attitudes and behaviors toward the groups. Six groups are examined: Whites, Jews,…

President Bush's National Education Goals for the year 2000 include increasing the percentage of students graduating from high school, increasing the percentage of dropouts who return later to complete a high school degree or its equivalent, and closing the gap in graduation rates between minority group students and White students. Census figures…

Scholars and practitioners in the field of multicultural education need a historical perspective on the role of cultural pluralism throughout U.S. history. This paper begins by tracing the role schools have played in socializing people to assimilate to an Anglo-Saxon society and discussing the rise of the ideals of cultural pluralism in U.S.…

This report analyzes the performance of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students on the 1988-89 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and compares it to performance on the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE), and to state and national samples. The following findings are presented: (1) 10,775 LAUSD students took the SAT; (2) the mean total…

A study was conducted to identify junior high school students' perceptions of careers and the world of work. The participants included 32 seventh-, 132 eighth-, and 131 ninth-grade students in urban and rural public schools in central Arkansas. Ethnically, 57% of the students were Anglo-American and 40% were African-American. The students were…

Two studies were conducted to examine teachers' and young children's perceptions of persistence in classroom settings. In the first, 35 elementary school teachers responded to interview questions about (1) the appropriateness of persistence in relation to other strategies children could use to accomplish difficult tasks, (2) children's…

Urban high school minority group students with different preschool program histories were compared with controls on measures of school achievement, school sentiment, and perceptions of the preschool experience. Preschool exit attainments were also examined in relation to followup achievement and attitude measures. A total of 64 subjects…

This final report for the PUSH-EXCEL project was designed to provide readers with an idea of the major actors and events that shaped the project's history and implementation, and to describe results of a 3-year evaluation of its impact (Chapter 1). Chapter 2 describes the original impetus for PUSH-EXCEL as arising from the Reverend Jesse Jackson's…

A study designed to examine biological, sociological, and early maturational correlates of intelligence collected data prospectively, from birth to 15 years of age, on a sample of 987 black children. Multiple indicators of eight independent and three dependent variables were tested in a structural equation model. Altogether, clear sex differences…

The substantial underrepresentation of minority groups such as Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans in the United States science and engineering labor force is perceived by many to be a matter of national concern. This report documents a workshop, sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences, which…

In 1987, a study was conducted to investigate the extent to which demographic, institutional, and assessment factors affected access to college-level courses for underrepresented students (i.e., Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and persons with disabilities). Using stepwise discriminant function analyses and descriptive statistics, the study…

This document comprises the following tables of statistical data illustrating the racial/ethnic distribution of public school students and staff in New York State during the 1988/89 school year: (1) racial/ethnic distribution of students; (2) distribution of Black and Hispanic students; (3) percent distribution of students by racial/ethnic origin,…

This publication was developed to meet an apparent need for new and effective strategies to recruit greater numbers of racial and ethnic minorities to the field of education. It deals specifically with prospective candidates who are Black, Hispanic, and Asian. The guide is organized in three sections. Part I, "Getting to Know the Target Group", is…

From 1986 to 1988 the associates of the Enhancing Secondary Science Education through Science/Technology/Society (STS) for Urban Minority Youth Project worked toward establishing guidelines for STS in secondary science. The guidelines, based on study, research, discussions, and a consensus-building process, are presented along with 12 background…

The effects of "bona fide" homogeneous grouping of students in grades 4 through 8 in a southeastern school system on the students' subsequent academic achievement were studied. These effects were studied for black students as well as for all students regardless of race, across 2 years. The student population was composed of over 4,800…