This book presents essays from educational reformers who examine efforts aimed at students at risk for failure in U.S. schools. It is divided into four parts. Part 1 considers the factors that place children at risk for educational failure. Part 2 describes the dangers for students of a system that fails to recognize and appreciate their…

In response to an accreditation team's concern over the status of affirmative action, the campus atmosphere toward women and ethnic minorities, and involvement of staff in decision-making at San Joaquin Delta College (SJDC), in California, the college conducted a survey of staff attitudes. A questionnaire was distributed to all 942 full- and…

This is the seventh annual report on minority, female, and disabled students and staff in Illinois higher education, submitted under a legislative mandate. The main body of the report is divided into three sections. The first presents trends and the most recent enrollment, employment, and degree completion data for these students at public…

Students' conversational skills, sense of importance, and penchant for creating drama can create thoughtful and even powerfully compelling prose but only if readers let it. Unfortunately, the ways that beginning writers express ideas do not always match all readers' expectations. What does this have to do with what teacher-researchers call voice?…

The dynamics of underachievement among gifted and nongifted black students were studied with students in grades 6 through 9 in 5 Virginia public school districts. A traditional model of underachievement, defining it through a regression model, and a nontraditional model that used grade point averages (GPAs) and self-reported level of effort in…

During its first year, the Appalachian/African-American Cultural Education (ACE) Project undertook an evaluation to assess the program's impact on the knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of its teachers. Assessment tools included pre- and posttests on cultural content, observation, teacher interviews, teacher self-evaluation, and participant…

This report examines the college aspirations and decisionmaking factors gathered from 53 interviews with Black, female, college-bound students, their parents, friends, college counselors, teachers, and school staff. The goal was to reveal how the students' lives and their access to postsecondary education have been framed and structured by the…

This study compared student-teacher perception about discipline, investigated whether it was interpersonal, procedural, or substantive, and examined how ethnicity, achievement, gender, and position influenced practice. G. Gay's theory (1981) about interethnic group interactions combined with perceptual disparity and cultural discontinuity provided…

Contributors to this volume use their own stories to demonstrate success of one institution, the Catholic school system, in educating many African Americans who have gone on to make important contributions to the community. Their own experiences are the starting points for their reflections on the historical and sociological treatment of the…

Ways to establish or improve ministries to African American families and ways to make the church a training center for outreach, prevention, enrichment, and problem solving are explored. Part 1 addresses the spiritual challenge, and points out that the pastor's family is looked on as a model family, and that pastors must learn to be better spouses…

The San Diego City Schools system has set as one of its highest priorities the improvement of reading achievement throughout the district. This report was produced to profile, using a variety of indicators, the schools with the highest reading achievement. The study of reading achievement included two components, a teacher survey and reading…

This booklet provides some guidelines for preparing African American students for college. Parents' experiences with higher education are a key to shaping their expectations for their children, and the lack of direct parental experience can be a handicap for students who will be the first generation of their families to attend college. Educators…

Noting that an important trend in middle school reading instruction has been the increased use of literature and trade books, this paper suggests that using Caldecott Medal and Honor books in the middle school classroom is an effective way to expose students to high quality literature. The paper notes that promoting the use of such books also aids…

Faculty members employed at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) should give priority to teaching and learning. The work of faculty members at such institutions is a way to reclaim individuals who have been discarded by society. Mission statements should be reviewed to be sure that college printed materials do indeed reflect these…

This study examined differences and similarities in first-year college retention among Anglo, Black, and Hispanic students. Data were gathered on nearly 3,000 new undergraduate students who entered Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, between 1991 and 1995, including full-time, part-time, and transfer students. Data included demographic…