This research digest reports on the efforts of Socratic Seminar methodology at Lookout Valley Middle School, a small middle school in Chattanooga (Tennessee). An integral part of the Paideia Schools Movement among public schools in Chattanooga, Socratic Seminars are well-planned opportunities for middle school students to engage in intelligent…

A program implemented in a rural elementary school in Florida had the goal of increasing parental involvement of students in grades 1, 4, and 5. The majority of students in the school were black, came from single-parent homes, and were considered low-income. Prior to program implementation, a parent survey revealed that of 53 parents, 21 read to…

College students in a Foundations of Education class at Rust College (Mississippi), a small historically black liberal arts college, were required in 1993 and again in 1994 to develop a modified personal strategic plan using critical thinking skills. The plan had four components: a family history; a present situation; a strengths, weaknesses,…

Findings of a 3-year study of the experiences of Black and African-Canadian students in the Ontario public school system are presented. The paper focuses on urban students in four schools and on their parents' perceptions of public schooling. Interviews were held with nearly 150 African Canadian students, including 22 dropouts, some of whom…

The ethnic and cultural makeup of classrooms is changing rapidly, the percentage of school children of color is increasing, and the percentage of teachers of color is declining. This paper examines the challenge of preparing primarily white, middle-class teachers to create culturally responsive classrooms for all children. Teacher education…

The experiences of a white teacher in an integrated private kindergarten illustrate the consciousness of race that permeates our society. The doubt felt by many African Americans that African American children should attend predominantly white schools is explored, as are the doubts felt by an African American teacher who thinks she might be more…

Designed to provide trend data about critical transitions experienced by students as they leave elementary or middle school and progress through high school and beyond, this study examines the extent of traumatic events experienced by 10th graders of various ethnic backgrounds and family types. In addition, the study demonstrates the importance of…

Explores the following five dimensions of self-perception held by black urban male 10th-grade students in North Carolina: (1) scholastic competence; (2) athletic competence; (3) physical appearance; (4) behavioral conduct; and (5) job competence. Investigates differences in these aspects of self-concept for 30 students scoring above and 30 scoring…

This report presents 1993 data on high school dropout and retention rates, examines high school completion and graduation rates, and discusses new data-collection efforts by the National Center for Education Statistics that have a direct bearing on the issues of high school dropout and graduation rates. The report also draws comparisons between…

This study analyzes NELS:88 data from a dropout sample of students who were enrolled in the eighth grade in 1988 but who were not enrolled in school in 1990. The data for this analysis were collected in Spring 1990 to examine reasons for dropping out and plans for dropouts to resume their education. In both areas, differences were found on…

This book contains 14 papers on women in higher education grouped in three sections on: experiences of women in higher education, empowerment of women, and women challenging the mainstream curriculum, respectively. The papers are: (1) "Being Different is a Very Difficult Row to Hoe: Survival Strategies of Women Academics" (Barbara…

This paper describes and evaluates the Blalock FIRST (Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching) project, a 3-year, federally funded project based in an elementary school that serves mainly female-headed, African-American families who receive government assistance and live in public housing. The Blalock FIRST project seeks to…

An assessment of the Newark Literacy Campaign's (NLC's) Adult Tutorial Reading Program studied 20 long-term (in the program for at least 1 year) and 20 new adult learners; all but 2 were African-Americans. The following data sources were used: in-depth interviews with learners, logs completed by tutors, follow-up interviews 6-8 months later,…

A study was done to explore student perceptions of school environments in multiethnic, New York State middle schools and the impact of those perceptions on teacher efforts to develop social interaction within the schools. Using a survey questionnaire, 804 students from 5 middle schools selected for their multiethnic characteristics participated.…

A study and analysis was done of the contributions that open-admissions at City University of New York (CUNY) have made to the development and growth of a college educated class of men and women, especially minorities. In particular the analysis examined the marital, education, and economic contexts in which the children of participants in…