A case study of a successful alternative school in South Carolina for rural at-risk students suggests that the school exhibits four characteristics of successful urban schools for at-risk students: small class size, caring staff, school as community, and program flexibility. Two other vital features are the leadership role of the principal and a…

The Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) encourages Manitoba high schools to include students in their improvement projects. Through an array of action-oriented, student-centered initiatives, MSIP has come to a new understanding of "student voice" that encompasses various levels of students' engagement in both school improvement…

Describes an intervention to improve teacher-parent-student partnerships in Cyprus, a country where home-school relations are not yet very amicable. The intervention was conducted in two schools, one urban and one rural, that differed in size, characteristics, and community profiles. Discusses purpose of the intervention and compares outcomes…

A high school teacher recalls his own alienation from school as a high school student and relates it to the current overriding emphasis on school discipline. School discipline problems are a natural result of coercive educational practices, which have resisted repeated reform efforts. In an alternative educational model, (self-)discipline would…

Examines the potential influence of family and community variables on the development of children in violent neighborhoods and reviews research on the prevalence and effects of children's exposure to community violence. It presents strategies for developing and empirically testing culturally specific interventions to promote positive developmental…

About 500,000 youngsters drop out of school each year. Reasons children drop out involve a combination of school and personal problems. Dropouts typically believe they have little control over their lives. Sidebars discuss ways of counting dropouts, suggest what schools should do, and provide selected references. (MLF)

This discussion of the developmental underpinnings of self-determination for students with disabilities considers metacognition, self-perception, social problem solving, and autonomous decision making. It urges developing school policies contributing to self-sufficiency; ameliorating curricular, instructional, and service delivery systems…

Describes focus groups held with 26 community college students to help develop survey questions for determining the social integration of nontraditional students. Indicates that three themes emerged: peer support, merging of social and academic integration in the classroom, and faculty facilitation of peer support groups. (19 citations) (BCY)

Uses recent data and new theoretical perspectives to reexamine hypothesized links between academic competition and adolescent suicide in East Asia, particularly Japan. Finds no direct connection, discusses possible indirect effects on individual motives, and suggests a more complicated model. Analyzes how cultural and historical factors may…

A collaborative approach for managing behavior of children with attention deficit disorders (ADD) developed and implemented in a fourth grade inclusive classroom is outlined in this article. The approach involves teacher, parent, and student participation using multiple component treatment such as providing academic adaptations, and using…

This article summarizes findings from research using "My Worst School Experience Scale" and the new version of the "Student Alienation and Trauma Scale." Certain students report chronic ridicule and rejection from peers and/or adults leading to alienation and antagonism towards school. Positive and negative climates are contrasted and show how the…

This article contrasts schools of exclusion with unconditional schools, which are designed to wrap around services to meet the needs of even high-risk students. The author describes essential components of developing a teamwork approach to increase the holding power of schools with challenging students. (Author)

Utilizes information gathered from archival and other documentary sources to develop greater understanding of the ways in which New Zealand's Native School system operated and was perceived by the Maori communities. Gives voice to former pupils of the Native Schools by establishing an oral-history database of their experiences within the school…

Describes a model for classroom meetings in an elementary school setting. Focuses on enhancing children's communication and problem-solving skills for typical students and those identified through special education. The purpose of the meetings is to provide a nurturing climate for the learning of social skills that the children can use in the…

This longitudinal school-based study examined school connection and family support as protective factors for adolescent mental health in the context of exposure to violence. After controlling for seventh grade functioning, recent exposure to violence uniquely predicted worsening of functioning from seventh to eighth grade across multiple self- and…