This study was conducted to determine whether Ontario students' abilities to apply rubrics accurately in order to self-assess or to assess peers' written work were related to their current levels of achievement in writing. The project examined differences in assessment ability for children attending different grades, gender differences,…

This annual publication represents the first edition of the Colorado Counseling Association journal following its reorganization and rebirth. The articles include: (1) "Sexual Harassment on Campus: Does Having a Policy Help?" (Sue Spooner); (2) "It's a Dog's Life: A Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of the Human-Animal Bond on a…

This book connects the educational conditions created by high-stakes testing to the students and teachers who are influenced or victimized by the currents driving this movement. The authors left their positions as teacher-educators and taught grades 3 and 4 for 1 year as regular teachers in one of America's most impoverished schools. Redbud…

With traditional mentoring programs working hard to attract new kinds of volunteers and schools facing increased pressure to help students succeed, school-based mentoring is a promising--and increasingly popular--approach. According to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the number of school-based matches grew from 27,000 in 1999 to 90,000 in…

This EdSource report summarizes the Initial Findings issued in October 2005 from a two-year study conducted by EdSource, Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, and American Institutes for Research (AIR). In addition, this report includes information collected during the study but not previously reported (from superintendent…

Noting that low self-esteem negatively affects student achievement, this action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student self-esteem through a caring and positive classroom environment incorporating cooperative learning and the use of praise and rewards. The targeted population consisted of fifth grade physical…

The intent of this "bottom-up" project was to create a community of learners to facilitate the implementation of computer technologies in the elementary school curriculum. The participants were 6 graduate students and their professor, 10 teachers (grades 1-5), their students, and the librarian in a Professional Development School. Each…

African-American parents whose children attended 12 different Baltimore City Public Schools (Maryland) made it clear while participating in a focus group that white teachers have a lot to learn about teaching their children. Forty-three parents whose children were involved in an enrichment program at an urban community college emphasized that they…

This report sets forth the essential components of quality HIV/STD prevention and human sexuality education as determined by the HIV/STD Prevention and Human Sexuality Education Task Force. The first part of the report presents the purpose of the task force, background on Florida legislation on HIV/AIDS and sexuality education as part of…

This paper describes a qualitative study at an at-risk primary school after a year of implementing educational changes. The paper opens with a detailed diary of the author's first morning observing the principal in action at the school. The analysis of data and field notes centers on the strengths of the principal's leadership, and the themes in…

This study examined nongraded, multi-age elementary classrooms from the perspective of involved principals, teachers, and parents. Data came from field notes taken at on-site observations and from in-person structured and unstructured interviews with principals and teachers. The schools were all located in a small urban town in north central…

How students are affected by a mentoring relationship and to what degree were studied over 3 years in the evaluation of a mentoring program that aims to improve student motivation, achievement, and behavior. In addition to a survey of 85 mentors and 89 teachers, the study examined some objective measures of student achievement for 40 elementary…

This brief paper suggests ways of involving students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficits in their own learning, with a systematic program intended to build self-understanding and a healthy internal locus of control. The program is based on the concept of multiple intelligences and the many different ways in which students and…

This article is about the relationship between teaching and learning. It is based on data from the Project on Learning, in which the experiences of individual students during science and social studies units in 5th and 6th grade classrooms are related to what they learn from these units. Activity theory is used to identify what determines how…

When elementary and middle level students lack effective problem-solving skills, they may make poor behavior choices in social conflicts, contributing to a negative learning and instructional environment. This action research project evaluated the impact of using social skills instruction to improve students' ability to solve problems related to…