As research continues to show that bigger schools are not necessarily better, educators are finding innovative ways to shrink them. Small schools may even prove less expensive, when costs per graduate are considered. In Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and New York City, large elementary schools are breaking into smaller learning communities. (MLH)

Describes a study assessing factors for developing a safer environment in an urban elementary school. Found that teachers wanted more student support, more resources, and less work pressure; that work conservation strategies to decrease work pressure led to student aggression; that teacher reluctance to share resources created more behavior…

Provides a review of the literature in the area of social characteristics of children with AD/HD, and outlines interventions for working with specific social problems. Presents possible reasons for the peer rejection of AD/HD students and includes inappropriate social behavior, social knowledge deficits and biases, and negative interactions with…

Reviews research on the impact of zero-tolerance policies on student behavior and achievement. Concludes that policies are generally ineffective and often counterproductive. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)

Surveyed urban high school seniors regarding the balance between civility and incivility. Students were more polite than rude toward teachers (though they cursed frequently); more polite toward teachers than students; much more likely to curse around students than teachers; and, in their own opinions, capable of being polite or crude. Cursing at…

Students from small towns completed surveys on school safety, bullying, drug use, and other school climate issues. About 56 percent reported neither bullying nor victimization. Bully/victim status varied with age and gender and significantly related to risk factors like smoking and drinking. Bullies were more likely to use drugs and tobacco,…

Examined differences in students', parents', teachers', and administrators' perceptions of harassment in the schools and of teacher and administrator support. Results highlighted statistically significant differences among groups regarding frequency and intensity of harassment and levels of support. Gender differences were only evident among…

Examines several dimensions of high school organizational health and faculty trust factors involving students, colleagues, principals, and parents. Finds that the greater the degree of faculty trust the better the organizational health of a school. Draws implications for research and practice. (Contains 26 references.) (PKP)

Depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a persistently sad or sometimes irritable mood. Recognizing and helping potentially depressed students are essential for meeting their academic and social needs and for maintaining the overall learning environment. Alerting the guidance counselor or school psychologist is a good idea. (MLH)

This study examined whether child, parental, and socioenvironmental factors predict disruptive school behavior two years later. Data from a sample of 10-to 12-year-old youths, including 289 African American, 183 Hispanic/Latino, and 335 non-Hispanic white youths from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth were analyzed. Findings indicate that…

After we gave 2 classes of introductory psychology students the syllabus, the first class (the experimental group) generated rules for classroom behavior. The instructor presented the second class (the comparison group) with the list of rules and said they were instructor generated. Students rated the rules, several aspects of the course, and the…

Difficulty managing behavior in the classroom is frequently cited as a source of frustration for teachers and a common reason why new teachers leave the profession (Ingersoll 2001, 2003). Concerted attention to issues of classroom management is important to the health of education; attention to these issues at the middle and secondary education…

Prior researchers have evaluated the efficacy of using the matching law to describe naturally occurring behavior-environment interactions. However, spurious matching could be obtained if the response and environmental event were correlated, even if the event did not reinforce the response. To assess the likelihood of obtaining spurious matching…

College students' alcohol use as well documented, and published studies have indicated that athletes drink more frequently and more often to the stage of intoxication than do nonathletes. Some researchers have cited sociological factors to explain these behaviors, but neither the underlying emotional factors that drive students' alcohol use nor…

This twenty-year study analyzes changes in sexual behavior among students at Okanagan University College in British Columbia, Canada. Surveys conducted in 1980, 1990, and 2000 reveal a steady increase in safer sexual practices. Most students now question potential partners about their past, use condoms with a new sexual partner, and maintain…