Investigated relationship between academic achievement and locus of control among 643 elementary school students. Found no main effects for gender or race. Observed significant main effect for condition (at-risk versus not-at-risk), with at-risk students being more externally oriented. Found significant effect for grade, trend being for grade…

Reports on a study of the transition effects of grade-level organization on student achievement as schools transitioned from self-contained to departmentalized classes. Reading, math, and social studies achievement scores of five equated rural school districts with K-4 through K-8 organization were compared. Results noted a decline in achievement…

Describes a study of the characteristics of Texas elementary school teachers that was conducted to examine possible relationships between the number of times teachers voluntarily chose the library media specialist to cooperate with them on instructional problems and other teacher-related factors, including teacher competence, gender, and grade…

The criterion validity of the primary, elementary, and intermediate school forms of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) in an Australian context was studied. Results with about 8,000 children in grades 1 through 8 support the criterion validity of the OLSAT for Australian samples. (SLD)

Discusses the outcomes of research on best practices in middle school education. Explores middle school grade configuration, interdisciplinary teaming, curricular standards, and teacher preparation and certification. (WRM)

Examines the relationship between attitude toward band participation, beginning instruction grade, and grade-level organization (split or unified) by surveying seventh-grade students from 45 schools. Finds significant interactions among the three variables as well as with the type of instrument played. Relates the findings to previous research on…

Presents initial results from research on structural changes in the school system of the Soviet Occupation Zone and East Germany from 1945 to 1989. Focuses on the development of three academic tracks introduced in 1946 as a form of internal differentiation in upper secondary schools, and subsequent moves toward standardization. (DSK)

The prediction of students' achievement in algebra in eighth and ninth grades has become a research interest for practical issues of placement. A group of simple, easily accessible variables was used to predict student performance in algebra after completion of eighth grade. The three variables of school type, grade level, and previous year…

In this paper, the authors evaluate map overlay, a concept central to geospatial thinking, to determine how it is naively and technically understood, as well as to identify when it is leaner innately. The evaluation is supported by results from studies at three grade levels to show the progression of incidentally learned geospatial knowledge as…

Disaggregation of standardized test data is essential in determining the differential effects of the school's climate and program upon groups of students formed by social class. In a recent secondary school study comparing the outcomes of two approaches to school assessment (the Connecticut School Effectiveness Survey vs. The National Study of…

This literature review concerns the concept of alternative grade configurations at the elementary level, in which elementary schools are subdivided into primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5) units. Because of the paucity of literature on this concept, the major part of the report focuses on the reorganization of the elementary schools of the South…

This study compared attitudinal data on students who had dropped college preparatory science (academic terminal) in high school (N=55) with those who continued to enroll (academic continuing) in college preparatory science courses (N=108). Eight attitudes that have been hypothesized to be related to learning cognitive performance and enrollment in…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the verbal interactions of children assigned to multiage classrooms. Specifically, the study investigated whether children of a particular age group interact with other children across age groups and the types of interactions each age group display. It also investigated student-to-teacher interactions and…

An investigation to determine whether reading disabled children exhibit deviant oral language behaviors was undertaken in a study of 103 children in second, fourth, and sixth grades (in two groups, one reading disabled, one control). Four dependent measures (Developmental Sentence Scoring, Mean Length of Utterance, Type Token Ratio, and verbal…

The product of a Title IX Ethnic Heritage Grant, this teaching-resource guide has been designed and evaluated by teams of Native American adults, teachers, and Indian and non-Indian students from three Oklahoma schools selected as project sites: Anadarko Public Schools; Muskogee Public Schools; and Sapula Public Schools. The guide is divided into…