Describes the Peers on Contemporary Art (POCA) program at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), for which 9th-12th grade students act as tour guides. Focuses on issues such as the students' role in curriculum planning, the application and training process, description of the tours, and reasons for POCA's success.…

Conceptually distinct dimensions of classroom social position (number of mutual friendships, social network centrality, sociometric status) were examined in relation to each other and to peer-nominated behavioral reputation. Findings showed that number of friendships associated with prosocial skills; network centrality associated with prosocial…

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health provide modest support for an association between adolescents' expectations for their future health and educational attainment and their risk-taking behaviors involving early sexual intercourse, selling drugs, and weapon use. Noteworthy "school climate" predictors were found,…

Examines the effect of peers on elementary grade reading and mathematics scores. Finds, for example, that third-grade girls score higher on reading tests in all-female classes, that boys and girls score higher in mathematics in classes with larger percentages of females, and that Hispanic students score higher in mathematics and reading when class…

Investigates the role and importance of peers in providing personal and academic support for Year 11 female students enrolled in physics and biology courses. Results indicate that while the supportive role provided by peers is similar regardless of the science subject undertaken by female students, this role may vary between schools. (AIM)

Describes peer leadership components within a community-wide trial to prevent alcohol use and related youth problems. Seventh and eighth graders could be elected or volunteer as peer leaders. Surveys indicated that at baseline, both types of leaders had fewer problem behaviors than non-peer leaders. Following the 7th-grade curriculum, alcohol use…

Schools and society have roles in creating low self-esteem among young African American males, who encounter negative statements and put-downs. Addresses the power of words as used in the home, school, and community, underscoring the importance of parents and educators considering the potency of words, stressing the need for thoughtful use of…

Investigated how the goal of becoming a teacher emerges. Four sources of influence were identified: family, teacher, and peer influences, and teaching experiences. In addition, influences such as critical incidents and emotions, and social-historical factors such as status and pay of teachers, were prominent in the goal histories of participants.…

Surveyed secondary school students regarding their perceptions of college student drinking. Most 7th graders had normative perceptions of collegiate drinking. Adolescent substance use most closely related to peer norms. Perceptions of collegiate drinking independently related to alcohol use intensity, drinking onset, and indicators of tobacco and…

Examined preschoolers' peer conflicts in the naturalistic classroom setting during free-play time. Found conflicts about play and ideas significantly increased with age while those stemming from physical harm were low overall. Findings support the proposal that conflicts are natural contexts in which children develop socially, morally, and…

This article explores factors that affect the decision of gifted Black males to participate in gifted programs. Ford (1996) maintains that Black students often "choose" not to participate in gifted programs, and this choice contributes to their underrepresentation in gifted education. This choice to not participate in gifted programs is often…

This study links the social capital literature with research on student mobility to investigate low test score performance among Mexican origin youth. Specifically, it examines whether Mexican Americans learn less in school than non-Latino Whites, in part because they have limited social capital due to the fact that they are more mobile during…

Ongoing behavioral research has documented the growing prevalence of adolescent health risk behaviors, such as tobacco use, sexual activity, alcohol and other substance use, nutritional behavior, physical inactivity, and intentional injury. Newer youth risk behaviors, such as pathological gambling, are emerging as threats to public health. Risk,…

Cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco (SLT) use are associated with numerous health hazards and economic costs, and rates of tobacco use have recently increased among young adults. In this study, the authors compared predictors of smoking and SLT use among college students (N = 21,410) from 13 Texas universities using a Web-based survey. Results…

In recent years, schools have been increasingly involved in youth's health-related behavior, particularly risky health behaviors (e.g., HIV/AIDS and pregnancy prevention programs). This study examined how acculturation processes among adolescent girls who are recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) affect their practices of risky…