Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The January 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Use Parent Nights to…

A major problem faced by schools across the country is student absenteeism. Although the problem is pervasive in American schools, the attention focused on this issue has been inadequate. Poor student attendance has far reaching effects on the individual, the school, and society in general. The intent of this paper is to document the problem,…

School refusal behavior is a difficult problem faced by many parents, educators, and mental health professionals. A functional model to guide classification, assessment, and treatment of this population has evolved in recent years. In this article, step-by-step recommendations are made for synthesizing assessment information from a particular case…

This analytical review aims at exploring trends in educational access and delineating different groups, which are vulnerable to exclusion from educational opportunities at the elementary stage. This review has drawn references from series of analytical papers developed on different themes i.e. regional disparity in education, social equity and…

The reason that the school dropout crisis is now referred to as a "silent epidemic" is because, when we weren't paying attention, the graduation rate in our country slipped to a level that threatens the very health and well-being of our society. Each year, almost one-third of all public high school students--and nearly one-half of all…

Little is known about the the socioeconomic background of students attending community and technical colleges. This has created a void in understanding student access and success. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has thus enlisted help from the Columbia University Community College Research Center (CCRC) to construct an…

Noting that several current communication theories suggest that the media have a "persuasive" effect on American society, a study compared the effects of two media (the electronic medium of television and the spoken medium of the homily) and whether these media have different effects on their audience's perceptions of reality. A national phone…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in 1987-88 and 1990-91, asked teachers and principals their view of problems in their schools. When asked about a range of school problems including absenteeism, student drug abuse, and physical conflicts among students, teachers and principals could…

The Absent Student Assistance Program (ASAP) began as a collaboration between the one Houston (Texas) precinct and two middle schools to reduce unexcused absences. By 1996-97, the program had expanded to a second precinct and additional middle and high schools. Program implementation in Precinct 7 was evaluated for the 1996-97 school year. Schools…

This report describes a 2-year study of the effects of various lighting systems on elementary school students' dental health, attendance, growth and development, vision, and academic achievement. The four light types used were: (1) full spectrum fluorescent; (2) full spectrum fluorescent with ultraviolet light supplements; (3) cool white…

This study compares student populations between two high schools in an urban school district in Indiana and populations within the schools to determine the effects of a punitive attendance policy and the attendance patterns of various groups. The schools were differentiated by the factor of one school enforcing an attendance policy. Random samples…

In April of 1980, the following goals were adopted for Operation Turnaround: (1) to raise significantly the achievement levels of students; (2) to develop positive staff perceptions with respect to the children they teach and the children's potential for growth; (3) to build at each school a cohesive, committed, and competent staff which would…

The goal of the Indian Education Act Project (IEAP) is to increase and extend the education of American Indian youths so they can better cope with a highly technological society. Statistics have indicated drop-out rates of 40 to 50 percent among American Indians, a primary factor giving rise to the urgent need for supplemental educational services…

This report evaluates four off-campus private alternative schools in Portland, Oregon, serving students mainly of high school age and supported by the Portland Public Schools. The students are largely dropouts or on the verge of dropping out; many are referred from other schools and law enforcement agencies. Since 1966, the Albina Youth…

This report evaluates four off-campus private alternative schools in Portland, Oregon, serving students mainly of high school age and supported by the Portland Public Schools. The students are largely dropouts or on the verge of dropping out; many are referred from other schools and law enforcement agencies. Since 1966, the Albina Youth…