Pupils studied a short passage in one of four conditions: control, passage with title, passage with headings written as statements, and passage with headings written as questions. Passages with headings were recalled significantly better, both in immediate and delayed conditions. Low ability students profited most from the "question" headings.…

Described are activities and games incorporating a technique of "one step" which is used with children with learning difficulties. The purpose of "one step" is twofold, to minimize difficulties with typical trouble spots and to keep the step size of the instruction small. (Author/TG)

Drawing on data from a large epidemiological study concerning the definition and identification of learning disabled (LD) adolescents, the article discusses whether LD adolescents, as they are being identified in the public schools, are different from other low achieving (LA) peers, and, if so, how they are different. (DLS)

Suggests using a sentence construction game to make basic writing students more aware of their linguistic ability and more comfortable dealing with grammar. Indicates that the experience helps students in revising their writing and introduces the experience of working creatively and playfully with language. (TJ)

Reviews theories of cognitive development to show that most basic writers are operating below the true-concept formation stage and have difficulty in "decentering"; suggests writing assignments based on inference-drawing to remedy the situation. (DD)

This study evaluated the Collaborative Instruction Model in four secondary classes that included students with mild disabilities and low achievement. Measures included instructional actions of teachers, student engagement, student use of strategic skills, and student performance on content tests. Mixed results on student measures suggested the…

Examines the effects of previous community college attendance on college choice. Estimates university quality choices under both direct attendance and community college transfer paths for students in the High School and Beyond data set. Overall, students choose higher quality universities if they first attend community colleges, with the largest…

Explores how instructional design can contribute to building powerful learning environments. Highlights include a history of instructional design; personalized computer environments; collaborative learning; interaction and student-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered learning environments; and the importance of…

Interviews 11 self-defined underachieving college freshmen. Synthesizes 13 definitions of achievement by students. Analyzes the interviews repeatedly to produce a list of the students' concepts of achievement, arranged from the most common to the least common. Finds each student held more than one definition of achieving, some definitions in the…

Three low-achieving third-grade children were exposed to "report-do-report" correspondence training as a reinforcement program to improve academic performance. Intervention involved teaching the children to prompt praise following completing math work, in both training and classroom settings. Students also reported planned behaviors in their…

Describes seven instructional strategies to improve student reading and writing across the curriculum at Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, California. Strategies include read alouds, "K-W-L charts," graphic organizers, vocabulary instruction, writing to learn, structured note-taking, and reciprocal teaching. (Contains 11…

Research indicates that low achievement scores relate significantly to high school mobility rates. One explanation for this relationship is curricular inconsistency. Some suggest that school choice could contribute to a solution by breaking the link between a child's home address and school address, thus allowing students to remain at one school…

Analysis of data on low-achieving Scottish youth leaving school at minimum age reveals the gendered and age-structured nature of the labor market. Low-attaining males manage to enter full-time employment; low-attaining females, although fewer, are bypassed in favor of adult women and better-qualified school leavers. (Contains 24 references.) (SK)

Reviews the College Board's report, "Reaching the Top," which addresses educational underrepresentation of high-achieving minority students, suggesting that race-based programs are usually just a quick fix and asserting that until minorities are seen as equals, they will not be viewed as individuals, and until color takes a back seat to…

Argues that under certain conditions, high standards and demanding assessment can hurt rather than help low-achieving students. Discusses three practices educators and policymakers should avoid: requiring students to repeat a grade, placing students in low-track classes, and holding students accountable for material not yet taught. (Contains 13…