Case study of urban middle school response to school state reform initiative describes how administrators and teachers chose to focus on improving nonmagnet students' academic achievement by increasing opportunities for their teachers to participate in professional development. Teachers created a set of innovative curriculum programs for…

The article reports on 2 Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Project studies on the relationship between school effectiveness variables and attitudes/achievement of 2,604 students in general and 758 students with mild disabilities. Results did not support the idea that general efforts at school improvement will lead to improved outcomes for…

Teachers' explanations for students' low achievement were reliably classified using Cooper and Good's (1983) attributional coding system. Teachers most frequently attributed low achievement to typical pattern of low effort. They viewed acquired student characteristics (low motivation, poor work habits) as more important than either teacher…

Issues concerning teachers' beliefs and practices about retention in kindergarten were explored in a study of 40 kindergarten teachers in one district. Teachers' beliefs and practices were found to be related. Teachers' endorsement of retention differed from extant propositional knowledge and from perceptions of other interested groups. (SLD)

A study examined the differences between elementary school students with learning disabilities and other high- and low-achieving students on three social dimensions: sociometric status, behavior as rated by teachers, and self-ratings of social competence. Results indicated children with learning disabilities may be at higher risk socially than the…

Describes conversation activities that can help students experiencing difficulty in French oral language increase confidence and speaking skills. Small groups of students form conversations around key words, and then expand the conversation for larger groups, incorporating more words and structures. (CB)

Recognizing the potential of combining interdisciplinary methods with block program scheduling to serve underachieving high schoolers, the East Manhattan Outreach Center's staff initiated such a program in 1993. Students were block-programmed, using four classes of 28 pupils each enrolled in six courses. The program stressed small-group activities…

Describes three strategies to help teachers accommodate the learning styles of poor readers: language experience, mapping, and recorded books. (SR)

This study compared 15 normally achieving and 15 low achieving (LA) fourth grade children on a wide range of linguistic tasks. Over half of the LA group earned scores on the language measures that were low enough to suggest referral for evaluation and/or treatment. (Author/DB)

This paper begins with an overview of lower-achieving and multiply disabled deaf people; provides a case study that highlights assessment, educational, and community adjustment issues for one lower-achieving deaf individual with multiple disabling conditions; and concludes by highlighting areas for further research and development. (JDD)

In a time of declining earnings and increased economic inequality, special education could be an important source of equalizing funding for low-income children. Evidence regarding school resource allocation is used to evaluate the potential effects of increased spending on educational outcomes, required funding levels to meet various goals, and…

Describes how specially trained teachers working with small groups of children helped to reduce the risk of failure that was threatening many low-achieving first grade students. Provides details of the Early Intervention in Reading Program of a small school district in the midwest. (PRA)

Research has indicated that computer-assisted instruction can give students an advantage compared to traditional instruction. Money spent on educational technology must be matched with staff development and support for implementation efforts. Lists seven references on computers and technology in education. (MLF)

Compared social competence of 566 elementary students classified as learning disabled, mentally retarded, behavior disordered, low-achieving, or regular education students. Found significant group effects on three subscales and total score of Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment. Sex differences also were found, with…

Aggregate data on grade-retention rates for grades 1 through 12 from 12 American states for 1979-80 and 11 for 1985-86 were examined for across-grade patterns. A negative growth exponential model appears to capture a basic underlying pattern of grade retention rates. (SLD)