Two studies with a total of 153 junior and senior high-school students and vocational students in Finland investigated whether underachievers applied a self-handicapping or learned-helplessness strategy in achievement contexts. Underachievers seemed to apply a self-handicapping strategy rather than a learned-helplessness approach. (SLD)

A survey of 251 North Dakota parents of learning-disabled students found that retention occurred twice as frequently for students with learning disabilities as for the general student population. Parents of retained students tended to have lower educational aspirations for their children than did parents of nonretained students. Discusses…

This paper outlines a model of cognitive functioning and remedial direction, based upon an information integration approach and work in neuropsychology. The approach, used primarily with low-achieving and learning-disabled students, utilizes "bridging tasks" which are paired with specific global cognitive tasks to promote generalization…

The multiethnic nature of Dutch society is discussed, particularly the extent of educational underperformance among ethnic minority children. The possible role of language in this underperformance is examined in terms of bilingual education, home language instruction in primary schools, and government policy. (Author/LB)

Eye-movement registration was used to examine the influence of the semantic complexity of addition and subtraction word problems on response time and eye-fixation patterns of 10 high-ability and 10 low-ability second graders. Data provide evidence of the crucial role of semantic factors in word problem solving. (SLD)

Interviews with 128 administrators in 2 high-performing and 2 low-performing school districts in British Columbia (Canada) indicate a variety of collegial activities among principals and a productive ethos in high-performing districts that are lacking in low-performing districts. These create a climate for instructional improvement. (SLD)

Five studies, involving 70 male, 133 female, and 6 unknown adults, examine potential determinants of gender differences in helplessness of children by investigating 2 steps in the expectancy confirmation process: gender-based expectations, and proposed differential treatment for inadequate academic performance based on gender. (SLD)

Reports findings of a study that investigated fifth and sixth graders' attending and participating behaviors during mathematics. Some students, especially low achievers, manifested passivity in cooperative small groups. Some possible reasons for this behavior are suggested, and a categorization of types of passivity is provided. (Author/SM)

Examined differences in family function of high- versus low-identity achievement youth for 411 18- to 24-year-old males, and variables to account for differing identity levels. High-identity subjects belong to balanced families and experience more openness and less problems communicating with parents. Discusses implications for counseling and…

This study compared peer acceptance of 100 mainstreamed (mostly learning-disabled) elementary school students with acceptance of classmates of low, average, and high reading ability. Analysis found that mainstreamed and low-ability students were similar in peer acceptance, as were high-and average-ability readers. (Author/PB)

Introduced varied learning style (LS) strategies in five stages to special education and low-achieving general education students, removing them in the final phase. Pre- and posttests of reading achievement in each phase and assessment of students' LS preferences indicated that students with LS preferences benefited from LS accommodations,…

Discusses the tremendous barriers to success in college that Navajo students face. Discusses five major forms: financial difficulty, family obligations, prescriptive attitudes toward Standard American English, instructor/faculty ethnocentrism, and ambivalence toward Western education. Discusses ways faculty can work to mitigate these barriers as…

At Baltimore's Eastern Technical High School, the resource center helps make full inclusion effective for all students. In this small and busy classroom, one cannot distinguish special-education students from "regular" students. All have special needs, whether they are gifted and talented or are identified as having severe…

Draws on a project undertaken for the United Kingdom Government Department for Education and Employment, focusing on the role of ethnic monitoring in identifying low attainment and the investigation of ways to raise attainment. Offers suggestions for the use of ethnic monitoring of school processes. (CMK)

A case study examined ways to improve schools through democratic accountability, highlighting a principal's strategies to increase staff and student expectations in a low-performing middle school in rural Florida. Results gleaned from interviews and surveys suggest that leaders must build schools' capacity for sustaining achievement. (Contains 32…