Discusses research on the impact of home environment on children's school achievement. Explores positive models of home environments, parent attitudes, parents as teachers, home learning activities/materials, and school preparation. Concludes that though risk factors exist in certain families, parents can nurture high-performing children if…

Describes a short problem-based course for a class of 180 students facilitated by two tutors. The course aims to assist undergraduates who have completed two years of study in basic medical sciences to apply their learning to the diagnosis and management of asthma and respiratory infections. (DDR)

Outlines a series of strategies and approaches to increase undergraduate student participation. Strongly recommends the use of study questions (disseminated prior to the readings) and a classroom management style emphasizing participation and involvement rather than an immediate mastery of the material. Discusses the benefits and limitations of…

Provides a step-by-step process for designing effective and interesting simulations. Explains and gives examples for the four steps: defining teaching goals, constructing the simulation, running the simulation, and debriefing. Asserts that simulations develop critical thinking and other skills. Examines possible means of assessment. (MJP)

This 13th annual edition of "Education Vital Signs" reports on indicators of school and student success, such as parent involvement, academic coursework, high school completion, technology use, achievement test scores, and student performance on reading, math, and science assessments. Also offers state-by-state statistics and a profile of school…

A study of the attitudes toward cooperative learning of academically gifted students and their cohorts, with data obtained from 28 sixth- through eighth-grade classes, supported the finding that overall attitudes of gifted students toward school subjects were most positive in classes where cooperative learning was used sparingly, in contrast to…

Briefly summarizes and comments upon two surveys, one from Edmonton province and the other from a national conference. Both surveys addressed Canadians feeling toward their country and concerns for the future. Preeminent concerns included the economy, national unity, and personal and political ethics. (MJP)

Reports on a study investigating how Americans respond to English as a Second Language (ESL) speech depending on the non-native speaker's accent and whether there were errors in the ESL speech. Findings indicate that Americans exhibit different cultural prejudices towards different foreign speakers depending on the accent of the speakers. (50…

The New York University Medical Center faces program cuts and major changes in research, teaching and patient care due to declining patient profits and federal grants. Patients are spending less time in hospitals, reducing teaching potential. However, reduced services also cause more student involvement in patient care. Data on funding and revenue…

Accelerated schools strive to bring at-risk students into the educational mainstream and perform at grade level through acceleration rather than remediation. Describes four steps to initiate the accelerated process and how a Texas middle school involved all members of the school community in implementing the first two steps, taking stock and…

The Project Northland peer participation program tested the feasibility and effect of involving students in planning and promoting alcohol-free peer social activities. Longitudinal studies indicated nearly half of the student cohort participated. There was a relationship between students' involvement with planning and lower rate of alcohol use.…

The paper examines how shared decision making can help reframe the purpose of social foundations in teacher education, arguing that it bridges the gap between teacher as decision maker and the content of foundational studies. Four studies that represent different levels of educational decision making are highlighted. (SM)

Summarizes some of the attitudes and circumstances contributing to low-voter turnout in the United States. These include apathy, language problems, lack of education, minority disincentives, a mobile population, and the discouraging effect of polls. Notes the impressive correlation between voter registration and voter participation. (MJP)

Places the recent democratic Latvian elections in the context of that country's historic oppression by the Soviet Union, its resulting demographic character, and the emergence of pragmatic political parties. Analyzes the issues, parties, and coalitions that resulted in Grantis Ulmanis' recent victories. Prospects for continuing democracy appear…

A sixth-grade social studies teacher examined how to give her students more autonomy. By teaching them how to function in cooperative learning environments, the teacher noticed significant improvements in student-teacher interaction, a lessening of disciplinary problems, and a strengthening of individual student leadership. (Author/SM)