The Conference on Improving Minority and At-Risk Student Achievement was convened to help educators, parents, community, and business leaders in North Carolina focus in strategies and ideas that work to raise student achievement levels for low-performing students. This report summarizes the remarks of Michael Garrett, the keynote address of Asa…

Project Discovery II was based on a previous highly successful Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) project called Project Discovery. Teams of high school teachers and college faculty in the project planned and implemented an integrated, discovery based curriculum with groups of block-programmed students in New York City…

This study examined factors associated with Hispanic students' high dropout rates, considering not only demographic factors but also the role of family background, early school experiences, and social influences in the high Hispanic student dropout rate. Data came from students in the High School and Beyond (HS&B) longitudinal study of the…

This report asserts that the the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) are failing. The report claims that teacher incompetence, bureaucratic corruption, crumbling infrastructure, violence, lax academic standards, and wasteful spending are some of the many problems, and children attending the DCPS are not receiving a quality education.…

Twenty-five junior high school mathematics teachers and 25 English teachers who taught in both higher- and lower-ability class sections were observed during the school year in order to examine any differences in instructional behavior which might occur between the two classes. (Author/MP)

Ninety-six high-achieving fourth graders performed a memory task before which either positive or negative expectancy statements were made by an adult and after which either positive or negative feedback statements were given. For high IQ children, performance was higher for discrepant combinations of expectancy-feedback. (Author/MH)

The HIT (High Intensity Tutoring) program in two middle schools in Highland Park, Michigan, helps younger students come up to grade level in math and reading with special tutoring by older students, most of whom formerly needed tutoring themselves. (MF)

An ethnographic case study of teacher collaboration and decision making in restructuring a junior high school (750 students, 49 teachers) is presented, and implications for low-achieving African American students are discussed. The study suggests that school, community, and national contexts influence educators involved in restructuring efforts.…

Race and ethnic differences in measures of achievement, information, and award of educational credentials since the early 1960's are reviewed. Minorities discussed include Blacks, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, American Indians, and Asian Americans. An inadequate learning syndrome is suggested as a theoretical cause of low academic achievement.…

Reports on an exploratory study of a metacognitive approach to teaching low achieving secondary students. Asserts that the research team hoped to examine a process whereby a dialog about learning processes would develop. Finds that all students indicated that they were able to focus on learning as a topic of conversation. (CFR)

To help low achievers improve their grades and their self-concept, a middle school teacher adapted traditional testing procedures to students' learning styles; he then grouped them by achievement level and participation in the alternative assessment program. Participants had higher test grades, fewer classroom behavior problems, increased…

Discusses problems facing African-American males, particularly in education and including low academic expectation, few African-American teachers, and development of positive self-image. Lists possible actions to take enhanced self-image, increased funding of programs to address social ills, and involvement of African-American males in education.…

Surveys urban school principals about desirable alternative education programs for low-achieving students, and identifies schools and programs that have been effective in promoting educational excellence in this population. Explores the nature of effective schools, and examines the principal's role in establishing models for educating children in…

Self-concept and peer-acceptance of 10 learning-disabled (LD) students were compared with 10 low-achieving and 10 high-achieving students over 4 to 5 years (from kindergarten) prior to and following identification of the LD students. Implications of LD identification for self-concept are discussed. (SLD)

Psychological and behavioral characteristics of poor performing students and research-based strategies are presented as a starting point for educators making improvements to benefit the at-risk low achiever. Metacognitive strategies and refocusing student failure attribution to lack of effort rather than lack of ability are among effective…