A study was made to determine the effectiveness of the Connecticut "pairing" model in improving the school success of Spanish-dominant children classified as low achievers. The study was concerned with whether a carefully designed model of bilingual-bicultural education can improve reading, arithmetic and language arts skills and enhance…

Parent involvement on a nation-wide basis, as participant advocates in their child's learning, can improve the achievements of the child and the mental health of children, parents, and teachers, and may be a way of reversing the recent trend toward nonlearning and early failure among young children. Schools are not able to make up for a child's…

The 4 reports contained in this document present the results of a pilot study of differential coping behavior among siblings. The IRGOP researchers proposed to investigate the factors related to why some children achieve well in school and thereby take the first step in moving out of poverty. Four areas of concern -- human development, sociology,…

The major hypothesis tested in this investigation was that college students using audiovisual aids and current reading materials would achieve greater competency in composition than would students taught by conventional methods. The "STEP Writing Test," the "STEP Reading Test," and writing samples were used for evaluation. Also tested were the…

Research investigated the relative contributions of team competition and peer group practice sessions to the effectiveness of a classroom instructional technique known as Teams-Games-Tournament. Eight mathematics classes with 240 seventh grade students participated in a ten-week field experiment. A 2x2 design was employed. The factors were (1)…

Children from low-income, ghetto, and minority groups tend to display a low level of performance in school and evaluated themselves as worse than most students on their school performance. This study examines the impact of self-concept on academic achievement. It was hypothesized that: (1) reinforcement of behaviors important to academic success…

In the 1974-75 school year, the pilot operation of Project Propinquity begin at Roosevelt High School, Atlanta, Georgia. The project, originated and sponsored by Exodus Inc., was designed to deliver social services to inner-city youth, ages 15 to 19, at the site of delivery of their instructional services. In the 1975-76 school year, the project…

The relationship of nonintellectual factors to academic achievement in 58 Scottish high schools is examined. The main purpose of the study was to identify those features of student backgrounds which have a bearing on academic achievement. Factors studied include socioeconomic class, pupil and parental aspirations and attitudes, staffing and type…

Many black students, female students, and students of low socioeconomic status do not achieve up to their potential in mathematics. A model to explain group differences in performance is presented. Relevant research results are included, along with suggestions for future research to test the model. (PK)

In seeking a better match-up between the mission and the resources of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), its senior leadership has not only been examining their own responsibility areas, but also the entire Department and how its highly varied components fit together. The starting point for this discussion paper was the State Board of…

This research provides lengthy proof of a principle of social science known as Campbell's law: "The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor." Applying…

This report examines how indicators of academic and nonacademic competencies are related to postsecondary educational and labor market outcomes. Drawing on the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) surveys of students and teachers, the authors analyze how postsecondary earnings and the likelihood of attending and completing a postsecondary…

Addressing the needs of a diverse student population is a critical issue in school improvement efforts. Without appropriate support, ESL (English as a Second Language) students risk becoming low achievers. This pragmatic literature review endeavors to capture formative theories and practitioner ideas on ESL learning and multiage education.…

Turning around a low-performing school is a complex process in which cause-effect relationships are difficult to isolate. But recent interest in helping low-performing schools--spurred on by the reforms mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act--has generated some useful research and thoughtful analysis. This digest explores some of the key…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) stimulates school-wide reform by covering virtually all aspects of school operations including instruction, assessment, classroom management, professional development, parental involvement, school management, and curriculum. Since whole-school reforms typically change practices in the classroom, educators need a…