The ongoing dilemma for those expected to improve schools is how to meet our society's basic aims for public education in ways that level the playing field. The dilemma is exacerbated by the need to do more with less. This brief approaches these matters in the context of three direct functions that are essential to school improvement: (1)…

Goal setting is not an innate skill. Adults who are successful at reaching their goals have learned to set realistic goals and to plan to attain them. Afterschool programs, because they have latitude in their curricular offerings and program elements, can provide strong backdrops for goal-setting initiatives. While studies have shown that goal…

"Exito" means "success" in Spanish, so it is a fitting name for a dropout prevention program. Set in a large neighborhood high school in a low-income, largely Latino section of Philadelphia, Exito supports ninth- and tenth-grade students who are at risk of dropping out of school by providing them with afterschool programming…

Although an increasing number of Native Americans are enrolling as first-generation college students (FGS) at postsecondary institutions, the percentage of those attaining bachelor's degrees or higher remains relatively low--11 percent, compared with more than 25 percent for the general population. Native Americans face not only the retention…

Introduction: The perceived information needs of teachers who specialize in reading instruction for at-risk first graders were studied and related to frameworks for the role of social context in information needs, seeking and use. The frameworks considered were: disciplinarity, role theory in work settings, small worlds and information grounds and…

Many school districts are moving to scripted programs in hopes of improving standardized test scores because of pressure from state and federal governments, particularly in low-income, bilingual, and low-performing schools. However, the relational side of education is an essential consideration, and it can be linked not only to proficiency on…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are at risk for engaging in negative health behaviors and for experiencing at-school victimization. Specific benefits of attending a high school with a gay-straight alliance (GSA), including lower levels of suicidality, have been published; however, it is unclear whether GSAs are related to…

This study investigated the effects of modern educational game playing on middle school students' attitudes towards mathematics, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement. Two hundred twenty-five middle school students from four different Title 1 schools in two different counties in the southeastern United States were recruited.…

Evidence has supported the effectiveness of educational and psychosocial interventions that include strengths and promote the competence enhancement of schoolchildren. Nevertheless, students in low-income, culturally diverse urban schools who are academically underachieving may be the least likely but most in need to experience feedback about…

This article reports on an innovative approach to teaching Calculus I which was initiated in a two-semester course designed for students at risk of failing Calculus I. The treatment consisted of voluntary oral assessments offered before every written examination. Analyses showed that the treatment students did significantly better than the control…

In recent years there has been very high international interest around induction programmes aiming for the smooth integration of newcomer teachers in the working environment of the school unit. In addition, educational systems in many countries lay great importance on the provision of equal opportunities to all students and the provision of a more…

This article presents a moral analysis of the limitations upon legitimate authority to suspend and expel students in K-12 public schools, and it brings this analysis to bear on a pair of difficult disciplinary cases. The analysis is grounded in a defense of a child's right to receive a public education. It identifies the minimum content of that…

This preliminary investigation examined the effects of a computerized supplemental reading program on the oral reading fluency, reading growth rates, and comprehension of 8 African American first graders. Participants were selected for this study according to scores within risk categories on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills…

Large, traditional urban high schools are among the most difficult education environments in the United States. These schools, which serve a high percentage of the Black and Latino students in the United States, often have low academic performance, high dropout rates, high teacher and school leader turnover, and inexperienced teachers. They often…

Students who are expelled from school often demonstrate the need for alternative learning environments that respond to their academic disengagement as well as their behavioral challenges. Teachers in such environments contend with a variety of student needs while attempting to engage students in the learning process. This grounded theory study…