Research among high school students in Saint Louis, Missouri, tested five theoretical models that posited the existence of racial differences in adolescents' perceptions of life satisfaction, self-competence, sociopolitical reality, political alienation, and justification of political violence. The self-competence and sociopolitical reality models…

Among high school seniors, (1) most of those who aspired to teach were White females; (2) teacher aspirants were less concerned with earning good incomes than those who chose other professions; (3) job security was not an important motivation for entering teaching; and (4) teacher aspirants were intellectually less able than their classmates.…

Examined the parent-peer orientation of 236 high school seniors. Results showed race was the strongest predictor of parent-peer orientation: Blacks tended to be more parent oriented. Respondents with high self-esteem were more parent oriented, while respondents who had an internal locus of control tended to be more peer oriented. (JAC)

Examines potential sources of bias in aptitude and achievement testing of minority and, particularly, Black students. Holds that bias in standardized tests cannot be properly understood without reference to the socioeconomic matrix from which it has evolved. (Author/GC)

An investigation of 148 community college students regarding cheating behaviors on a final multiple-choice test did not lend support for the association of personality constructs with cheating behaviors except for the anxiety construct. Self-reported grade point average and test score were negatively related to cheating. (Author/PN)

Assesses the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system in preventing delinquency and rehabilitating delinquents. The six articles in this special issue also discuss status offenders and gender issues, examine the Chicago Area Project, and discuss the future of juvenile justice policy and research. (JAC)

This study of test bias used Black, Oriental, Chicano, and White students to answer two questions: (1) Is grade point average prediction for Chicanos and Orientals similar to prediction for Blacks and Whites? and (2) Does major field mediate ethnic differences in test performance? (Author/BW)

Task performance of 35 first graders was analyzed in relation to their third-grade reading and arithmetic test scores. The visual-auditory task, requiring the child to select the correct auditory representation of a visually presented consonant-vowel-consonant, accounted for 48 percent of the variance in third-grade reading scores. (Author/PN)

Among Blacks attending traditionally Black colleges and those attending traditionally White colleges, college experiences affected outcomes more significantly than social background or high school experience. Thus, type of college experience determined differences in academic achievement, occupational aspirations, and dropout proneness between…

Efforts to improve the reliability or prediction in dental school admissions by combining several preprofessional academic averages and selected nongraded personal attributes into a single admission index score are outlined. Use of the index is also proposed for use in monitoring less-qualified students' progress. (Author/MSE)

Compared conventional biology instruction to personalized system of instruction (PSI) and investigated relationship between achievement and selected variables (age, sex, family income/size, grade point average, motivational factors, treatment group, and California Achievement Test scores) of college students (N=80). Results, among others, indicate…

The predictive validity of several mathematics and language variables relative to criteria of grade point average and word problem-solving skills for 60 bilingual Hispanic technical students is investigated. Examination of standardized college admission criteria is urged. Revealed is a disparity in academic performance between bilingual and…

Examines the relationship between living environment and educational progress in a longitudinal study of 686 college students. Findings confirmed demographic differences and higher graduation rate; but an independent effect of residence hall living on educational progress was not confirmed. Transfer influences were also evaluated. (Author/JAC)

Describes the analytical procedure, contextual analysis. Suggests ways to use it to assess the group effects of residence arrangement on student development. Provides an empirical example that shows how contextual analysis may be used to identify the specific dimensions underlying residence group influences on freshman academic performance.…

Discusses a study conducted among Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White women to: (1) identify the factors related to intention to report/not report a rape to various people; and (2) ascertain the usefulness of Fishbein's model of behavioral intentions, which consists of "perceived outcomes" and "perceived expectations" components,…