Ethnographically examines factors impacting academic performance of 23 Sioux Indian high school students in Canada during the transition from reservation elementary school to public high school. Factors affecting responses to environments without consideration of Indian culture are discussed in light of the withdrawal of 18 students from school.…

Studies 683 African-American, inner-city children in Chicago (Illinois), exposed to 4 to 6 years of early childhood education. Benefits seem to have lasted for girls but less so for boys. Reading scores for girls and boys at the program end were similar and equal to local and national norms. (JB)

Explores in-group variation in minority educational achievement by studying why a disproportionately high number of young Khmer women drop out of school in the United States. An ethnographic study (over 125 interviews) in metropolitan Boston (Massachusetts) demonstrates the importance of understanding cultural and social-historical influences on…

Examined the contributions of academic background, self- beliefs, and other factors toward predicting college withdrawal by late adolescents. Found that academic background and self-beliefs were significant predictors of withdrawal. Found that specific self-beliefs showed significant negative relationships with withdrawal. Noted that relationships…

Proposes an index of school performance to assess progress in meeting goals of academic achievement, equity of educational outcomes, citizenship, social ethics, and health. Details relative weights: core academic outcomes, 40 percent; citizenship, health, teamwork, and social ethics, 25 percent; school completion, teacher qualifications, and…

A longitudinal study of 1,285 high school graduates and dropouts with disabilities, special education teachers, and parents investigated the kinds of school services that are needed and actually received by students with disabilities and the quality of life for the students' last year in high school. Helpful supports are identified. (CR)

Describes a partnership between preservice physical education (PE) teachers and at-risk alternative high school students in which preservice teachers provided PE at the school, where there was no PE faculty or facility. Participant surveys and interviews indicated that the program was very effective, pupils appreciated and enjoyed the program, and…

Describes a meta-analysis conducted on six studies that attempted to ascertain the effect of academic and social integration on student persistence in community colleges. Indicates that both academic and social integration significantly impacts persistence, which is consistent with Tinto's model of student retention. Contains four data tables and…

Examines U.S. public schools' changing demographics and their effects on barriers to equal opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities. Disabilities of poverty, inadequate income, denied access to shared American values, and collective discrimination obstruct these groups' high educational attainment. Equity plans and monitoring must eliminate…

Minority students' failure is costly, resulting in increases in remedial instruction and numbers of students held back or tracked in low-ability classes. Equitable opportunities will be ensured by creating equitable structures; selecting a diverse, committed faculty; valuing all students; providing equitable funding; and garnering stakeholder…

A study involving 17 children (ages 12-15) who had established school refusal found the children's individual protective factors were weakened (particularly around peers), and parents' own difficulties not only reduced the family as a source of protection but exerted an actual drain upon already reduced coping resources. (Contains references.) (CR)

Two case studies of men from diverse cultures, African American and Vietnamese American, illustrate the potential for underachievement among first-generation gifted students at comprehensive universities. Amplifying previous studies, this research provides an examination of attrition and highlights influences on underachievement. Conclusions…

First of a two-part series, examines effects of teen pregnancy and parenthood on adolescents and their children, and describes exemplary program to keep teen parents in high school until graduation. Discusses how to address the issue of teenage pregnancy, how to effectively help teen parents, the importance of teaching teenagers personal…

Examines how the investment of resources affects the outcomes of vocational education programs. Addresses the criticism that vocational programs divert working-class students from higher education. Results indicate that high levels of resource investment increase the likelihood of students graduating from high school while low levels increase the…

Achievement for Latinos through Academic Success is a unique Chicano dropout prevention program in a large Los Angeles junior high school. Program features include: (1) focus on the school's highest-risk students; (2) construction of a comprehensive cluster of research-based interventions addressing four different spheres of influence on school…