For the past several years, leaders in middle grades education research have strengthened their call for more methodologically robust quantitative research to address important questions in the field. Recently, two important routes towards addressing this call have emerged: the Middle Grades Longitudinal Study from the National Center for…

This book explores research on processes that influence family-school partnerships in support of student learning and education. It highlights research related to culture, contexts, and development as families and schools work together to promote smooth transitions and academic achievement. The volume discusses research related to family and…

A literature search and review was conducted by the Two-Year College Student Development Research Committee of the American College Personnel Association to investigate the overall character of typical research on two-year college student development concerns. The student development research conducted at the two-year college level contrasted…

The current status of research on experiential learning (primarily at the postsecondary level) is discussed, based in part on responses from a seven-member panel. Methodological considerations and proposed research agendas are also covered. Current research on experiential learning, which focuses on program design and impacts on the learner, falls…

Researchers of performance assessment in social studies have contrasted authentic assessment, which is characterized by contextualized, complex intellectual challenges, with multiple choice tests of achievement, which are characterized as fragmented and static. In calling for the need for authentic assessment, this paper outlines a plan for the…

In order to understand the mechanisms of the socializing processes associated with citizenship development in the United States, it is necessary to study the interactions of ideology, education, and cultural pluralism as they are manifested in educational programs and in the processes of child development. The means and methods for understanding…

Reviews "School Matters" by Peter Mortimore, a rigorous longitudinal study of the effects of elementary schools in London. Concludes that school differences influence student development, and explores the connections between school leadership, classroom life, and student cognitive and noncognitive development. (FMW)

Reviews theory and research on the relationship between classroom climate and citizenship outcomes in elementary settings. Compares democratic learning environments described by three studies. Suggests that free expression, peer interaction in cooperative activities, respect for diverse viewpoints, and student participation in decision making…

In recent years, commentators on socialization and adolescent development have suggested that secondary schools encourage students' participation in voluntary community service. This study, conducted in 1982-83 on students in volunteer programs and in comparison groups at eight high schools, tested whether such programs positively effect the…

This document reports on a national research needs assessment study which resulted in the identification of research priorities for the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) through the year 2000. The report addresses: the scope, purpose, and mission of NRC/GT; a rationale for such research, noting six problem areas in…

Children mature into adults through their own activities and the influence of their social environment. One such social influence, education, is purposeful, planned, and institutionalized. Educational psychology investigates the psychological foundations of this process, particularly in the development of humankind. The publication focuses on such…

Questions the effectiveness of the career guidance that Soviet secondary students receive. Discusses a survey of 2,605 students that investigated students' life goals assessments of their labor training and work experiences. Argues that Soviet schools need to correlate career guidance more effectively both with development of individual student…

The research on effective schools has identified the superintendent's role as critical in the success of school improvement efforts. The New Brunswick school improvement program is featured as an example of a successful program. In 1980 the New Brunswick school system selected a new superintendent who faced a district with myriad problems…

Reviews the "Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning's" section on students. Examines currentness of research comprehensiveness, clarity, and evaluative analysis. Specifically analyzes chapters on student development, educationally disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and gifted students. Finds the section reveals the…