This article summarizes methods and findings from a community diagnosis designed to identify cognitive, affective, and cultural variables that seem to be associated with teen pregnancy. On the basis of information collected, critical elements for an intervention strategy are proposed. (IAH)

A survey of 1,085 seventh and eleventh graders assessed the impact of parents, peers, siblings, advertising, and sponsorship as role models influencing attitudes toward smoking and smoking behavior. Results suggest that intervention programs need to address nicotine addiction and be in place before grade seven. (JOW)

A year-long qualitative study examined seven formerly-addicted alcoholic youth committed to recovery to determine how addicted youth become and remain sober. Bending to social stress, including racism and ethnic prejudice, three participants relapsed. However, personal commitment augmented by familial, community, spiritual, and educational support…

Analyses of local labor market data and national longitudinal survey data on adolescents suggest strong effects of low-wage service-sector concentration and unemployment on the likelihood of both fighting and drug use among adolescents. Mediating processes included the patterning of family income, family intactness, and adolescent attachment to…

Presented in this paper is a framework to examine environmental influences on learning. The framework identifies factors from several environments--the home, the community, and the larger sociocultural context--and links them with school policy and operations. Methodological considerations important to further investigation of these environmental…

This report presents data concerned with: (1) the feasibility of a home-based instructional program for disadvantaged 4 and 5 year old children in Israel, administered by non-professional aides, and (2) the effectiveness of such a program as reflected in (a) the academic and intellectual gains of children involved, and (b) the spill-over effects…

One of a series of papers which focus on 10- to 15-year-old adolescents, this publication describes these young people as they work through developmental tasks in environments (families, communities, peer groups, and schools) that are part of their daily lives. This description is used as a basis to accomplish the following: (1) a further…

A study examined the influences that family, community, and work exert on the youth-to-adulthood transition as well as the dynamics of their interaction. Similarities and differences among the youth-to-adulthood transition as it occurs in the United States, Japan, and West Germany were identified. It was concluded that the links among family,…

In examining the relationships among various educational institutions, one must bear in mind a set of concepts that (1) take into account the organization of educative institutions as well as the ways in which individuals move through different educational settings and (2) focuses on the processes by which the individuals select from and transform…

The traditional model of multicultural education views the child as the product of culture. Proposes an alternate model that focuses on the unique set of experiences each child brings to school. The alternate model includes factors (race, culture, gender, and disability) considered in traditional multicultural models plus several additional…

Low income, urban African American students (N=22) identified as academically promising were asked about their perceptions of the transition to ninth grade. Results highlight the salience of mothers, the challenges of the ninth grade curriculum, and adjustment to a bigger, more complex school environment. (Author/MKA)

This paper examines the meaning of "rural" in rural education research and the relationship of this meaning to the research project's design and purpose. In traditional, comparative research designs, "rural" becomes a part of research that involves or implies comparisons with the nonrural. In contrast, emergent, interpretive…

One hundred Danish adolescents and 133 American adolescents were compared on various aspects of socialization and risk behavior. Overall, socialization was narrower among Danish adolescents, and rates of risk behavior were higher for American adolescents in the areas of driving and minor criminal behavior. Rates of sex without contraception were…

Reviews theories of identity formation ranging from the classic work of E. H. Erikson to postmodern and feminist theories, and incorporates qualitative research examining the identity formation of 14 adolescent girls. The article suggests that schools can serve as sites for deconstructing issues of socioeconomic status identity, body image…

Examines the potential influence of family and community variables on the development of children in violent neighborhoods and reviews research on the prevalence and effects of children's exposure to community violence. It presents strategies for developing and empirically testing culturally specific interventions to promote positive developmental…