Academically high-risk children who had participated in an efficacy-oriented intervention program were compared to a group of high-risk nonintervention children and a low-risk comparison group. The high-risk intervention and low-risk children had stronger beliefs in personal control over academic success; these beliefs were good predictors of…

This stringent promotion/retention policy has retained two to three times more students than before implementation. Further, the academic performance of retained students substantially improved between the year prior to retention and year following promotion. The policy is being well accepted by the community. (PB)

The Achievement Motives Scale (AMS), constructed by Gjesme and Nygard, was administered to 594 Oslo (Norway) 6th graders and 364 Drammen (Norway) 6th graders. Factor analysis showed the two homogeneous scales of the AMS (tendency to approach success and avoid failure) measure different variables of achievement motive. (LC)

Untrained normal achievers attributed failure to adoption of specific task strategies, while untrained learning disabled boys attributed failure to task difficulty. Characteristics of learned helplessness were apparent in the impaired performance of the learning-disabled boys. Normal achievers appeared to have developed active and independent…

Reports results of two national literacy and numeracy testing programs in Australia revealing that there is a sizable fringe group of people unable to function effectively because they cannot meet minimal demands of reading skills. (JL)

Interviews and document analysis provide assessment of policy and practice relating to student information. Provincial legislation was inadequate, local policy was largely absent and sporadically applied, procedures necessary to protect privacy were seldom specified or followed, and data were of insufficiently high quality to justify their…

A collection of essays focuses on the need to integrate philosophy into sport and physical education. The function of sport philosophy is to examine beliefs and values as a basis for human behavior. Philosophical issues examined include: (1) cheating; (2) competition; (3) the development of self-reflection and responsibility; and (4) the…

Socially disadvantaged children who were tutored on a one-to-one basis twice a week did not show any significant achievement gain over nontutored children, although data from tutors, parents, children, and teachers indicate that the tutoring should have had an impact. (CJ)

Flaws in the New Communities program that are discussed in this essay include: (1) defective financial arrangements; (2) a lack of strategic aims and/or a special constituency; (3) inadequate backing by State and local governments; (4) poor leadership; (5) insufficient provisions for dealing with a poor national economy; and (6) private developer…

Examined faculty and student perceptions of factors relating to failing grades in Introductory Anthropology. Supports the view that students and academics comprise two distinct cultures, but indicates that the student culture may not be homogenous. Related to the previous article (Morrill and Steffy) in this theme issue on educational…

Presents three aspects of the school environment which influence child development: physical and material space, human relationships, and activities. (Author/DB)

Focuses on what can be done when a program fails. What are the causes for failure? What elements must be considered in the decision process? What strategies can be employed to recycle resources into more productive activities? What alternatives are available to aid in program repair or rejuvenation? (Author)

Examines the factors that lead to the success of one regional education organization and the failure of a comparable one. The study demonstrates that organizational arrangements and leadership within the centers themselves were much more critical to survival or death than were environmental conditions. (Author/IRT)