As educators and practitioners continue to seek effective interventions to prevent dropout, they must focus on identifying, monitoring, and addressing risk factors that are influenced by teachers (e.g., academic performance, peer and adult interactions, attendance, and behavior). As a result, teachers' roles in dropout prevention are critical.…

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conference e-Learning 2015, which was organised by the International Association for Development of the Information and Society and is part of the Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, July 21-24, 2015). The e-Learning 2015…

The stories, anecdotes, humor, and insights found in this book capture what it means to be a teacher. The book begins with common encounters that are the hallmark of the new-teacher experience, but continues into equally entertaining tales that come with years of working with students, parents, staff, faculty, and administrators. "What It Means…

Several researchers have suggested that definitional skill explains academic success/failure (Gagne, 2004; Snow, 1987). The words used to investigate definitional skill have all been concrete words given in the first language (L1) and/or the second language (L2) of the participants. This paper reports a study investigating the quality of the…

This study investigated the effects of a supplemental early reading intervention program on the phonemic awareness and alphabetic principle skills of students identified as at risk for reading failure. Seven kindergarten students and one first-grade student received 20 min of supplemental reading instruction 3 days a week for 16, 12, and 8 weeks.…

This paper examines the hypothetically bi-directional relationship which links marijuana consumption and school failure among students. To that end, we propose a simultaneous probability model, which is estimated by using the information provided by the three consecutive waves from the Spanish Surveys on Drug Use in the School Population [(1996,…

In this article, the authors discuss aspects of Response to Intervention (RTI) that appear to be promising for the field of reading, and those that they view as problematic. Unlike many earlier models of innovation in special education service delivery, there is some research indicating promise. Most of that research has been conducted with…

This is a case study of Benchmark School, which educates 6-to 15-year-olds with a history of school failure. Grounded theory methodology was employed to generate a theory about how the school promotes achievement. Many elements potentially promoting academic achievement were identified, including ones informed by psychological theory and research…

Quite often, educators tell families of children who are learning English as a second language to speak only English, and not their native language, at home. Although these educators may have good intentions, the authors argue that the educators' advice to families is misguided and stems from misunderstandings about the nature of bilingualism and…

Quality circles, a management practice that involves groups of workers from the same work area voluntarily meeting on a regular basis to identify, analyze, and solve various work-related problems, have been used in Japan for over 40 years. In the United States, quality circles have been tried in many organizations during the past 2 decades and…

In a high school a problem existed in which 43 students in grades 9 through 12 received failing grades for the first semester due to excessive absenteeism. A target group of students with excessive school absences was identified by the school faculty. Intervention counseling sessions were held with these students. Of the 46 students, only 12 were…

This document reports findings of a California Department of Education (DOE) study that examined grade-retention practices in the state. Data were collected primarily through surveys of schools and school districts. Findings indicate that approximately 1 in 10 students spent an extra year in school before second grade during the 1988-89 school…

This is the Spanish version of the final report of a California Task Force created to promote self-esteem and personal responsibility. It begins with an executive summary listing key principles of the task force and providing recommendations and discussions in each of six major areas upon which the report focuses. The next section presents the…

This awareness packet consists of materials associated with a nationally validated program designed to prevent school failure by identifying the developmental levels and learning styles of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old children. Materials concern: the bimodal curve range of development of kindergartners and their characteristics; developmental…

Researchers have suggested two models of risk preference to account for subjects' preference for tasks of moderate difficulty. The affective model proposes that pride of success and shame of failure are responsible for the observed preference. The cognitive model suggests preference for tasks of moderate difficulty because they are the most…