Results are reported from a study that attempted to find the objective effects of a 3-month high school teachers' strike on 134 first year university students. Findings indicate that no important differences existed between strike students and others with regard to grades, failures, or withdrawals. (IAH)

Reports a study on minimum competency testing in American high schools. Discusses the effects on students who fail to pass it, and the perceptions of educators and administrators about the value and barrier aspects of these tests. Implications of the findings for research, policy making, and educational practice are explored. (JS)

A review of studies of the self-concepts of learning disabled children (LDC) found that LDC have lower self-concepts than do non-handicapped students, with the greatest differences in academic, rather than general, self-concept. Results are discussed in terms of factors associated with self-concept development and the negative effects on…

Used quantitative and qualitative measures to examine reasons for underachievement or success in 9- to 11-year olds. Found poor handwriting, when stemming from weak fine motor skills and poor eye-hand coordination, marks underachievement. Socioeconomic factors influenced differences in math, but not in reading ability. Academic success was more…

Examining the grades for an entire urban high school in a Midwestern city shows that the distribution of grades among students remains constant at all grade levels, even though many students drop out. The result is a depression of grades and an increase in student dissatisfaction among those who receive the lowest grades. (SLD)

Describes a case study of a sixth-grade student experiencing profound difficulties in learning to read, and the instructional intervention that helped him make significant progress. Comments on the public school's responsibility to provide effective remedial instruction. (SR)

Reviews the history of the historically black Bishop College (Marshall and Dallas, Texas) and explores reasons for its closing in 1988. The impact of the Dallas Community College system on potential students is an important factor in the school's decline. Some weaknesses in the college's planning and administration are discussed. (SLD)

Classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) is described as a potential tool for preventing early school failure, with emphasis on three areas relevant to its successful classroom implementation: (1) the classroom program; (2) the administrative model; and (3) implementation quality assessment. Studies showing CWPT's long-term positive effects on academic…

Examined the effect of residential and school mobility in the academic performance of 5- to 15-year-old maltreated children. Found that maltreated children encounter more academic difficulties in part because they experience relatively high levels of residential mobility and school transfer. Found little evidence to support the role of mobility in…

Examined the prevalence of holding age-eligible children out of kindergarten in a single northern California county, and the changes in the phenomenon over time. Found a significant decline in the frequency of holding out for both boys and girls, but that boys are held out more often than girls and that holding out is positively associated with…

Critically analyzes initiatives of the South African government, business sector, and community that address with the country's high educational attrition and failure rates and inability to provide basic education services for three million children. Warns against initiatives fostering new elites and condemns capitalist, middle-class values of…

Phi Delta Kappa study collected data on over 21,000 students in grades 4, 7, and 10 in 275 schools in over 80 U.S. communities. Five risk factors emerged: personal pain, academic failure, family socioeconomic status, family instability, and family tragedy. Many teachers helped considerably with personal pain and academic failure problems,…

Interviews with 4 gifted learning-disabled boys, (aged 9 to 12), their parents, and their teachers identified themes in their social/emotional development including interpersonal relationships, self-concept, and learning characteristics. Unique characteristics included a powerful fear of failure, inconsistent social skills, and a fluctuating self…

Five matched groups of 15 children (ages 8-13) were compared to determine whether behavioral subgroups of children with learning disabilities (LD) form different beliefs regarding causes of their achievement-related successes and failures. The achievement attributions of subjects were heterogeneous and related to presence and type of behavior…

Discusses two approaches to minority education--the cultural difference and the secondary discontinuity--and presents a hybrid theory that emphasizes the role of compliance. The article then describes an experiment based on these theories and conducted by the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program (KEEP) with native Hawaiian children and with…