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)

The lack of utilization of evaluation studies is criticized. It is suggested that program directors be asked to submit proposals to evaluators which will demonstrate that the directors are competent to utilize the information provided and to assess the quality of the evaluation. (JKS)

From her review of the final evaluation reports of 81 career education projects, the author notes seven common pitfalls in career education program evaluation. For a related article by this author, see pp75-83 of this issue. (SJL)

Male and female college students experienced either partial reinforcement (persistence training) or continuous reinforcement on either of two instrumental tasks as therapy for failure-induced depression and subsequently were exposed to protracted failure (extinction). Durable and partly generalizable persistence training effects were shown.…

Observations about middle class high school dropouts are reported by staff of Project SAIL (Student Advocates Inspire Learning), an intensive special program involving peer and individual counseling. (CL)

How to restart failed readers and get them on the reading track is the theme of the authors. The problem is a major one; the solution may change many lives. (Editor)

Zaire has one of the highest attrition rates in Africa--about 90 percent of the students who begin seventh grade never receive twelfth grade diplomas. This study demonstrates that administration policy and social environment of schools, as well as student ability and performance, may account for high failure rate. (RW)

Summarizes research findings on the academic and social effects on students of grade repetition, and concludes that most students do not benefit from nonpromotion. (JG)

A number of factors that might have been thought to be important in contributing to student dropout appear to have had little effect on variations in the dropout rate at Flinders. Two factors do appear to be important: the relatively open entry system to Australian universities, and the higher failure rate of part-time students. (LBH)

Argues that Texas' dyslexia laws and practices are misguided, with children being routinely tested on instruments that have no demonstrated validity or reliability for educational assessment purposes. Suggests that few school districts actually have implemented either assessment or instructional intervention practices that can be defended, given…