This article describes the two basic versions of the responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) approach for identifying learning disabilities, the problem solving model and the standard-protocol approach. It reviews evidence on effectiveness and feasibility and concludes that more needs to be understood before RTI may be viewed as a valid…

Examined 3-year-old boys' pride and shame reactions to success and failure on a "rigged" achievement situation. Found that pride and shame were related to task difficulty and success versus failure but unrelated to temperament after one year. Children whose parents were more positive in previous parenting displayed less pride and…

Examines school counselor's role in the delivery of programs for students at risk for school failure. Discusses protective factors, such as mentors, special hobbies, positive relationships with significant adults, and ways to involve families in the school program. Profiles the importance of understanding a school's structure and organization.…

Health professionals concerned about children's mental health say schools have become more stressful places and that many students cannot handle the pressure. Factors contributing to students' stress include high-stakes testing, fear of failure, parent pressure, and large impersonal schools. To combat the effects of a large school, Venice High…

Proposes an approach to deal with learning difficulties of children with special needs. Identifies three major needs of such students and recommends the application of this active modification approach. Suggests that responsibility for the student's failure always lies with the educational system rather than with the child. (KO)

There is probably no widespread educational practice as thoroughly discredited as retention in grade. If the research undercutting this practice is sound, the task is to uproot outdated misconceptions appealing to educators'"common sense" wisdom. An Arizona study's influence on the attitudes of community leaders, local teachers, and…

Compared heavy and light-moderate drinking female college students along personality dimensions. Although no differences were found in social desirabiliy or locus of control, heavy drinkers possessed greater fear of failure and greater sensation seeking than did light-moderate drinkers. Results have implications for causes of problem drinking…

Examines an unsuccessful student teaching experience that became a successful learning experience through a reflection and debriefing process. Relates this experience to the stages of a conceptual model of experiential education and emphasizes the need for structured debriefing in preservice teacher education. (SV)

Discusses ways to help motivate reluctant readers. Topics include early reading experiences of aliterate readers; the value of reading-related activities like book clubs and reading clubs; other activities that motivate and/or discourage readers; the role of parents, teachers, and librarians; and narrowing choices to make book selection easier.…

The "Ziegarnik effect," a learner's tendency to recall uncompleted tasks longer than completed ones and to remember failures more easily than successes, is applied to improving programs for the subgroup of students with emotional/behavioral disorders who show little benefit from special education interventions, and to teacher…

Persistent low levels of school literacy among Canadian Natives is discussed in terms of language, script, culture, and pedagogy. Low literacy level is only a problem when defined by the narrow Western conception of literacy. When writing is taken as a graphic means of preserving and communicating information, then native cultures have always been…

Presents observations on the negative behavior of school children, offers a rationale for the development of a failure identity, and provides practical ideas for helping children move to feelings of success and positive identity. Empathy and a willingness to realign adult expectations are suggested. (Author/LKS)

Discusses the recent trend of blaming parents for the academic failure of their children, and describes how some programs are attempting to make parents more responsible for their child's performance, a practice that in one case provoked a negative reaction from parents. The author discusses criticism of this new trend and explains why its…

Explores the findings from a two-year participant observation study of educational reform in an inner-city setting. The author deconstructs a major sociological/educational assumption instantiated in the reforms and attempts to delineate an alternative theoretical framework for understanding educational reform failure in inner-city situations. (GR)

Describes promising assessment practices for enhancing the education of students at risk for school failure, viewing assessment as the practice of collecting qualitative and quantitative data that are helpful in planning instructional programs. Teaming is recommended to help improve assessment procedures. (SM)