German editorial cartoonists use the Michel figure to represent German citizens' concerns and aspirations. The 1949 division of Germany affected Michel's appearance, with Michel occasionally appearing as twins. Such representations became more prevalent after German unification in 1990. This article comments on 10 editorial cartoons which…

This meta-analysis reviewed the literature on socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement in journal articles published between 1990 and 2000. The sample included 101,157 students, 6,871 schools, and 128 school districts gathered from 74 independent samples. The results showed a medium to strong SES-achievement relation. This relation,…

New Leaders for New Schools, a non-profit organization committed to training high-quality urban public school principals, received grants from the U.S. Department of Education in 2006 and 2007 to support the development of innovative teacher compensation strategies. New Leaders is partnering with four urban school districts and a consortium of…

The purpose of this fact sheet is to explore the secondary school experiences of students with mental retardation. Topics include the instructional practices in general, vocational, and nonvocational special education classrooms; the participation of students in various classroom settings; accommodations and support services provided to students;…

This study examines the role of discourse in the development of students' understandings of a rule for determining if a number is divisible by 8. The rule was suggested by a student in a seventh-grade mathematics class. Its validity was investigated in whole-class discussions that occurred on 3 consecutive days. In addition to making field notes…

Demographic prediction of juvenile delinquency has been hampered by the heterogeniety of youth samples. In an attempt to correct for sampling bias in predicting juvenile delinquency, 1,689 male and female youths(aged 12 to 19, drawn from a 6 percent systematic, census tract, random sample of Pennsylvania school youths) completed the Youth Needs…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two contextual influences (performance-contingent rewards and proximal goals) on children's task motivation, self-efficacy, and skillful performance after division skill-development training. The sample included 44 children, ranging in age from approximately 9 to 11 years, who were identified…

After presenting a classroom dialogue typical of a common approach to division problems, the authors use a second dialogue to discuss the "stacking method" of division. (SD)

Using geographic criteria to assess the United States, two themes are apparent: 1) gulf between America's perception of conditions and reality, and 2) conflict between deeply rooted sentiment for isolationism and internationalism of a trade-oriented country. (ND)

A method of teaching computation of fractions with visual aids is described. (SD)

An algebra class asked: What is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by each integer less than or equal to ten? Students discovered factorials and a solution. Verifying the solution produced a series of numbers. Successive differences between entries, triangular arrays, and successive quotients finally led to Pascal's triangle. (KM)

New College, a private institution in Florida that focused on independent study, has now become an upper-division college of the University of South Florida. The author discusses the administrative and financial difficulties of New College in relating its history. (PG)

Educators and policymakers are beginning to realize that students aged 10 through 14 are not well served by the "miniature high school" atmosphere of the typical junior high school, where the primary emphasis is placed on academic achievement in departmentalized course offerings. A program that is student-centered and that better…

Designed as an overview of the progress of middle schools in the last two decades, this document compares results from a 1968 survey that sampled 10 percent of middle schools with at least three, and not more than five grades, and including grades 6 and 7, with those of a similar 1988 survey. Following a brief summary of the origins of the middle…

Presented are worksheets to introduce and provide practice on division facts with divisors of 2 through 10 for students in grades 3-6. Magic squares, searches, codes, and other puzzles are included in addition to more traditional activities. A test is included. (MNS)