This study examined the effects of different types of cooperative learning environments on low, average, and high ability students' perceptions of the middle school science classroom environment. Subjects were 15 teachers and 1,185 students from the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grades of two middle schools. Data were gathered from a variety of…

This study examined background factors in children that influence teachers' ratings on the Classroom Adjustment Rating Scale (CARS). Sixteen classrooms in five schools were selected to include a range of socio-economic and cultural groupings from Inner London, England Primary Schools. Teachers used the CARS and an additional short scale of overall…

This study was undertaken to explore whether incest, extrafamilial sexual abuse, and physical abuse are linked with different psychological or behavioral consequences, and whether abuse affects males and females differently. In 1989, a survey instrument was administered to all 6th, 9th, and 12th graders in 84% of all the public schools in…

Adolescent determination of behavior can be viewed as the result of perceived locus of control. To investigate adolescent perceptions of control in terms of age, loci of control (internal or external), situations (community and home), and direction of control (from or over the environment), 909 adolescents (345 males, 564 females), aged 11-19,…

This report deals with essential life skills for young adolescents. At present, there is a need to formally and systematically teach middle and junior high school students life skills for surviving, living with others, and succeeding in a complex society. An introductory section is followed by a discussion of early adolescent development and life…

This study assessed the effectiveness of a 6-week school-based intervention program for children of divorce. Children's school behavior problems, attitudes and beliefs about divorce, self-concept, academic performance, and measures of group support were evaluated. Participants consisted of 127 fourth and fifth graders randomly assigned to…

"Readlicious: Carry-outs Available" is a theme that can be adapted to a variety of emphases since libraries are filled with materials relating to food in many ways, and library collections feed hungry minds and imaginations in countless fashions. This manual is a smorgasbord of planning ideas contributed by many Wisconsin librarians, and…

This curriculum guide supplements the Alabama "Health Education Course of Study," which offers a comprehensive planned sequential curriculum for grades K-12. The largest section of the guide consists of classroom activities which are tied to specific student outcomes. A list of materials needed to carry out the activities is provided.…

Marijuana and alcohol use by high school students has continued to increase through the latter part of the 1970's. To gain information on the extent of this problem in their area, a school district in rural western Pennsylvania approved a study of drug and alcohol usage by the school district's 2,200 students. For reasons of confidentiality, all…

This paper reviews the literature on the development of the junior high school and middle school concepts from the early 1900s to the post-World War II period. The nature of the middle school curriculum is also discussed. Meeting the needs of preadolescents appears to have been a major purpose in the establishment of the junior high school, though…

The Youth Development Project is a school-based delinquency prevention project which incorporates intervention strategies of social skills training, student team learning, and community liaison between home and school. Subjects in the project are fourth, fifth, and sixth graders of one experimental (N=315) and one comparison (N=196) elementary…

A longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was conducted to assess the competence of mothers in different family structures, examine stepfather-stepchild relationships compared to relationships between nondivorced biological fathers and their children, see how relationships changed over time…

A key determinant of the persistence of preadult's political predispositions is the strength of the residues of preadult political socialization. Neither the strength of those residues, nor the impact of major socialization experiences on attitude strength, has been examined closely in the past. Political socialization proceeds through a series of…

At the middle school level, school climate, curriculum, instructional strategies, and the availability of positive adult role models all affect student performance. This study sought to determine student perceptions of discipline effectiveness, teaching strategies, and school climate. Early adolescents (N=220) between the ages of 11 and 16 in 20…

This resource monograph updates 1983 and 1984 resource monographs intended as reference tools for New York State school districts considering grade-level reorganization of educational programs for early adolescents. The chapters of this document: (1) summarize contents of the previous monographs; (2) discuss current research and information on…