Early onset of at-risk behaviors has been recognized as an important predictor of severity of negative outcomes during adolescence, but little is known about rural children's involvement in such behaviors and related variables. In two rural Midwest counties with high concentrations of child poverty, a survey of 162 predominantly Caucasian fifth-…

The middle school concept was devised to counteract the tendency of junior high school programs to mimic those of the high school at the expense of addressing the developmental needs of students who are in the process of physical maturation. This book on curriculum design focuses on the importance of the middle school and understanding…

This monograph examines early adolescence as a developmental period and explains the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive characteristics of 10- to 14-year-olds. The monograph also discusses how middle schools can provide developmentally appropriate educational experiences. Chapter 1 of the monograph explores early adolescence as a developmental…

This study investigated whether alcohol use by public school students differs in its relationship to other variables when analyzed on the individual level versus the aggregated group level. The study presents a model and a set of analytic techniques for studying the ways that school and individual variables relate to adolescent alcohol abuse.…

The central question of this study was: could interventions of an affective nature be consistently applied in a controlled manner over a sufficient period of time to assure multi-dimensional growth in pre-adolescents that could be measured by a battery of instruments? The subjects of the study were two school principals, students from grades 2, 4,…

A longitudinal study of early adolescents examined gender differences in attitude and behavior, as well as the effects of pubertal change, parental expectations, and parental support. It was hypothesized that sex differences would emerge during preadolescence and that males' and females' rates of change would be significantly different. Subjects…

To reduce aggressive children's behavior problems and to reduce their high risk status for later major difficulties, an Anger Coping intervention based on cognitive behavioral techniques was developed (Lochman, Nelson, and Sims, 1981). Despite promising outcomes, testing showed not all children improved with this program. This study compared the…

This study evaluated the Computer Aided Grading Exercises (CAGE) authoring system on ease of creating programs, popularity of such programs, ease of progression through created exercises, and transfer of learning. Subjects were 12-year-olds with moderate learning difficulties. It was found that the system produced popular exercises and engendered…

Models the spread of linguistic change by taking account of the ages of the acquirers and transmitters of change. The article focuses on three interlocutor combinations: parent-infant/young child, peer group-preadolescent and older adolescent/adult-adolescent. Findings suggest that borrowings are the easiest to acquire, while lexically…

Describes the founding and role of the nonprofit organization Udbhas, which promotes literacy among children in the slums of Calcutta while providing a level of food, clothing, and social and educational experiences generally absent from their homes. Discusses the children's background and identifies problems in bringing learning to these…

Adolescents whose parents had not divorced exhibited more social and scholastic competence and fewer adjustment problems than did adolescents from families with remarried or single mothers. Children from divorced, single-mother families demonstrated adjustment difficulties up to six years after their mother's divorce. (BC)

Describes social, cultural, and psychological factors that can influence academic achievement of African-American students by gender and placement in gifted or nongifted academic programs. Results with 148 African-American fifth and sixth graders in an urban Ohio elementary school demonstrate more importance for academic program than for gender.…

This study assessed 575 students with mild mental retardation in three educational settings. Their loneliness, depression, and social skills were assessed through student self-reports and peer perception of social status. Among findings were that preadolescent students in self-contained classes in regular schools exhibited more loneliness and…

Studied adolescent participants in a group intervention program to determine the influence of peer reactions to problem behavior. Found that the impact of friendship is not always positive and can lead to unintended iatrogenic consequences. Concludes that adults' role in attending to children's peer contexts is perhaps the most critical for…

Objective: To discover the outcomes for children placed late for adoption (between 5 and 11 years old) from public care and to establish which factors predict poorer outcome. Method: Data were collected prospectively (1993-2003) from a representative sample of domestic U.K. adoptive placements (N = 108) at the start of placement, at 1 year, and 6…