Describes an eighth-grade communications arts classroom at Richard R. Green Middle School in the Bronx, New York, where respect has become a powerful motivator for students. Relates how students have responded positively to being treated as intelligent young adults who can learn, and how that has contributed to the students' success. (TJQ)

Provides World Wide Web site descriptions and addresses for additional information related to the following six feature articles: (1) "Artful Ideas for Middle School Teachers"; (2) "A Classy Club for Kids & Parents, Too"; (3) "Motivational Fortune Cookies"; (4) "Visual Art with At-Risk Kids"; (5) "Teaching Writing: 10 Use-Right-Now Ideas"; and (6)…

Assesses differences in academic and athletic motivation levels among white and black student-athletes, and probes two possible causal variables for graduation rates by examining postgraduate expectations of student-athletes and aspects of their social, cultural, and personal orientations. Survey responses from 327 college athletes reveal…

Offers an alternative, structural-based explanation regarding American Indians' lower academic performance compared to their white counterparts. Findings from a sample of 352 American Indian and more than 1,000 white high school students show that perceived structural constraints play a significant role in reducing academic performance among…

Examines how the instructional conversation can be an effective method to raise the low academic achievement of various Native American students. Considers cultural differences in conversational styles, the relative emphasis on verbal or visual symbolic thinking in schools, student motivation, and the social organization of classrooms and schools.…

Suggests activities for library media specialists or teachers that use food to encourage students to interact with literature. Includes researching recipes or food items that appear in the book, incorporating Internet searching skills if desired; planning meals, either real or imaginary; edible art projects, including fortune cookies; and creating…

Tested whether psychosocial variables showed direct relations to substance use, and direct, indirect, and interactive relations to use-related negative consequences in adolescents. Found psychosocial variables relate to problem use beyond the simple indirect effect from consumption level. (Author/DLH)

Examines the perceptions of instructors and administrators regarding self-directed learning modules for adult and younger students, comparing the modules' perceived effectiveness, benefits, and challenges. Addresses the issue of personal freedom versus the need for focus and guidance, finding that adult learners reported no freedom versus focus…

In a national, longitudinal database, factors were examined that enabled public school students on a path toward failure to significantly improve reading achievement by high school graduation. Being Caucasian and female, having an internal locus of control, and taking an academic curriculum independently predicted academic resilience.…

Describes the lack of educational success experienced by boys in some countries and girls in other countries, and lists possible reasons for these inequalities. Presents certain contributory factors: employment prospects related to levels of education; composition and attitudes of the teaching staff; attitudes of parents and society; and attitudes…

Explores prerequisites for a successful Web-based distance education learning experience. Discusses technical requirements, including reliable equipment, fast Internet connections, and being comfortable with using the technology required; and personal characteristics, including high motivation, time commitment, ability to cope with lack of…

Results of this study indicate that enhancing motivation-building and personal-investment content in teacher communications with students increases at-risk student engagement in Web-based courses. Advantages of motivation-building enhancements over personal-investment enhancements and the importance of teacher interaction with at-risk students in…

This article explores an integrative framework for a motivational psychology for the education of Indigenous students. Drawing on and adapting Graham's (1994) taxonomy for motivational psychology, it is suggested that enhancing the educational outcomes of Indigenous students involves addressing factors relevant to the self (positive identity,…

A far-reaching study offers a damning assessment of the programs that prepare most of the nation's principals and superintendents. Led by Arthur E. Levine, the president of Teachers College, Columbia University, the report says most university-based preparation programs for administrators range in quality from "inadequate to appalling." The…

This exploratory study examined the influence of residential background and gender on university student drinking patterns. A questionnaire was distributed to 255 kinesiology and physical education students. Rural students (n=104) were more likely than urban students (n=151) to drink at outdoor parties or in vehicles during their first experience…