This document contains the final report and the third-year report of the Center for Adult Learning Research, which was established at Montana State University (MSU) in December 1985 with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The final report reviews first- through third-year activities. It describes the following research projects: strategies…

This book explores the meaning, necessity, and benefits of multicultural education for students from all cultural backgrounds. The constant and complex interplay and interactions among personal, social, political, and educational factors in exploring the success or failure of students in schools and the benefits of multicultural education are…

Metacognitions about study activities and strategy use were assessed in 166 fifth and sixth graders (54 percent female and 39 percent African American), 108 seventh and eighth graders (55 percent female and 32 percent African American), and 168 college students (60 percent female, 10 percent African American, and 10 percent from other ethnic…

Schools are not serving our Black and Hispanic youth well, as standardized test scores reflect. The problem of educating these students must be addressed. This book offers suggestions to educators who have the interest, intent, and inspiration to facilitate achievement motivation among these students, but who may lack the information or teaching…

This digest focuses on several issues in school desegregation that stem from recent changes in demography, policy, and research. Change in student diversity, the first consideration, is even more marked in cities than in the country as a whole, with only 9 of 47 urban cities in the Great City Schools network having a majority white enrollment.…

The Field-Initiated Studies program is open to institutions of higher education, public and private organizations, institutions, and agencies, as well as individuals. Applicants may propose projects that last up to 18 months, and proposals are reviewed and evaluated based on their technical quality and national importance judged by scholars and…

This KIDS COUNT special report focuses on the state of Arkansas' families, using state and national data to discuss demographic and economic changes facing families and the ways those changes affect children. The report discusses the increase in the number of children nationally and statewide growing up in homes without fathers, and notes that the…

A discussion of factors that influence English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning by native speakers of Chinese focuses on three specific factors (cognitive style, individual differences, and native language interference), and offers classroom solutions. The effect of each of the three factors on ESL comprehension and production is considered,…

This study sought to identify similarities and differences influencing students' self-perceived gains in communication and critical thinking skills. The study examined students' background characteristics and general college experiences, as well as their experiences in their major field of study. Structural equation modeling was used to examine…

In spring 1998, 1,020 seventh-grade students were surveyed as one component of a statewide evaluation of Arizona's school-to-work system designed by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. This second survey measured attitudes toward and participation in career activities. Results were compared to baseline data collected from over 2,000…

In 1966, the Arkansas Education Association (AEA) presented a plan to consolidate school districts by dissolving all school districts with less than 400 students. The proposal spawned an enormous debate, and opponents organized a political action committee named the Arkansas Rural Education Association (AREA). The issues involved were: (1) the…

This project investigated the different perspectives of families from diverse backgrounds on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The transcripts from the focus groups and individual interviews at five national sites conducted from December 1995 to August 1996 are provided. The following focus groups were held: (1) family involvement…

This paper examines inequalities in education resulting from differences in community social class, using data from a study of high school teachers' work in different communities conducted in the 1980's and repeated in the 1990's. The 1985 study of schools in upper middle class, working class, and lower class neighborhoods indicated that there…

This monograph describes a personnel preparation program that prepared 32 Colorado special education graduates to meet the needs of students who are learning English as a second language and are visually impaired. Graduates took a course that was specially designed to expose students to relevant literature on federal mandates for the education of…

This paper presents findings from a 1991 study that collected descriptive data on over 209 African-American homeless children and youth in Seattle, Washington. A review of the literature indicates that disproportionate numbers of African-Americans are homeless. Discussion in the paper concerns risk factors and conditions that affect…