Shall teachers in city graded schools be advanced from grade to grade with their pupils through a series of two, three, four, or more years, so that they may come to know the children they teach and be able to build the work of the latter years on that of the earlier years, or shall teachers be required to remain year after year in the same grade…

This report summarizes some of the parent and community involvement activities for AISD during the 2001-2002 school year.

Discusses alternative perspectives on nature of knowledge and psychological development, relating these to science instruction. Indicates that significant learning occurs if facts have personal relevance, suggesting that a cultural transmission approach to teaching/knowledge dominates science education which neglects the role of students' personal…

This study investigated pre-test scores and number of items correctly answered on a programed lesson as predictors of post-test scores. Students studied either an expository lesson, a programed lesson with minimal instructional support, or a programed lesson with maximal instructional support. Results did not support an aptitude-treatment…

Explores the hypothesis that the background knowledge effect, that is, familiarity with the topic, that enhances reading comprehension in a foreign language occurs only between two thresholds. Findings indicate that a lower threshold may exist, whereas the existence of an upper threshold is an open question. (50 references) (Author/CK)

Investigated whether incorporating youth cancer risk-assessment software with a cancer prevention curriculum would increase student knowledge and enhance behavior related to cancer prevention. Pre- and postintervention surveys of 10th graders indicated that adding the software did not increase program effectiveness. Knowledge and behavior scores…

The activation of real-world knowledge displayed by 91 Japanese fifth graders in solving school mathematics problems was compared to that of 75 previously studied Belgian students. Children in both cultures had a similar tendency to neglect common sense knowledge and realistic considerations as they attempted to solve word problems. (SLD)

Presents the results of an experiment that asked 53 middle school children to identify continent shapes and to arrange them to form a map of the world. Australia, Europe, and Asia were the most recognized. Misidentified and misaligned most consistently were Africa and Antarctica. Discusses possible reasons and teachers' responses. (MJP)

Demonstrates the usefulness of classroom assessment in reducing the number of underprepared students. Recommends that faculty use classroom assessment techniques very early in the semester to determine students' knowledge level. Maintains that a vast dichotomy exists between teachers' assumptions regarding students' knowledge and what they…

Identifies four microeconomic concepts students should learn before entering the study of intermediate macroeconomics. Included are relative prices, general versus partial equilibrium, constrained optimization, and the nature of production concepts. Recommends making intermediate microeconomics a prerequisite for intermediate macroeconomics. (MJP)

This study evaluated the efficacy of a theory-based school HIV/STD curriculum on eighth graders' HIV/STD-related attitudes and knowledge. Pretesting and posttesting of students who did and did not participate in the intervention indicated that the curriculum effectively improved HIV/STD-related attitudes but barely impacted knowledge. (SM)

This study surveyed ninth- and eleventh-graders' evaluations of social exclusion based on social group membership. Responses indicated that participants found exclusion less wrong than denying resources, and used fewer moral and more conventional reasons to justify judgments. Participants relied on their group knowledge or stereotypes in…

A survey of 549 kindergarten and first grade teachers examined attitudes toward, and knowledge of, beginning reading practices that have been shown to prevent reading failure, including explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and word identification skills. Teachers generally had positive attitudes toward explicit reading approaches, especially…

Examined drug abuse views and knowledge level of 135 Nigerian secondary school teachers through self-report questionnaire. Found that majority of teachers were never exposed to drug education as students whereas less than 20 percent have been exposed since qualifying as teachers. Provides suggestions on pattern and content of teacher-targeted drug…

This article relates the ability to understand individual sentences both in and out of context by normal and developmentally delayed children at various developmental stages to the concept of world knowledge. Implications for assessment and treatment of sentence comprehension deficits among language-disordered students are discussed. (PB)