Based on personal narratives, this paper describes Latino children's school experience and suggests home-school collaboration for improving Latino children's education. Latino children begin school as confident, eager, and enthusiastic learners. But well before the third grade, many Latino students begin to experience academic problems and…

This study was conducted to examine attributions that teachers hold for students' academic success and failure, and the relationship between these attributions and teaching level and teacher perceptions of efficacy. Elementary (N=123), middle (N=55), and high school teachers (N=62) were surveyed; attributional data were gathered through the…

A discussion of issues in the cultural adjustment of Chinese students in American universities compares and contrasts the educational philosophies and organizations of the two countries and the expectations and cultural norms of the two groups of students. The history of Chinese international exchange since 1949 is briefly reviewed, and the…

An ethnographic study was conducted to determine what happens when teachers are placed in schools in which the students' cultural background differs dramatically from their own. Participants were five student teachers completing their internship in a low socioeconomic school in Tallahassee, Florida. Three methods were used to collect data:…

This report summarizes perceptions of Latino teachers concerning their professional preparation, their working environment, and school/community characteristics that affect the achievement and attainment of Latino students. A mailing of 1,252 survey questionnaires to members of the Association of Mexican American Educators was conducted. Of the…

Previous research, conducted when divorce was still relatively atypical, indicated that teachers have lower expectations for children from divorced families than for children from intact families. The purpose of this study was to identify current attitudes of preservice teachers toward children from different family structures. Student teachers…

According to pioneers in the effective-schools movement, every school can improve educational quality for all its students, including poor and minority children, by incorporating a set of essential, research-identified characteristics present in successful schools. This publication discusses basic elements of the ongoing effective-schools movement…

Approximately 500 undergraduate students, representing colleges and universities across the United States, who were about to embark on a semester-long credit-bearing sojourn sponsored by Syracuse University (New York) to one of four locations (London, Strasbourg, Madrid, and Florence) were surveyed about their aspirations and attitudes regarding…

This paper reviews the evolution of the Program for Disadvantaged Youth since 1988, describes its accomplishments and lessons learned, and suggests new directions for the Program to build on its experiences. The Program for Disadvantaged Youth rejects many of the stereotypes about the needs and abilities of young adolescents, many of which are the…

Institutional racism is responsible for the high Hispanic dropout rate in Michigan. The term "pushout" is more appropriate than "dropout" for these students who are systematically ignored and devalued until they become alienated and leave school. Negative expectations are broadcast to Hispanic American students as soon as they…

This study examined the possibilities that young children's gender elicits differential academic expectations from aspiring teachers, and aspiring teachers' gender and (socioeconomic) SES affect their academic expectations for young children. A questionnaire asked 103 university students majoring in education: (1) how difficult and how interesting…

School failure in elementary school students from low income families has been a serious problem in Brazilian public schools for many years. A number of studies were implemented in an effort to reduce the incidence of school failure. One set of studies focusing on teachers' causal perceptions revealed a combination of socio-economic determinism…

With particular attention given to children under 6 years of age, this discussion identifies issues related to the effects on children of divorce, father absence, and student/teacher interaction. Research relating to these issues is reviewed, and recommendations for teachers are offered. Issues concerning divorce, the duration of separation, the…

Effective schools research has delivered some relatively concrete findings on important issues facing this country's educators. The result has been an extensive collection of effective schooling practices which have potential for increasing performance in young people. In reviewing effective schools literature, implications of the data were found…

This paper presents a research summary on ability grouping and tracking, and makes recommendations to school practitioners on successful alternative strategies to educate children from diverse backgrounds. The research reveals little evidence that ability grouping improves academic achievement, while overwhelming evidence exists that it retards…