School discipline deters development of a moral learning community. Punishment administered for infractions evokes resistance, resentment, and other negative consequences. Children need to control their own lives and evade excessive control by others. Recommendations for developing student self-direction, resiliency, and self-awareness are…

Compared adolescents attending college to adolescent nonenrollees and found that (1) college attendees experienced improved means of perceived security to parents, decreased perceptions of social support, and increased feelings of loneliness and social anxiety; and (2) perceived security to parents at end of high school predicted positive changes…

A study of science and engineering graduate students found that at time of entry, women and U.S. minority graduate students had academic credentials and expectations similar to those of their Anglo male peers. Student perceptions of academic preparedness, status-related disadvantages, and expectations about student-faculty interactions were more…

A superintendent interviewed gang members in northeastern cities to determine their views about school and discover what gang-culture characteristics might improve their school success. Many were discouraged by teachers' low expectations. Prevention/intervention strategies include empowering students, encouraging a sense of belonging, and…

Focusing on assessments of the performance of one fourth-grade student, the article makes a case for teaching and moral perception (the capacity to comprehend the unique needs and aspirations of individual students), arguing that assessing students in the absence of moral perception is a serious mistake. (SM)

Hugh Price has dedicated his career to achieving racial equality. The president of the National Urban League stresses each child's right to a high-quality preschool education, highly qualified teachers with high expectations, access to challenging courses of study, and organization of communities for learning, not just maintaining order. (MLH)

A 2-year study examined 3 children's learning experiences during the transition from kindergarten to first grade. Narrative accounts offer each child's perspective of life in each grade. Factors making the transition period easier included: visiting the first grade classroom, developing friendships, and family support. Negative factors included:…

Studies have examined the characteristics of excellent general and special education teachers. However, comparatively few studies have examined the characteristics of excellent teachers of students with low-incidence disabilities. Outstanding teachers of students with low-incidence disabilities were contacted to determine their willingness to…

A U.S. Department of Education study shows that the average 12th-grade African-American student is reading and doing math at around the level of the average 8th-grade white or Asian student. Hispanic students are about as far behind. Both African-Americans and Hispanic college students obtain diplomas at half the rate of white or Asian students.…

Elementary and middle school teachers in urban schools in India provided responses to the science efficacy instrument (STEBI-A). These responses were evaluated using Rasch analysis and parametric tests. Rasch fit statistics and person-item maps were evaluated. It was found that the instrument worked well for the two groups of teachers, but the…

Information provided to high school students by their guidance counsellors and teachers can affect how students view university or college, as well as their expectations and level of preparation for the academic demands of higher education. This article describes two studies conducted with high school students that examined the type of information…

This article focuses on how the institutional contexts of colleges and universities shape these "greedy institutions." We look at the current social, political, and economic trends affecting all postsecondary institutions, specifically the forces that encourage "greediness." We examine the literature on structural arenas that influence teaching in…

I take up Silliman's challenge to explore the "moral logic" of "structural racism" largely absent in my book, "I'm Not a Racist, But..." I criticize and build on Glenn Loury's account of the normative assessment of racial inequality by examining three factors generating such disparities in educational achievement--stereotyping, performance-based…

This article examines how the concentration of low-income African American students in urban elementary schools is deeply coupled with a leveling of teachers' expectations of students and a reduction in their sense of responsibility for student learning. We argue that this process is rooted in school-based organizational habitus through which…

In the positive theory of public bureaucracy, the prevailing view is that the structure of public agencies is designed from the top down by political superiors. Faced with bureaucrats who may disagree with them on policy and who are advantaged by private information, superiors choose rules and procedures to try to ensure that agencies do what they…