The impact of seat position on teachers' initial judgments of students was investigated. Students sitting forward in the classroom were regarded more favorably than those at the rear. Results indicated a significant effect for seating and a three-way interaction between chosen seat, sex, and grade. (Author/GK)

The study compares school absence in children known to have asthma (N=95) with a random sample of nonasthmatic elementary school children (N=711). Children with asthma have a significantly higher absentee rate (absent 8.4 percent of days) than do nonasthmatic children (absent 5.9 percent of days). Journal Availability: American Academy of…

Discusses how the Tulare (California) County Office of Education, Educational Resource Services department made the California Academic Content Standards more accessible to teachers by cataloging and classifying the collection of materials that support the standards and creating Web pages according to grade levels. Discusses future plans that…

Describes a study that asked undergraduates to list three personally memorable incidents concerning library use in order to understand the human experience of libraries and implications this understanding has for library use and service, education, and design. Discusses results of content analysis, phenomenological analysis, and grade levels at…

Investigated relationship between academic achievement and locus of control among 643 elementary school students. Found no main effects for gender or race. Observed significant main effect for condition (at-risk versus not-at-risk), with at-risk students being more externally oriented. Found significant effect for grade, trend being for grade…

Reports on a study of the transition effects of grade-level organization on student achievement as schools transitioned from self-contained to departmentalized classes. Reading, math, and social studies achievement scores of five equated rural school districts with K-4 through K-8 organization were compared. Results noted a decline in achievement…

Describes a study of the characteristics of Texas elementary school teachers that was conducted to examine possible relationships between the number of times teachers voluntarily chose the library media specialist to cooperate with them on instructional problems and other teacher-related factors, including teacher competence, gender, and grade…

The criterion validity of the primary, elementary, and intermediate school forms of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) in an Australian context was studied. Results with about 8,000 children in grades 1 through 8 support the criterion validity of the OLSAT for Australian samples. (SLD)

Discusses the outcomes of research on best practices in middle school education. Explores middle school grade configuration, interdisciplinary teaming, curricular standards, and teacher preparation and certification. (WRM)

Examines the relationship between attitude toward band participation, beginning instruction grade, and grade-level organization (split or unified) by surveying seventh-grade students from 45 schools. Finds significant interactions among the three variables as well as with the type of instrument played. Relates the findings to previous research on…

Presents initial results from research on structural changes in the school system of the Soviet Occupation Zone and East Germany from 1945 to 1989. Focuses on the development of three academic tracks introduced in 1946 as a form of internal differentiation in upper secondary schools, and subsequent moves toward standardization. (DSK)

The prediction of students' achievement in algebra in eighth and ninth grades has become a research interest for practical issues of placement. A group of simple, easily accessible variables was used to predict student performance in algebra after completion of eighth grade. The three variables of school type, grade level, and previous year…

In the recently released National Household Education Survey 2001 homeschooled families were surveyed again both in terms of their demographic characteristics and the reasons for homeschooling. Using this new data source, two research questions that have not been studied before with a nationally representative data set are investigated: 1. Do…

This study linked gender, family help, and grade level to 5 features of homework management reported by 238 rural middle school students. The 5 features studied were setting an appropriate work environment; managing time; and controlling attention, motivation, and potentially interfering emotions. No significant differences were found across grade…

Most research on the positive effects of class-size reduction (CSR) has occurred in the elementary level (Word, Johnston, Bain, Fulton, Zaharias, Lintz, Achilles, Folger, & Breda, 1990; Molnar, Smith, Zahorik, Palmer, Halbach, & Ehrle, 1999). Is CSR an important variable in improving education in the middle grades? Can small classes be…