A survey of 185 Navajo students in grades 7 and 11 examined the relationship between their identification with attributes of traditional Navajo culture and their achievement level on standardized tests. Results suggest that student identification with Navajo language, culture, and tradition helps develop student self-esteem and cultural identity…

Reports on a study about mainstreaming issues in music education among 107 Arizona music educators. Finds that, in most schools, mainstreaming is the only music placement option, and regular music teachers are the sole providers of instruction for special learners. Concludes that effective mainstreaming does not exist in Arizona. (CFR)

Examines aspects of an African-centered pedagogy that should let children understand their identities as people of African heritage. Data are from an ethnographic study of "liberatory" pedagogy that was used by four black women teachers. Three vignettes illustrate liberatory practice as it explicitly addresses issues that are often…

Describes a learning activity that is part of a curriculum developed for Indian students by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. The activity involves the proper protocol for picking mint, and includes objectives, background information, rules for gathering plants, materials required, evaluation, and additional learning activities. (LP)

Data based on about 400 families are used to describe development of early intervention services at the Maryland School for the Deaf from 1969 to 1992. Implications are discussed in relation to very early identification of hard-of-hearing and deaf children, the impact of changing etiologies, and the training of early intervention specialists.…

Describes the Kiswahili language and the increasing interest taken in studying Kiswahili by African-American students. Overall, college students' interest in foreign languages is declining, but awareness of and curiosity about African languages, particularly Kiswahili, represent student interest in African culture and heritage. (SLD)

An interview-based study with 13 African-American and white third graders finds that developmental age, prior experience, and academic background provide the context for comprehending, identifying with, and generally enjoying 24 culturally conscious children's literary works. Both race and class are important identifying social influences. (SLD)

Perceptions of 55 parents, 30 children, and their teachers concerning black supplementary schools in the United Kingdom indicate that most believe that these supplementary schools, a response to racism, provide a better education than state-run schools, even though supplementary schools are part-time. Supplementary school development is discussed.…

Reports results of a longitudinal study of racial beliefs and consciousness for African-American students who attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in the 1980s. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to students in Black Studies courses. Results indicate a shift toward collectivism and a rise in the level of…

Future special education placement bias litigation can be prevented if special education and related services programs meet certain principles of responsibility, including ensuring the development of effective interventions in regular education, using assessment procedures that are oriented toward intervention rather than student classification,…

Thirteen teachers rated elementary students (n=30) with learning disabilities and low achievement as having significantly lower social competence and school adjustment than their achieving peers, but teacher ratings of junior high students did not discriminate among groups. Results support use of teacher ratings for initial screening of elementary…

Discusses the treatment of Gypsies and the handicapped by Nazi Germany. Emphasizes that Gypsy populations were decimated in the same percentages as the Jews. Presents information and dates to show parallel developments of racial regulations against Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped. Urges further research and historiography on the fate of Gypsies…

Explores in-group variation in minority educational achievement by studying why a disproportionately high number of young Khmer women drop out of school in the United States. An ethnographic study (over 125 interviews) in metropolitan Boston (Massachusetts) demonstrates the importance of understanding cultural and social-historical influences on…

Introduces background issues regarding the education of homeless children in urban areas, focusing on problems of definition and identification and sociological factors related to homelessness. An overview is provided of the articles of the special issue. The challenges are how to meet the needs of an amorphous and troubled population. (SLD)

A study investigated pre-enrollment variables as predictors of 1-year retention of 1,140 first-time students at a community college. Risk of dropping out was associated with lower high school grade point average, 20-24 year age range, part-time attendance, and being a member of an ethnic minority other than Asian. (Author/MSE)