The "bear" sitting in the middle of the classroom, on the seminar table, or prowling around the edges of a discussion group arises from the subtext that is created whenever teachers and students interact with a curriculum, lesson, or topic. The situation in the postmodern classroom has been destabilized by the unprecedented intrusion into the…

This study evaluates an alternate model for middle school education, which was introduced into depressed urban settings in the 1970s by the Jesuit religious order, in two parochial middle schools, one coed and one all-male established in 1993 in an Eastern city. Comparisons of school structural characteristics, attendance figures, report card…

The effects of academic self-concept and the learning environment on science and mathematics achievement were studied in remote and rural Western Australia. The Western Australian School Effectiveness Study explored achievement in 28 urban and rural high schools. In the first phase, survey instruments were developed and piloted in two schools, and…

This guide, which is intended for General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) tutors, coordinators, and INSET (In-Service Education of Teachers) trainers, provides a framework within which GNVQ course teams can choose learning resources suited to their particular program's context. Section 1, which explains how to use the document as an…

Many young students are not finishing high school and even fewer are entering college. This book demonstrates how some teachers have created classrooms that work for children at risk. They use an integrated, inquiry-driven curriculum to create holistic, language- and literature-based classrooms. Chapter 1 describes the nature of being at risk for…

This study examined the extent to which an individual doctoral student's characteristics and involvement in the academic and social life of the department influences the student's perception of growth and development during graduate school, and thus the student's persistence in pursuing a graduate degree. The study surveyed doctoral students…

This paper examines the relationship between a school's grade configuration and student performance in Louisiana. Student performance was measured by academic achievement (standardized test scores) and student persistence (attendance, suspensions, expulsions, and dropouts). Elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, and combination…

In 1990 the Lilly Endowment committed $6 million to a competitive grants program for four-year independent Midwest colleges interested in enhancing racial and ethnic diversity and building a more inclusive community within their institutional settings. The initiative aimed to improve the overall campus climate, to increase the number of racial…

The extent to which school mix--the social class composition of schools--influences school processes and student achievement has long been a matter of dispute. Drawing on a comparative ethnography of four New Zealand urban secondary schools, this article suggests that school mix probably does impact on school organizational and management…

The existence of a contextual effect of the social class composition of a school's intake on individual student performance--the school mix effect--has long been debated in qualitative school effectiveness literature. This paper reports on a qualitative study of four New Zealand urban secondary schools of varying social class composition (and…

The concept of "opportunity to learn" (OTL) strategies was first introduced several decades ago and was defined by a narrow set of instructional components. Since then, many additional criteria have been incorporated into the OTL concept, some specifically to ensure an equal education for disadvantaged and minority students. The original…

This study examined how philosophies of general education are enacted at two higher education institutions by those persons charged with implementation. The study proceeded using case study methods and week-long visits to the two institutions, one holding a "Liberal Arts I" Carnegie classification, and the other holding a "Research…

"Pursuit of Excellence" is a plan developed through the cooperation of many stakeholders to guide the improvement efforts of the Detroit (Michigan) public schools in 1994-95. The first goal, to guarantee student success, includes objectives for achievement and results on achievement tests and objectives for accreditation, attendance, and…

Indicators in this report assess the status of the nation's Great City Schools in relation to the National Urban Education Goals in 1992-93 and how they compare with their status in 1990-91. The National Urban Education Goals, based on the National Education Goals established in the Fall of 1989, address the unique and pressing needs of urban…

A study investigated how a second language (L2) learner's writing skills develop in a second-language context. The three research questions addressed the effect of: (1) first-language (L1) literacy skills, (2) L2 proficiency, and (3) the instructional context on L2 writing. Subjects were 70 university French students. Data were drawn from 300…