Recent research suggests parental involvement in education can be particularly helpful for children from families with low incomes. Parents who do not know how to help will almost always do what teachers ask them. Suggesting specific activities and letting parents know they can contribute to their child's progress are emphasized. (MT)

For use by teachers, administrators, and counselors in working with rural secondary students who are ineligible for special services, the Unsatisfactory Grade Adjustment Plan (UGAP) is described as a conference tool for charting and pinpointing student behaviors leading to unsatisfactory grades. (JW)

A nine-session mathematics conference for ninth graders is described. Guidelines for preparing such a conference are suggested. (MK)

Education reforms such as "A Nation at Risk" and "Goals 2000" have come and gone. However, educators can be confident that the goal of student improvement shall not pass if the core mission is student learning. The true mission of learning has prompted educators to ponder the following questions: (1) How should each student to…

Describes one school district's approach to improving student achievement on standardized tests. Increased scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test have not been the only positive result of this systemwide effort. Students and parents, for example, have become more conscientious about their course seletions. (CJH)

In 1982-83 the St. Paul, Minnesota, schools introduced computers using LOGO programs into the system. Research shows that, as a result, half the students improved in academic performance, and low-achieving students improved at the same rate as other students. MD)

Offers techniques designed to help adolescents learn the skills of self-management. (FL)

Crownhill Elementary School in Bremerton, Washington, has succeeding in boosting reading and math scores of its students and building their self-esteem as it doubled in size. Teachers participate in budget and hiring decisions and share ideas. Some of the projects and programs are briefly described. (MT)

An inner-city school has a remedial word processing program for students from the sixth to eighth grades. Students are writing more and reading more. The computer has increased their confidence and serves as a nonjudgmental third party and can communicate their feelings to others. (MLF)

Outlines the use of the Peer Evaluation and Review System (PERS) in journalism classes, noting its positive effects on students' news writing abilities. (RL)

A study of five autistic children in a segregated preschool, five mainstreamed autistic children, and four nonhandicapped, integrated peers found that all of the groups made better than normative progress in language development. There were no significant differences in changes in language ability between segregated and mainstreamed autistic…

This book explores the key issues of learner assessment in terms of who it is for, what modes of assessment exist, what makes for sound assessment, why assessment is done, what agencies are promoting innovative methods of assessment, and the catalysts for change. Practical suggestions on how to assess more effectively are provided, including…

A prekindergarten teacher working in a private elementary day school developed and implemented a prosocial behavior program designed to improve the social behavior of prekindergarten students. The program focused on decreasing the incidence of 10 behaviors: (1) pouting; (2) hitting; (3) yelling indoors; (4) interrupting; (5) whining; (6) ignoring…

The director of a not-for-profit nursery school adapted the adult stress management techniques of exercise and relaxation for use with 3- to 5-year-old children. Specifically, children were taught visualization techniques and yoga exercises involving deep breathing. The goal of the practicum was to rechannel children's negative stress-related…

Academic achievement is increasing in schools, but so is the dropout rate. Excellence in schools must be defined more broadly than the scores students earn on achievement tests. Concerns such as equity must be a part of the definition of excellence in education. It is essential that for some programs with disproportionate enrollments, educators…