To test the language experience hypothesis, the comprehension of high-, moderate-, and low-familiarity idioms was examined in 24 African-American and 24 European-American fifth graders. Results indicated a significant effect of group on idioms rated as low-familiarity. The influence of social and regional culture on idiom comprehension is…

This study sought to determine whether the self-concepts of African American at-risk and not-at-risk elementary school students differed significantly. The research was based on the self-concept theories of Mead, Lehy and Shirk, and Purkey. Ninety-four fifth and sixth grade students from a South Mississippi school district, half of them at risk,…

An examination of the incidence of eight activities believed to be associated with gang membership indicates different patterns of gang involvement for urban Black and Hispanic males. The following activities are examined: (1) perceived advantage in gang membership; (2) hanging out where gang members hang out; (3) having friends identified as gang…

In the largest district initially placed under court-ordered faculty desegregation. The influences of teacher turnover, experience, and racial isolation on elementary school student achievement in predominantly minority schools were examined. Findings suggest that poorly planned desegregation policies can have undesirable consequences, especially…

Certain groups are underrepresented in mathematics courses and do not achieve to their potential. Black students and female students are among those groups. During middle school years boys begin to outperform girls in mathematics. White students begin to outperform black students even before the middle school years. Previous research has indicated…

The study on which this book is based examined the development of social relationships among black and white students in a new, desegregated urban middle school. In the initial phase, information was gathered from classroom observation, interviews, and a wide variety of supplementary sources over a three-year period beginning with summer…

The Memphis Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT), one of seven ACOT locations, was a joint project of the city schools and Apple Computer. The ACOT consisted of a class of 30 fifth grade students in an inner city school, who were selected on the basis of the willingness of the students and their parents to participate and to use computers in the…

The effects of cooperative learning on students' perceptions of themselves and their roles in academic settings are explored. A group of 28 students from seven intermediate classrooms in an urban school system were selected to be videotaped while participating in a cooperative problem-solving lesson and were subsequently interviewed. The students…

This study compared learning style preferences among gifted African-American (n=54), Mexican-American (n=61), and American-born Chinese (n=40) middle grade students attending Chicago, Illinois, public schools. Significant ethnic, gender, and grade differences were found. All three groups preferred studying in the afternoon and bright light and did…

This practicum was an 8-month project designed to improve the motivational level and academic success of African American middle school boys through high-interest and activity-based Africentric lessons. The goal was to motivate black middle school males to strive for academic excellence. This goal was necessary in order to eliminate the problem of…

The paper summarizes a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, "Reading, Science and Mathematic Trends: A Closer Look," in which achievement trends are compared in several subjects for 4th, 8th, and 11th grade black students, white students, low achievers, and high achievers. Findings indicate that while overall…