This report describes a program for improving reading comprehension in seventh graders by focusing on higher order thinking and metacognitive skills. The targeted population was in a growing, middle class community located in northern Illinois. The problem of below grade level reading comprehension was documented by Illinois Goals Assessment…

This document is a conference presentation on the use of portfolios as an evaluation tool for middle school music students. All of the pages are suitable for use with an overhead projector. Areas covered include reasons for teaching the arts as both an intellectual discipline and vocational education; Illinois state goals for musical learning for…

This report describes a program that used both critical and creative thinking skills to enhance the educational process in language arts. The targeted population consisted of fourth- and seventh-grade students in two growing, middle-class communities located in northern Illinois. The lack of higher-order thinking skills was documented through…

A project developed a program for improving deficient student-to-student listening skills. The targeted population consisted of 18 seventh-grade middle school students in a culturally diverse, lower middle class community in a near-western suburb of Chicago. The problem of deficient listening skills was evident through teacher observation and…

THE MOTION PICTURE, RADIO, AND TELEVISION ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE ASCERTAINED TO DETERMINE POSSIBILITIES FOR BETTER EDUCATIONAL UTILIZATION OF THESE MEDIA. THIS PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED AS A SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITY TO COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT 367, "A STUDY OF INTERESTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH" (ED 002…

THE FREQUENCY AND INFLUENCES OF VOCATIONAL TYPE PREFERENCES AMONG APPROXIMATELY 350 SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS WERE DETERMINED DURING THIS STUDY. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED AS SUPPLEMENTARY TO COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT NO. 367, "A STUDY OF INTERESTS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH," AND WERE REPORTED IN A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION. DATA WERE…

This paper examines levels of participation in and correlates of AIDS-related risk behavior for adolescents in high risk communities. Seventh through ninth graders completed surveys regarding attitudes, behaviors, and resistance skills related to sexual intercourse and substance use. Grade, race, and sexual activity correlated with drug use.…

An action research project implemented a program for improving the reading skills of at-risk middle school students. The targeted population consisted of fifth- and seventh-grade students in a rural, middle class community located in northeastern Illinois. Evidence for the problem includes teacher observation, checklists, standardized tests, and…

A social skills training program for improving student behavior in art and music classes and in unstructured situations was developed and implemented during the second quarter of the 1993-1994 school year in two schools in Elgin, Illinois. The targeted classes included grades six through eight at St. Laurence School (part of the Rockford Catholic…