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…

This study was designed to determine statistically whether the prolonged use of three prepared reading readiness activities has any influence on seventh-grade students' abilities to read unfamiliar literature; which of the readiness activities is most influential on students' abilities; and whether or not longevity of such influence exists. The…

The study was designed to measure attitude change of parents of Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) students by providing supplemental reports which assessed the behavioral objectives accomplished by the students. The population involved in the study consisted of 385 seventh-grade ISCS students at Roosevelt Junior High School,…

The purpose of this study was to determine if syntactic maturity, as measured by T-unit length, clause length, and clauses per T-unit, and if the level of reading comprehension, as measured by cloze tests and a standardized reading test, of one group each of selected fifth, seventh, and ninth graders could be influenced by the students completing…

This report describes the implementation of portfolio assessment in order for students and parents to become more aware of students' academic growth in writing for first/second grade students and math for seventh grade students. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle school students in two middle class communities, located in…

The students targeted were third and fourth grade students with learning-disabilities and seventh-eighth grade science students who exhibited poor test scores, motivation, and behaviors that negatively impacted their learning. The objective of this study was to change the level of student engagement in order to increase their academic achievement…

A metacognition instructional strategy was employed to increase class participation and motivation in 21 seventh grade "at-risk" students at 2 schools in the context of the national problem of meeting the needs of "at-risk" students. A survey of the students' content area teachers and of the students themselves found evidence…

The 1990s are being labeled as the era of juvenile crime and violence. This program was developed, implemented, and targeted for adolescent minority males (n=25), in order to: (1) help identify at-risk students; (2) provide guidance; (3) provide strategies for academic success; (4) provide mentors; and (5) reduce the number of suspensions. Faculty…

The report describes an experiment for increasing retention of foreign language vocabulary by using multiple intelligence approaches and memory enhancement tools. The targeted population was approximately 100 seventh- and eighth-grade Latin students. Student difficulty with vocabulary retention had been ascribed to the teacher's emphasis on…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two treatment variables, mastery and aptitude, on two outcome variables, achievement and retention, as measured by researcher-constructed tests. Seventeen classes of seventh-grade geography students were taught an instructor-developed geography unit with either mastery or nonmastery…

This action research project developed and implemented a program to improve student motivation through use of multiple intelligences, authentic assessment, technology and positive teacher feedback to increase levels of student music achievement. The students of the targeted seventh grade music class exhibited low levels of motivation that hindered…

This report addresses the problem of apathy and the unwillingness of middle level students to meet basic standards, evidenced by a lack of student performance and participation and by an attitude of indifference. The targeted population for this study consisted of seventh and eighth grade general music students in an economically and culturally…

To determine whether the open classroom environment produces a higher degree of internal locus of control than the traditional classroom, 200 seventh-grade students, matched for sex, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, and intelligence, were assigned to either open or traditional classrooms. It was hypothesized that both high and low…

This Action Research Project implemented a program for improving human relation skills intended to raise the academic performance level of students. The target population consists of kindergarten, seventh grade (regular/at-risk), and high school (regular/behavior disordered) students. Analysis of both research literature and problem evidence…

This study describes an approach for enhancing reading strategies through the use of technology for improving reading comprehension and vocabulary. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in a growing low to middle class community, located in central Illinois. The problem of declining reading scores was evidenced in data…