Concern for an apparent drop in liking for school by fourth grade students led to the study reported here. It was felt that less adequately prepared students would like school less than their counterparts. Moreover, three self-concept scales were thought to be connected to the observed decline. Four instruments were administered to fourth graders…

This study sought to determine: (1) what children understand about "chance" when they begin secondary school?; and (2) how common and how influential the use of informal heuristics, approaches, and biases is in their thinking about probability in the school context. Children's understanding of chance, attributions of events to…

Explains that students in intermediate grades often find the academic demands more difficult and complex. Four factors are identified: ability, quality and quantity of instruction, and motivation. Examines the direct and indirect effects of variables shown to influence academic achievement. Claims that motivation and homework are especially…

A study investigated how differences in student characteristics might affect the relationship between heightened interest in national news and news-seeking behavior. Data were taken from the Youth Civic Involvement component of the 1996 National Household Education Survey. Telephone interviews were conducted with 8,043 students in grades 6 through…

Claims that Major Disciplinary Violations (MDVs) are incurred when students are truant, involved in fighting, insubordinate to faculty, or in possession of drugs. Presents data on students who received MDVs in a junior high school. Interviewed 17 students who had violated school discipline to gain insight into their behavior and needs. Recommends…

Intended as a companion document to the "NAEP 1994 Reading Report Card for the Nation and States" and the "NAEP 1994 Reading State Report," this compendium presents fourth-grade cross-state results of the National Assessment in Educational Process (NAEP) 1994 Trial State Assessment in reading--no interpretations of the data are…

As part of a series of tri-annual studies of youths' substance use and abuse behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge, begun in 1975, this report provides normative and trend data for the 1981-82 study. The research issues which were the foci of this study are: present status and important trends of youths' substance use, attitudes, and knowledge;…

The Charter School of San Diego (California) began operations in the 1994-95 school year. Its program and facilities previously operated as one of the city's alternative education programs designed to provide individualized support for holistic engagement of students, many of whom enrolled because of difficulties at comprehensive schools. The…

This report describes a pilot study of the attitudes and personal estimates of progress of students who have spent 4 or more years in the Amigos two-way bilingual program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program currently enrolls about 300 students: 50% native Spanish speakers and 50% native English speakers, approximately half of whom are African…

In 1986 the United States (U.S.)-Japan Seminar on Mathematical Problem Solving convened to compare the state of problem solving in the classroom and in research in the two countries. The data and results given in this paper are the results of research conducted in the United States in response to the 1986 seminar. The U.S. and Japanese research…