Argues for a reconsideration of how culture affects minority school adjustment and academic performance, suggesting that minorities who recognize cultural differences as barriers are more successful at crossing cultural boundaries. The author demonstrates this point through two case studies, one of a minority group that does not recognize cultural…

This paper argues that programs for at-risk youth tend to overemphasize student adjustment and the mastery of institutional customs at the expense of instilling learning dispositions that might lead to the postsecondary educational training now required to find adequate adult employment. Programs often focus on drawing students into a more…

An overview is provided of the problem of student attrition and the essential components of effective retention programs. Following introductory arguments that the secret of retention is in the development of communities committed to education rather than retention, the paper discusses several major causes of student attrition, including academic…

Information on the background and viewpoints of Middle Eastern students who are studying in the United States is presented in revised papers from a 1978 seminar, "The Middle East: The Arab World and Iran." In the first section of the report, "General Background," James Cowan reviews social and cultural factors, as well as…

The separate but complementary roles of the international student advisor and counselor are discussed, and foreign student personnel services are addressed. It is suggested that the increasing number of international students indicates a need for a full-time foreign student advisor. The job is complicated by the different cultures and different…

In a study of student adjustment to university life, excerpts are presented of interviews with 18 mature age unmatriculated women who returned to formal education at the University of New South Wales in 1975. The women were aged between 25 and over 40, half had children, and they were generally middle class. They were not selected by a random…

Focuses on the transition of problem children from one child care center to another, when administrators determine that a program can no longer serve that child's needs. Describes four different cases to illustrate the range of behaviors associated with difficult children. Proposes strategies to accomplish successful transitions for these children…

Stresses the central role of academic advising in student retention. Reviews Tinto's model of retention stressing the importance of student academic and social integration. Describes studies demonstrating the predictive validity of integration for retention, and identifying attitudinal and behavioral correlates of attrition. Reviews obstacles to…

Presents an interview with Dr. John H. Lounsbury, Dean Emeritus at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, and publications editor for the National Middle School Association. Issues discussed include changes in young adolescents' education; the influence of societal changes, educational reform, and technological development in the…

Describes the academic status of African American boys in public schools, and how teacher preconceptions and latent prejudices precipitate lower expectations and an educational climate different for black students than for white students. Includes quotes from black students who are achieving despite such problems. (HTH)

This article addresses theoretical and practical issues in the provision of mental health services to address psychosocial problems of secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Examples are offered of case studies and interventions from two federally funded research/demonstration projects at the University of Minnesota: the…

Provides a historical unfolding and account of cultural pluralism as an approach to student acculturation in the education of diverse urban populations. Traces the origins of a shift away from the "melting pot" notions and the emergence of multicultural ideas. (JB)

The first part of this document presents the results of a survey of early entrance testing procedures in 25 Florida districts and details teacher ratings of 486 first-grade and 154 kindergarten students whose entrance test results had permitted them to enter kindergarten a year earlier than other students with birthdays between October and…

To understand and deal with student behavior, we must understand that most behavior is caused by objects and events in the world around the student; that students have learned personal ways of relating to those objects and events; and that in a setting like a school it is easier and more productive to alter those objects and events than to change…

Holistic educational advancement programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, that are designed to develop the potential of underprepared and disadvantaged students are considered. Obstacles to success that might confront disadvantaged students include problems in adjustment to university life, loneliness, and negative self-concept. It is…