The Biomedical Sciences Program at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), is described. The federally funded program was designed to help economically disadvantaged students to pursue careers in biomedical sciences. The program provided academic support in mathematics, science, and English; study skills development; experiences in…

Focuses on the impact of weak labor force attachment on grade retention by the ninth grade among urban black children. Suggests that higher risks of grade retention are associated with welfare dependency only when income is obtained from welfare alone and receipt of welfare is persistent. (MJP)

Describes a project that enrolled 36 secondary mathematics and science teachers to work cooperatively to plan a program to help integrate mathematics and science concepts. Thirteen ninth grade study units having a laboratory or demonstration component were developed, field tested, and evaluated. Teachers noted differences in using mathematics.…

Project Explore sought, through the use of videotape, to introduce incoming vocational technical students to different trades by providing a maximum of information in a minimum amount of time. Two occupations, sheetmetal and graphic communications (printing), were chosen to be presented in this manner, showing such activities as workers at their…

In this paper, we suggest that case-based resources, which are used for assisting cognition during problem solving, can be structured around the work of narratives in social cultural psychology. Theories and other research methods have proposed structures within narratives and stories which may be useful to the design of case-based resources.…

This study examines components of a middle school program designed to enable at-risk students to complete the 3 years of middle school in 2 years, and it looks at the progress of eight graduates of the program during their first semester in high school in South Carolina. Over-age students who entered sixth grade and displayed potential were…

This paper reports on the New Jersey State Department of Education's research process for developing a scoring rubric that assesses test objectives and higher order thinking skills through writing. New Jersey's statewide assessment program includes a written essay portion to test students' ability to write on a given topic and communicate an…

Results of the 1987 assessments of grades 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 in South Carolina public schools are summarized. The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Form U, was administered to 222,956 South Carolina students in these grades. Achievement levels of grades 4, 5, and 7 were above the national median in all seven areas tested (reading, spelling,…

Comprehensive work experience and vocational guidance activities were established at the middle school level and their effects on career maturity and attitudes toward school of ninth graders were tested. The project was conducted at the Bowling Green Junior High School (Kentucky) during the academic school year of 1975-76. (The school supports a…

Explains the advantages to Wellington Junior High School (Colorado) of being a small school (250 students) in a large school district which includes Fort Collins, a city with a population of 80,000 and the home of Colorado State University. (MH)

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Committee Approves $100 Million for Striving Readers: Smaller Learning Communities Cut by $72 Million; (2)…

Findings from a survey administered to large numbers of grade 7-10 students are presented in this paper. The focus is on the students' attitudes towards the use of computers for the learning of mathematics. Background information was also gathered which allowed the students' responses to be analysed by a range of equity factors--gender, ethnicity,…

Discusses a ninth grade, culturally diverse, interdisciplinary social studies class. Students pick a person from the class to study with whom they feel a connection and prepare a presentation about this connection, including a poster. Includes the four major themes of the class and a reading list. (MJP)

Describes a ninth-grade class project where students were asked to recall a specific sense memory involving smell and foods. They wrote a brief narrative reflecting on the experience and created a recipe card for the food. These were combined with a pictorial representation of the food for a final project. (MJP)

Describes an approach to help school districts conduct needs assessment of school health programs, emphasizing injury, violence, smoking, substance use, sexual behavior, nutrition, and physical activity. Researchers surveyed students and district personnel, observed physical education classes, interviewed faculty, and analyzed school lunch menus.…