This study investigated differences in 50 fifth through eighth grade students' perceptions of caring teacher behaviors. The analyses revealed that African American and female students were more likely to value behavior that encourages academic achievement than were White and male students, who were more likely to value warm interpersonal…

We used a grounded theory approach to investigate and describe the learning of middle school students when they carry out mathematical activities (in the classroom or out of it) and explore mathematical objects and relations using mobile phones. We found that a web of conditions and consequences could be related to the students' learning when they…

A critical step in problem-based learning (PBL) units occurs when groups present their solution to the central problem. This is challenging for middle school students because it involves the creation of an evidence-based argument (Krajcik et al., "Journal of the Learning Sciences" 7:313-350, 1998). Using a mixed method design, this study…

This research provides an analysis of Internet use and online literacy skill among seventh-grade students who were identified as having a high risk for school dropout. Participants (n = 1,025) included students from 12 middle schools in 9 school districts. Six of the schools were located in rural and urban districts in the Northeast United States…

The construct of student engagement is increasingly prevalent in the field of education, serving as the foundation of dropout prevention and high school reform initiatives. The purpose of this study was to further examine 1 measure of student engagement, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), designed to measure 2 subtypes of student engagement:…

This study assessed the effects of attending an after-school program (ASP) on a range of outcomes for middle school youths. The program operated for 9 hr per week for 30 weeks and included attendance monitoring and reinforcement, academic assistance, a prevention curriculum, and recreational programming. Participants were 447 students randomly…

This exploratory study investigated gender and grade level factors in friendship expectations of middle school students toward their peers with severe disabilities. A total of 65 students from two middle schools were surveyed using a specifically designed instrument called the Middle School Friendship Survey. Results indicated that typical middle…

In this study, the authors investigated the relation between reward and punishment sensitivity and adolescent substance use. The sample (N = 216; 130 girls, 85 boys) was drawn from high school and middle school students enrolled in a Midwestern suburban school district. Participants completed a substance use questionnaire and the Sensitivity to…

This study investigated the differential effects of two direct instruction (DI) reading programs, one with overt decoding strategies and one with more covert decoding strategies, on the reading achievement of struggling seventh graders in an urban middle school. The students participating in this study (N = 55) were 2 to 4 years behind in reading…

This research compared the outcomes of teaching middle school students two different methods of classification and phylogeny. Two classes were randomly selected and taught using traditional methods of instruction. Three classes were taught using the "Pseudozoid" approach, where students learned to classify, develop and read dichotomous keys, and…

This book presents research findings about school-level and district level practices and successful strategies employed in mathematics education by highly effective schools that serve high-poverty communities. It includes both the theory and practice of creating highly effective schools in these communities. In 2002 nine schools were selected in…

The purpose of this report is to investigate the range of student responses in three domains--hypothesizing, organizing data, and algebraic generalization of patterns during their work on a spreadsheet-based activity. In a wider context, we attempted to investigate students' utilization schemes of spreadsheets in their learning of introductory…

"Learning to Lead Together: The Promise and Challenge of Sharing Leadership" examines the dilemmas for school leaders and administrators, and the benefits for schools and students, when principals work with teachers (and their communities) to share leadership. Most schools function within existing hierarchical structures that contradict…

Reported are the findings of a study of the effects of academic acceleration on the social and emotional adjustments of students. Subjects included 1,247 12 to 14 year olds who scored in the top 1 percent on a national mathematics examination. The advantages of academic acceleration are emphasized. (CW)