To evaluate the long term impact of developmental placement, a longitudinal study was initiated with over 500 subjects from a variety of school settings across the state of Michigan. Three groups of subjects were selected: (1) children recommended for a "growth year" before entering kindergarten who followed the recommendation, thus…

Children have long been "objects of inquiry", that is, research has been "done" on children. Research into starting school is but one example, where children have been observed, tested and assessed at various points, as a means of evaluating their adjustment to the school environment. The Starting School Research Project aims…

University counseling centers are being asked to demonstrate their effectiveness and, at the same time, to meet the needs of a growing number of students desiring their services. To help centers meet these demands, researchers have begun to examine student needs and to evaluate counseling services. University freshmen (N=2180) interested in…

Social support has been studied in the context of its relationship to and effect on negative experiences. While this buffer aspect of social support is important, support may also play a satisfaction-enhancing role. Both the negative event-buffering and positive event-boosting effect of social support on students' satisfaction with their college…

Research has shown that between 20 to 40% of secondary school students feel they are wasting their time in school. A good proportion drop out; others stay on only because they have no better alternative. To determine whether the Greater Victoria (Canada) School District was meeting the needs of its students, 450 students in grades 7, 10 and 12…

Part of a research series on learning disabled (LD) secondary students, the document reports findings of a study to investigate the social/emotional, cognitive/academic, and coping mechanisms of adolescents in secondary schools. Ss were 234 LD, 222 low achieving (LA), and 215 normal achieving (NA) students and their parents. Two instruments, the…

The validity of the interpersonal cognitive problem solving (ICPS) skills model of children's adjustment was investigated (1) by determining whether ICPS skills demonstrated during preschool predicted teacher ratings of adjustment in school during the next two years and (2) by assessing the objectivity of teacher ratings of adjustment through the…

An ongoing concern for educators is the identification of factors that contribute to or are associated with academic achievement; one such group of variables that has received little attention are those involving stress. The relationship between perceived sources of stress and academic achievement was examined to determine if reactions to stress…

A model was developed and implemented that met the needs of entering high school freshmen with school adjustment problems such as poor academic achievement, excessive absenteeism, poor school behavior, and negative school attitudes. A review of literature indicated that the comprehensive high school was not meeting the needs of this group of…

A study was conducted among black West Indian students in North York, Ontario (Canada) junior high schools. The purpose of the study was to determine what factors were present in those students who appeared to cope easily with the transition to Canadian schools and those who appeared to have difficulty. Data were collected from students by means…

Assuming that the client is central to any service program, the American Indian Task Force examined a national sample of "grass roots" social service organizations and/or individuals and schools of social work to determine the capability of providing relevant social work education to American Indians. Accordingly, the highest priorities…

The study identifies and translates data relative to transfer students in the College of Agriculture at Texas A & M University that can serve for more effective counseling. The results of the study are summarized in 24 statements. Among conclusions based on data obtained from university records and from some of the transferring institutions and…

The various behavioral phases through which a child passes before he becomes adjusted to school are examined in this report on East Indian children. A program of observation was devised to answer three questions: (1) Do patterns of behavior change as children continue to attend school? (2) Are there different patterns of behavior during the…

Presented is the final performance report of Project Catalyst, a program designed to evolve a process in action to maximize skills, interpersonal relations and personal job satisfaction among principals, teachers and pupils (both handicapped and nonhandicapped) in mainstream settings. Covered in Section I, "Framework", are a statement of…

Engagement is a potentially useful construct for organizing strategies to support adjustment, achievement and retention in school, particularly among our most vulnerable student populations. Even if high quality schooling is available, high levels of achievement will implicitly demand engagement on the part of students. This initial analysis,…