Family functioning of 30 nonhandicapped and 30 learning-handicapped adolescents and their parents was examined through perspectives on adaptability, cohesion, and communication. Cluster analysis found five profiles of family functioning. Results emphasize the importance of considering adolescent and parent perspectives differently. (SLD)

Describes social, cultural, and psychological factors that can influence academic achievement of African-American students by gender and placement in gifted or nongifted academic programs. Results with 148 African-American fifth and sixth graders in an urban Ohio elementary school demonstrate more importance for academic program than for gender.…

Tests a model of the effects of negative social sanctions that considers the mediating effects of self-rejecting feelings associated with perceived rejection and failure. Results with 1,925 seventh graders asked about drug use are compatible with theoretical premises underlying the predicted association between negative social sanctions and…

Demographic characteristics of juvenile victims of crime and a potential relationship between victimization and self-reported delinquency are examined for 877 adolescents from a large midwestern city. Lifetime victimization rates (LVRs) are higher for those involved in delinquency, and LVRs rise with age and higher levels of delinquent behavior.…

A 2-year longitudinal study of 54 students in 4 urban high schools in California is used to develop a model of the interrelationships among family, peer, and school worlds as they combine to affect students' learning. Different categories of congruence between students' worlds illustrate the difficulties facing minority students. (SLD)

Presents the case study of a transitional school for homeless children that specifically targets their educational needs through an interagency attempt to serve poor families and children in an inner-city setting in Charlotte (North Carolina). Findings and recommendations based on this interagency approach are discussed. (SLD)

Uses data from interviews with 28 low-income single mothers (lone mothers) in the London (England) area to begin to develop a typology of the involvement of lone mothers in their children's schooling that emphasizes the mediating contributions of class, race, social support, family structure, and position within a racially structured patriarchal…

Recent research suggests that a youth development framework emphasizing youth assets may be a promising intervention strategy for preventing adolescent risk behaviors. Understanding how neighborhood and community resources relate to youth assets may aid in identifying environmental strategies to complement individually oriented asset-building…

The interests of two different at-risk populations in Pennsylvania are compared. Both urban minorities and rural youth participated in programs designed to motivate them to continue their education. Participants (52 rural and 30 urban middle school students) completed an interest survey as part of the program orientation. Although the rural youth…

This report describes an assessment of substance abuse among Portland (Oregon) Public School students in grades 7 and 10, determining the relationship between early and later substance use for planning and development of alcohol and drug education, prevention, and intervention. The survey was administered in 17 middle schools, 10 high schools, and…

This study examined the effects of African-American preadolescent children attending Saturday programs on African heritage and history offered at an African-American heritage center located in their neighborhood. In the first year, the study planned, designed, and implemented the program on a trial basis at a local community center. The second…

Effective communications strategies for delivering substance abuse and other prosocial behavior messages to African American inner city teenagers were studied. After pilot studies, the final sample consisted of middle school and high school students from the urban centers of New York City; Washington, D.C.; Camden (New Jersey); Philadelphia…

The educational outlook for children of school age in low-income minority neighborhoods of New York City is discussed, drawing primarily on the researcher's observations in a field study in Central Harlem. The decline the neighborhoods have undergone is summarized; and the role of drugs, especially crack, is discussed. Some opinions of residents…

To gain perspective on how the structure of a family impacts young people, data from a national study conducted by the Search Institute were reexamined. Of the 47,000 students of the study, 8,266 live in a single parent household, due largely to divorce. Analysis focused on at-risk behavior, deficits, and the dynamics of healthy single-parent…

This document combines a review of the literature on Hispanic high school dropouts and urban dropout prevention initiatives with an analysis of the findings of a study of the individual, family, school, and community characteristics of Hispanic ninth grade students in predominantly minority high schools in American cities. The study was designed…