A brief overview describes the necessary components of an effective social learning evaluation system for the open classroom. In order to develop such a social learning evaluation system one must: (1) organize the evaluation system around the progress and needs of the child, (2) identify the kinds of social learning behaviors to be assessed, (3)…

The program is a series of interviews and montages on the topic of graduation at all levels: high school, college, graduate, and honorary degrees. Among those interviewed are: Caroline Bird, author of "The Case Against College"; Judith Harrison, Maureen Smith, and Frank Meta, graduates; Roy Forbes, Director of the National Assessment of…

A study examined the beliefs and attitudes of Mexican-trained educators regarding instruction for minority and language minority students in light of assumptions that students experience better outcomes with culturally and linguistically compatible teachers. Fifteen educators who received their teacher education in Mexico, and whose native…

This study explored the issue of respectability and the changing image of public school teachers through interviews with 140 teachers of color in 3 urban school districts--Cincinnati (Ohio), Seattle (Washington), and Long Beach (California). Almost half the respondents felt that either the negative image or low status of teaching was one of the…

This study investigated the efficacy of noncognitive variables and academic background for the prediction of college grade performance and persistence. A total of 7,377 new first-year college students participated in the study, completing demographic questionnaires at the start of the school year. Data were also collected on American College Test…

This paper describes the process and content of The Columbus Project, designed to provide an opportunity for preservice teachers to explore in depth the complexity of intercultural encounter. The project required students to gather and analyze data from schools, libraries, the media, and interviews with children, to ascertain how the story of the…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined 60 school board members' perceptions of school desegregation and other policies aimed at enhancing the educational attainment of minority groups. Interviews were conducted with school board members in 12 American cities--Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Green Bay,…

Perceived well-being and personal stress indicators among various subpopulations in two small western towns (one stable, one affected by an energy development boom) are examined to assess the notion that residents of energy boom communities experience generalized social pathology and disruption. A 2-stage data collection process used…

This paper looks at the relationship between parents' social networks and aspects of child development. It has often been suggested that parents' links with kin, neighbors, friends, and local and non-local organizations are likely to have many effects on their children's development. These effects, however, have never been systematically…

Social policy influences black wives' employment policies, regardless of occupation. The factors that influence a wife's working come from various social or societal levels--the individual, the family, and the wider society or environment. Individual characteristics supporting the black women's strong attachment to the world of work are her…

This paper explores the impact of the hidden curriculum on students. The hidden curriculum refers to the social relations and school climate of the schools. Two theories are presented as the basis for studying the relationship between school climate and students' social beliefs and actions. The generalization theory states that students view the…

A high level of individual concern with environmental issues characterizes the ecological crisis of the 1970s. In spite of this increased public involvement, however, many basic problems facing humans as they interact with the environment have remained constant throughout history. For example, the sometimes conflicting concepts of scarcity,…

The attitudes of Canadians toward multiculturalism were investigated in this study. Four attitude domains were examined. The first dealt with the attitudes held by Canadians toward a variety of ethnic groups in the country. The second involved general beliefs regarding cultural diversity. The third consisted of attitudes toward immigration. The…

Although it is now widely recognized that the middle years are a time of development and transition rather than of stasis followed by decline, existing literature tends to portray middle-aged women as generally unattractive, uninteresting, unintelligent and as dependent "labels" rather than persons in the process of growth. To gain a greater…

The document describes a field study to investigate the relationship between altruism and blood donating behavior among members of a large midwestern college community. Altruistic behavior is interpreted as combining three motivations: (1) reward-cost, also referred to in terms of behavior as social exchange; (2) social responsibility and…