This report describes a program for improving academic productivity in an elementary school in Rockford, Illinois. Students were unmotivated, unproductive, and uninvolved in academic life, as measured by teacher observation and student behavior. Examination of teacher records revealed that the learning disabled or behavior disordered resource…

While effective schools research has inspired new efforts toward improving education for all students, it is flawed by offering simplistic prescriptions based on correlational studies focusing on basic skills achievement. Effective school research and theory can be upgraded by a more careful definition of the goals of learning and a systematic…

In order to determine the effect of being disabled on the academic progress of disabled college students, a questionnaire assessing the social climate of a major western university, the quality of its programs and instruction, and student academic and career expectations was administered to 100 disabled students. Factors explored in the…

Although ability partly explains why some students are eager to learn in school whereas others are disinterested, motivation is another significant factor. This newsletter discusses factors that affect students' motivation to learn, considers techniques that can increase motivation, and identifies schools that have developed activities to enhance…

This study explores the effects of physical differences in the architectural design of schools by comparing behavioral and performance variables for two groups of pupils: (1) those who had previously attended an open space school, and (2) those who had always attended classes in a traditionally built school. Three major variables are examined:…

A study designed to test effects of cartoon characters on the behavior of preschool disadvantaged children in an educational setting explored the use of cartoons as complementary additions to work materials. Because the 83 Head Start subjects had not been introduced to the alphabet an experimental set of worksheets was made which used the 26…

In an attempt to clarify the problems of educational planning for disadvantaged college youth, this report presents a study of the characteristics of the learner which are related to academic achievement and an analysis of the pressures and expectations of college curriculums. Behavior and attitudinal traits of disadvantaged black youth are…

This essay considers the interaction between teacher and learner as one which involves providing opportunities for "learning moments," a concept found in the literature on organizational leadership. Learning moments are seen as dynamic events that occur when four complex elements intersect: teacher, learner, environment, and chance. One…

In contrast to the many studies that have examined parenting in low-income families from a deficit perspective, this study examines their strengths by proposing and testing a model of parenting goals derived from social and developmental theories on goal-orientation, motivation, attachment, and child socialization. The model posits two categories…

Based on the premise that children need to be motivated to learn in school to achieve success, this guide is intended for parents who want to help their children realize the benefits of learning and knowledge. The guide offers effective methods for challenging and supporting children at school and throughout their lives, provide insights into how…

Contract learning is an alternative way of structuring a learning experience. Instead of specifying how a body of content will be transmitted (content plan), it specifies how a body of content will be acquired by the learner (process plan). Students identify problems or issues that are real for them and relevant to the course at hand, state…

This presentation focuses on how foreign language study may be used to motivate hearing-impaired adolescents and to improve their English proficiency skills. Research on foreign language acquisition as it relates to self-concept development in hearing-impaired youth is reviewed, and a pilot project involving students at the Tennessee School for…

The Newark (New Jersey) career education program (K-12) was based on three components: elementary--career awareness; junior high--career exploration; and senior high--career guidance and placement. An external evaluation by Fred Streit Associates assessed the attainment of behavioral objectives specified for the program's components to utilize…

The non-academic adult comes to his English class with deeply fixed convictions about teaching methods, proper classroom procedures, and what constitutes learning. Often, the less educated the student, the more firm and precise his ideas about education. To fly in the face of these convictions by presenting English using a methodology developed…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter, "PLAINTalk," is the second in a four part series, reprinting chapters from Sharon and Craig Ramey's book, "Going to School." Other articles in this issue include: (1) Ten Hallmarks of Children Who Succeed in School (Craig T. Ramey and Sharon L. Ramey); (2) Questioning to Aid Reading Comprehension; (3) Basic…