This practicum addressed the problem that many inner city elementary students dealt with on a daily basis. The objectives were to increase the students' ability to express their grief, concentrate on class work, and to decrease their wanting to hurt others because they felt angry or hurt. The writer administered a questionnaire to teachers and…

Several years ago the author began visiting a number of families and children in the poor black section of Boston called Roxbury. But unlike many social scientists studying poverty in recent years, he listened--in particular to the thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams of two fifth graders--William D. Williams and Adrien Keller. Here these two black…

This study reports the results of the implementation of Project SEED, a mathematics program for urban elementary school students, in five urban districts: Camden (New Jersey); Dallas (Texas); Detroit (Michigan); Indianapolis (Indiana); and the West Contra Costa Unified School District in Richmond and San Pablo (California). Students exposed to at…

Asthma is at near-epidemic proportions among poor urban children, but in Baltimore, a school-based health program is providing relief. The six-week program teaches children how to manage their disease, which in turn reduces absenteeism and decreases emergency room visits. Informal assessment indicates the program is fairly effective. (SM)

Studies alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use by fourth graders in Washington, DC (n=4,675 in 1988-89 and n=4,678 in 1990-91). Lifetime prevalence of self-reported alcohol use, alcohol use without parental knowledge, and smoking more than a puff of a cigarette declined, although marijuana use and cigarette experimentation did not decline. (SLD)

African American and Latin American elementary school students from low-income urban neighborhoods (n=102) were interviewed about the fairness of four teaching practices. Overall, findings support a sociocultural approach to the study of moral reasoning that is respectful of individual as well as group variability. (SLD)

There is a growing body of evidence that specialization in violent crimes is rare and that it is hard to identify distinguishing characteristics of violent offenders. The purpose of this study, conducted in a Pacific Northwest city, was to determine whether violent behavior is, in fact, a manifestation of high rates of antisocial behavior in…

A disproportionately high number of minority students are referred by general education teachers for placement in special education. Teacher perception of social skills and problem behaviors of African American male students with and without identified disabling conditions was studied with 44 African American urban male students in grades 3, 4,…

Attribution theory provides a way of interpreting achievement motivation which ties together the achievement motive and the sense of control variable (Coleman, et al.). In addition to this conceptual clarity, attribution theory has an advantaged in potential programs for implementing change. The research described here was directed toward an…

More and more frequently, poor families are described in pathological terms. The emphasis is on the deficits that interfere with the education of poor children, rather than the strengths that they can bring to schooling. A focus on the devastating effects of poverty may lead to the belief that poor children are so disadvantaged that nothing can be…

"Primary Prevention: Promoting Mental Health in the Next Generation" is a curriculum that teaches children about the relationship between parenting practices and a child's mental health. Essentially, the program teaches children today about the parenting skills they will need in the future. This report describes the curriculum and…

Studies gender differences in the U.S. achievement ideology for 48 gifted and 100 nongifted African-American fifth and sixth graders (59 males and 89 females) in an urban Ohio school district. Results indicate no differential determinants of underachievement by gender but show significant differences by gifted and nongifted academic programs. (SLD)

The Language Vocabulary Acquisition (LVA) Approach is a revolutionary method of reading instruction for emergent and developing readers. It is an intense reading program with high levels of student participation, engagement, and interaction with print text, that yields high outcomes in phonological awareness, reading and writing fluency, and…

The Southwest Regional Laboratory conducted a 1-year outcome evaluation of the 4-H After School Activity Program (4-H ASAP) in Los Angeles (California). The 4-H ASAP is designed to meet the needs of children aged 7 to 13 who live in urban public housing communities. The program creates a nurturing environment that offers a positive alternative to…

An after-school program for elementary students, LA's BEST, in Los Angeles (California) that was planned and implemented by local civic, education, and community leaders was evaluated in 1990-91. The program intends to provide a safe environment that fosters students' academic, physical, social, and emotional growth; and promotes future business,…