In the field of camping and outdoor education, it is essential that public schools be prepared to meet the needs and the demands of the next few years for this important service and take advantage of the almost unlimited possibilities for vitalizing the school curriculum. A few schools have recognized the possibilities of camping and outdoor…

This longitudinal study in London (England) examined changes in student attitudes toward school and schoolwork, ethnic and sex differences, and associations between attitudes and achievement. Black, and white urban students completed interviews, self-concept measures, and achievement tests from ages 7-16 years. Results found few direct…

Reports a study of third- and fifth-grade students' perceptions of their physical education programs at two urban alternative schools. The students highlighted goals such as cooperating with others, challenging themselves, and taking risks. They reported several success factors, especially trusting each other, problem solving, attitudes toward…

Presents a framework of biliteracy development focusing on the following three continua: (1) the macro-micro continuum of policy; (2) the monolingual-bilingual continuum; and (3) the oral-literate continuum. These are discussed in the contexts of Cambodian and Puerto Rican students in two public elementary schools in Philadelphia. (SLD)

Discusses research on the importance of context and social interaction on the development of school literacy, particularly writing development, concentrating on five classes of Latino elementary school students. Specific features of institutional contexts that shape writing process instruction are identified. Necessary broadening of current…

An empirical test of a method of teacher evaluation by predicting student performance and comparing it with actual outcomes is described. Results from 6,249 urban fifth graders in 103 schools suggest that teachers can be evaluated in this way and that the best and worst teachers can be identified. (SLD)

Describes the MAGIC ME program in which urban middle school students visit and form relationships with the elderly in nursing homes. The importance of meaningful long-term service is demonstrated through anecdotes of the interaction between students and older adults. MAGIC ME has a history of success in many communities. (SLD)

This research examined the impact of the first-year implementation of an instructional intervention to promote achievement and equity in science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students. The research addressed three areas: (a) overall science and literacy achievement, (b) achievement gaps among demographic…

This book examines how five schools in New York City have developed "authentic," performance-based assessments of students' learning, and how this work has interacted with and influenced the teaching and learning experiences students encounter in school. Authentic assessment attempts to take the measure of a child's real work over time…

An evaluation was conducted of the first year of a 3-year program designed in New York City to serve the needs of Chinese-speaking intermediate grade students of limited English proficiency. The focus of the program was on improving their achievement in mathematics and science while also improving students' English language proficiency. The…

This study assessed the bilingual instructional support component in Philadelphia's (Pennsylvania) New Instructional Model schools in the 1990-91 school year. Focus was on the following topics: (1) the extent to which the bilingual instructional support component had been implemented in the 32 schools; (2) the appropriateness and quality of the…

This report describes the following five areas of compliance in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public school Remedial Plan for Services to Asian Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students: (1) counseling services; (2) assignment of students to English-as-a-Second Language (ESOL) Levels 1 and 2; (3) pupil support committees (PSCs); (4)…

The effects of infusing tradebooks into the school and home environments of non-White, low socioeconomic status, urban third through fifth graders were studied. Tradebooks are books with a purpose that is not school-based. The study was conducted in an urban kindergarten through grade 5 school in the Los Angeles (California) area, where 59 percent…

A study was done to evaluate Partners for Valued Youth (PVY), an instructional cross-age tutoring program in San Antonio (Texas) designed to reduce dropout rates among Hispanic limited-English proficient (LEP) middle-school children, who are at risk of leaving school. The program has these students tutor younger, elementary school students. The…

This handbook provides information about an innovative model, Partners for Valued Youth (PVY), that encourages "at-risk" students to stay in school and to set broader goals for themselves through a cross-age tutoring experience in which at-risk middle school students tutor younger, elementary school students. After a preface, the…