The hypothesis that parochial students would self identify less as Chicanos and blacks than their public school counterparts was tested. The acceptability of various ethnic designations commonly used to identify members of the two minority groups was examined in relation to sex, socioeconomic status, and the school system attended. (Author/GC)

A study of the practice of high school tracking was conducted with 483 eighth graders and their guidance counselors. The study aimed at determining the relationship between socioeconomic status and track placement. (CM)

The opportunity for U.S. students to learn algebra and geometry in the eighth grade was studied by looking at exposure to instruction using teacher reports of content coverage from a subset of 296 classrooms participating in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Classrooms were classified according to the ethnic composition of…

The main objective of this study was to show whether eighth graders' performance on standardized mathematics tests could be predicted from a variety of variables. These predictors included the students' race/ethnicity, gender, attitudes toward mathematics, students' time spent on homework, whether parents helped with homework assignments,…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between student demographic characteristics and at-risk status are presented in this paper. Demographic characteristics likely to place students at risk include low family income, low parental education, single-parent family, and limited-English proficiency. Data were derived from the National…

Effective leadership appears to be an element of a successful school, but few studies have covered either leadership in small and rural schools or effective schools with the ethnic mix of Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American students. This study's population consisted of the 24 New Mexico rural public elementary schools having an enrollment of 500…

Research conducted in Georgia reveals that pupils in school buildings with modern facilities attain higher achievement than pupils in buildings with older facilities. All public schools in Georgia containing eighth grade students were classified as non-modernized, partially modernized, or modern according to results of questionnaires administered…

Levels of general and area-specific achievement motivation for adolescents of varying backgrounds were assessed. General measures of achievement motivation revealed significant differences by race, sex, and social class. These factors exercised great influence on specific types of achievement behavior. (Author/DWH)

Using data from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study, this research investigated whether ability grouping level magnifies the effects of background differences on mathematics achievement for eighth-grade public school students. Students in high-ability groups viewed math more positively, exhibited more appropriate behavior in math class,…

In a survey of 242 seventh and eighth grade students ranking highest (129) and lowest (113) in occupational attitudes and abilities, those who believe a variety of careers possible have high self-esteem, middle to high socioeconomic status (SES), cognitive vocational complexity, and are mostly female. Those doubtful of their career potential have…

The relationship between educational expenditures and pupil achievement has been a topic of increasing interest to legislators, school boards, and more recently, the courts. This paper examines the relationships among various measures of school district wealth and spending, other school district characteristics, and student achievement within the…

This paper presents a description of a northern Florida middle school and of the students enrolled in the school, 92% of whom are African-American. Three quarters of the entire student population is eligible for free or reduced price government assisted lunches. This figure is double the state average. During academic year 1991-92, expenditure per…

Findings from a study that sought to determine the degree to which effective schools are uniformly effective for all students regardless of socioeconomic status (SES) are presented in this paper. Data were derived from a large nationally representative set of 989 schools that were involved in the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) of…

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) are used to examine the relationship between minimum competency testing and dropout rates. Proponents of such testing have argued that minimum competency tests provide incentives for schools and students, but opponents have argued that such tests lead to a low-level basic skills…

Children's academic achievement has been shown to be influenced by many family factors, including family structure, socioeconomic status, and parenting styles. This study investigated the relationships among family structure, socioeconomic status, authoritative parenting, and children's academic achievement in a sample of 181 eighth graders in 2…