University students were involved in the design, implementation, and assessment of a program in local schools on conflict and violence in the media and in one's own life. The community partners were sixth graders in five area classrooms in the community surrounding the university. This study assesses the impact of a project-based community…

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of an interactive computer program among 34 sixth and seventh grade children and to assess the potential for knowledge acquisition about puberty. Based on a developmental self-esteem approach to teach children about their bodies, the "Body Morph" program was designed to maximize the…

A 50-minute program on careers and trends in the economy was created for presentation to high school students. Designed to be attention-getting as well as educational, it includes activities to introduce students to a cluster of economic concepts, data, and tools related to career selection. Pairs of college students are trained to make the…

Evaluates the effectiveness of a sixth grade experimental language arts program designed to teach higher-level thinking skills. Reports on different types of instruments for measuring higher-level thinking skills, including verbal and nonverbal tests of divergent thinking, a nonverbal test of flexible thinking, and a verbal divergent production…

Assessed impact of Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) on knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behavior of seventh graders who received DARE curriculum in sixth grade. Compared to controls, DARE students reported significantly lower use of alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs. Findings were especially strong for boys. (Author/NB)

Socially disadvantaged Israeli children in grades three or six were paired with university student tutors. Mathematics and reading achievement were measured after one year of tutoring, two years of tutoring, or no intervention. One year of tutoring yielded some gains; however, a second year did not increment them. (Author/GDC)

Explains how parents and other volunteers can serve as reading teachers for elementary school children. Describes the organization, activities, and effectiveness of a parent volunteer reading program to help fifth and sixth graders in the Ruth Hill Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska. (SB)

The effectiveness of a teacher-implemented psychological health program designed to improve students' test coping skills in the classroom was tested using 497 Israeli fifth and sixth graders. The cognitive training program significantly improved performance on three cognitive measures, although it negligibly affected test anxiety scores. (SLD)

Evaluation of Energy Source Education Program investigated effects on energy-related knowledge, attitudes, and conservation behaviors of 1,349 sixth graders in 15 schools who had participated in the program since kindergarten. Function-specific assessment instrument, Energy Biographer Assessment Test, was specially developed for this purpose.…

Longitudinal evaluation of a substance abuse prevention program that involved older adults mentoring adolescents, community service activities, and school-based life skills education. Surveys of low-income 6th graders who participated in intervention, curriculum only, or control conditions indicated that mentoring resulted in significantly fewer…

The basic contention that a more imaginative, creative, and challenging approach will result in better achievement in SATs--in other words, if the children enjoy their science they will do better--was the basis of a project at Oxford Brookes University. The project was devised to encourage and enable the participating teachers to develop a…

Findings from the recent OECD PISA studies highlight the need for the Hungarian school system to improve both effectiveness and equality. Hungarian 15-year-old students scored somewhat below or around the OECD average in the areas of reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy. In addition, students differ less in academic achievement within…

The Alcohol Misuse Prevention Study (AMPS) presented an alcohol education program to fifth and sixth grade students based on social learning theory. The AMPS program introduced students to the concept of social pressure (especially peer pressure) to misuse alcohol and to strategies to effectively counter such pressure. The program was evaluated in…

Describes experiences in instituting a personal ownership laptop programme for 10 and 11 year-olds. Argues that learning with laptops captivates and empowers students, making them more self-motivated and task-oriented. There is increased risk-taking, as students work at their own pace, and in their own time. Furthermore, creativity is encouraged.…

In July 2001, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) agreed to the development of assessment instruments and key performance measures for reporting on student skills, knowledge and understandings in primary science. It directed the newly established Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce…