This study assesses how perceptions of school climate and four mediating factors (school connectedness, peer attachment, assertiveness, and empathy) influence reports of bullying behaviors among 2,834 students in 14 middle schools. Results revealed that students in positive school climates reported experiencing fewer physical, emotional, and…

"Trauma-Responsive Schooling" outlines a novel approach to transforming American schools through student-centered, trauma-informed practices. The book chronicles the use of an innovative educational model, Trauma-Responsive Equitable Education (TREE), as part of a multiyear research project in two elementary schools in rural Maine. In…

The Climate Change Attitude Survey is composed of 15 Likert-type attitudinal items selected to measure students' beliefs and intentions toward the environment with a focus on climate change. This paper describes the development of the instrument and psychometric performance characteristics including reliability and validity. Data were gathered…

Notebooks are commonly used in middle school classrooms as a place for students to record information delivered via lecture, classroom discussion, or independent work. A primary reason teachers ask students to use notebooks is to capture and organize information. In many cases, students are expected to use these tools with little direction,…

Today, far too many students see mathematics as a subject that must be endured, not a source of inspiration or a way of thinking that can enrich their understanding of the world. Advocates of student-centered instruction argue that good teachers have the ability to transform mathematics classrooms into lively, engaging learning environments in…

A number of schools in the United States currently utilize multiple strategies to attract a large and multicultural high school student population. As in many other states, Maine's high schools have been recruiting international students to add richness and diversity to their educational settings and surrounding communities. Yet there is minimal…

Pressured to comply with state and district mandates, teachers may follow scripted, back-to-basics lessons and, as a result, feel frustrated about the assaults on their professionalism and the prevalence of "test-prep pedagogy." As they experience relentless pressure to improve test scores, teachers face a constant challenge to maintain…

Frustrated with years of below-average performance on standardized tests, high dropout rates and a negative image of its schools, the board of education in Maine School Administrative District 11, a 2,200-student school district in central Maine, charged a 15-member committee of educators, school board members and community representatives to…

This study adapted the current model of science undergraduate research experiences (URE's) and applied this novel modification to include community college students. Numerous researchers have examined the efficacy of URE's in improving undergraduate retention and graduation rates, as well as matriculation rates for graduate programs. However, none…

Fifth- and sixth-grade students from portions of New Brunswick (Canada) and Maine in the Saint John River Valley discussed what their community means to them and the changing economics of this region. An interactive role-playing game led to a debate concerning the economic and environmental impacts of a proposed salmon ladder on the river. (LP)

A survey examined educational aspirations and perceptions of school climate among gifted students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a state-funded rural magnet school serving grades 11 and 12. Students at the magnet school completed the 84-item Grades 6-12 Aspirations Survey, returning 97 usable forms. The instrument has 12 scales: 2…

Most undergraduate programs require completion of a mathematics course, but pass rates in these courses are often low. To determine predictors of student success in 100-level mathematics courses at the University of Southern Maine, we used a questionnaire to collect information on possible predictors of grade (student demographics, attitude,…

This monograph describes the rationale and objectives set forth by the Commission on Maine's Common Core of Learning. The commission was charged, in 1989, with defining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that all Maine students should have upon their graduation from high school. Commission meetings focused on what skills and attitudes students…

This paper discusses the difficulties that rural students on a Maine island encounter as they make the transition from a small local elementary school to a large distant high school. The elementary school is characterized by small class sizes, close nurturing teacher-student relationships, and the involvement of parents and families. When students…

The booklet provides a framework to guide development of curriculum components of the Maine Studies Curriculum Project. Funded in 1976 by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in response to a section of Maine School Law, the project aims to develop and test a K-12 curriculum, accompanying instructional resources, and a teacher education…