A practicum was conducted to evaluate and modify the educational expectations parents and educators perceived as appropriate for children with Down's Syndrome. The research effort took place after parents were told that their children would attend the local school for the mentally retarded because they exhibited Down's Syndrome. The objectives of…

Explains how teachers can modify their behaviors to incorporate a multicultural approach in physical education. Gender, racial, and disability stereotypes are emphasized as problematic. Eight steps to incorporating an inclusive approach to physical education are provided. (SM)

Purposes of this study included constructing a self-administered measure of bias in sex role stereotypes and developing a self-intervention, self-confrontation manual to reduce the impact of these stereotypes on career choices. One hundred six items, representative of thirty-two stereotypes, were administered to 154-item tryout participants. A…

This paper discusses how first-grade teachers often perceive which of their students will ultimately succeed in school and which students will drop out. It argues that teachers look at a child's gender, color, behavior patterns, dress, family status, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level and, either consciously or unconsciously, label that child and…

This final report focused on research questions associated with reducing the segregation of students with learning disabilities (LD) in Virginia. A survey of special education supervisors, general education supervisors, building principals, general elementary and secondary education teachers, LD teachers, students with LD, and parents was…

This study, part of a larger ethnographic study of elementary students categorized as at-risk, attempts to determine whether the labelling of students affects teachers' expectations of, and behavior toward, at-risk students. The beliefs of a teacher sample of five women, three Hispanic and two Anglo, at two urban schools in the Southwest with…

The study described in this book examined at close range the experiences of 12 elementary school students (enrolled in two schools) who were considered at-risk within the context of their specific classroom and school. The meaning of at-risk status to the teachers and other school personnel is determined, and the interaction between the context…

A study examined the labeling practices in the multicultural discourse in two adult education settings in Sweden: a day folk high school and a municipal adult education center. A total of 33 students and 9 staff members from two adult education programs were interviewed. The labeling processes used by the "actors" (the adult learners and…

Recounts a student teacher's field experience which involved conducting a case study of one elementary student. She followed the class's only Hispanic student who was labeled a low achiever with an uncooperative family but who was actually very capable. Though she could not intervene, the experience shaped her teaching career. (SM)

Sixty-eight kindergarten teachers (from a town in Austria) who had previously labeled selected students in their classes as either aggressive or socially competent completed a questionnaire and were observed in their classroom interactions. The questionnaire yielded biographical and sociographical data of the teachers, assessed teacher attitudes,…

A quasi-experimental design using student cases and non-random survey methods was used to investigate the influences of student educational labels, behaviors and learning characteristics as perceived by secondary career and technical education (CTE) instructors on occupational program expectations, modifications and accommodations, and…

Based on presentations given at a 1989 conference, this booklet offers a literature-based perspective on systematic screening procedures and functional assessment procedures to facilitate services to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The following topics are addressed: assessment decisions (in the areas of classification,…

The involvement of parents, even those from low income settings and with minimal schooling, is a key factor in a child's academic achievement. A teacher's decision to classify a student perceived to have classroom difficulties as "at-risk" initiates a formal process of referral, testing, labeling, and placement resulting in different educational…

Describes a followup study to previous research into midcareer educators' tendencies to label older colleagues as resisters to Oregon schools' restructuring efforts. Results show that such attitudes stigmatize individuals and inhibit their responses in ways that hamper the change process. More respect for lifelong professional learning is needed.…

Acts and characteristics of teachers of American Indian students which may influence the dynamics of the self-fulfilling prophecy were examined. Data were collected via questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were sent to 60 student teachers and teacher assistants in schools enrolling Indian students. Some of these schools had almost…