This report describes a program which utilized cooperative learning activities to help eighth grade students in physical education classes at one urban Illinois school develop their interpersonal skills and reduce the frequency of inappropriate behavioral choices. The problem of inappropriate behavioral choices in the physical education classroom…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the first nationally representative longitudinal study of eighth grade students in public and private schools. It is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics to provide longitudinal data about critical transitions experienced by young people as they develop, attend…

This document analyzes responses to questions included in a national assessment of knowledge of U.S. history and geography in an attempt to determine the relationship between study habits and academic performance. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 asked 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students specific questions regarding…

A study evaluated experimentally a technology education program designed to provide mastery experiences described in Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1986) and predicted to improve career decision making. Seventh graders (n=97) and eighth graders (n=72) were stratified on grade level and randomly assigned either to a commercially published…

A social skills training program for improving student behavior in art and music classes and in unstructured situations was developed and implemented during the second quarter of the 1993-1994 school year in two schools in Elgin, Illinois. The targeted classes included grades six through eight at St. Laurence School (part of the Rockford Catholic…

In 1990, President Bush and the nation's governors adopted the six National Education Goals as part of a campaign to increase educational performance at all levels. Goal 3 states that, by the year 2000, American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competence in challenging subject matter, including English, mathematics,…

This study demonstrates that the validity and usefulness of mathematics achievement tests can be improved by defining psychologically meaningful subscores that yield differential relations with student, teacher, and school variables. The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) 8th- and 10th-grade math tests were subjected to full…

This brief report presents findings regarding two types of transitions experienced by students as they move between the eighth and 10th grades: continuing or dropping out of school and transferring between sectors. While 98% of public school students remained in public schools, over one-third of Catholic school eighth graders and over 25% of…

This user's guide provides an overview of an approach to learning about different cultures that is based on an understanding of young adolescent development. It highlights three teaching methods that are considered of particular importance to the educational process: (1) the integration of materials in social studies and language arts classes; (2)…

With this volume, the Council of Chief State School Officers introduces a new 2-year format for state education indicators. The first section of this report is an analysis of state-level data related to the first-ever state-by-state achievement results from the 1990 mathematics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).…

This report documents the design, development, and implementation of computer applications curricula in a pilot program augmenting the regular curriculum for eighth graders at a private middle school. In assessing the needs of the school, a shift in focus was made from computer programming to computer application. The basic objectives of the…

This curriculum guide encourages students to learn behaviors that will reduce the potential for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection when confronted with choices at a later age. The curriculum is designed for integration within a comprehensive program of school health education (in grades 6-8, lessons on communicable disease, including…

The understanding of children and adults regarding four component properties of the arithmetic mean was studied. The component properties were: (1) the mean is a data point between extreme values of a score distribution; (2) the sum of deviations about the mean equals zero; (3) when the mean is calculated, any value of zero must be taken into…

This paper discusses a study that examines the relationship between participation in religious youth groups, smoking behavior and subsequent use of cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. The document briefly surveys earlier research on smoking and drug abuse. The study surveyed students, schools, parents, teachers, and student academic achievement data.…

This Teacher's Guide contains procedures to be followed throughout the year in implementing the New Mexico Portfolio Writing Assessment. The Assessment, required for all students in grades 4 and 6, and optional for grade 8, is conducted each school year, with a call for each student's best piece in March. The optional administration in grade 8…