A study examined critical literacy and how texts, transactions, and talk enabled girls to examine their positions as readers and negotiate their identities in relation to novel characters and one another. Participants were eight sixth-grade girls of European American, African American, and Latina backgrounds and the participant researcher, a white…

This study investigated self-esteem factors related to the transition between sixth and seventh grade for students in teamed and nonteamed instructional organization. Two elementary schools of identical structure, facilities, number of faculty, and student characteristics serve as feeder schools to the junior high school. Site 1's sixth grade uses…

This learning packet, one in a series of eight, was developed by the Eno River State Park in North Carolina for Grades 5-6 to teach about various aspects of water life on the Eno River. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sections that contain: (1) introductions to the North Carolina State Park System, the Eno River State Park, and to the…

A 3-year study followed the progress of eight native Spanish-speaking elementary school students, aged 9-11, learning English as a Second Language (ESL). The subjects were chosen because they were considered successful in school. Research focused on the processes through which Latino students in grades 4-6 learn, accept, support, and at times…

This is a study of two sixth-grade classes at Bayshore Middle School (Middletown, New Jersey) who were enrolled in a 7-week keyboarding class. The first class met from October 31 through December 23, 1994; the second class met from January 3 through March 1, 1995. The instruction of the first group was teacher directed, and the students typed from…

This paper reports on a study investigating the effects of studying alone or in cooperative-learning groups on the performance of high and low achievers. The effects of completing computer-based instruction using either learner or program control are also examined. A total of 92 sixth-grade students were classified by Stanford Achievement Scores…

The intention of this paper is to provide reference material to states, school districts, and local schools who seek assistance in curriculum development and maintenance of quality programs in physical education. The guidelines are based on the 5-point definition of the physically educated person that was developed by the National Association for…

The objective of this study was to begin to examine middle school classrooms for examples of either gender equity or gender bias. Data were collected by visiting 80 classes in 10 middle schools in central Connecticut. Classes observed included 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes in social studies, mathematics, science, language arts, foreign language,…

A unit in a Glendale, California sixth grade social studies curriculum is presented as a model for addressing two problems in the instruction of the growing population of limited English-proficient (LEP) students: (1) inadequate teacher training; and (2) shortage of appropriate, effective instructional materials. For the curriculum segment on…

This case study, one of four, is part of a larger study, "Ethnographic Case Studies of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) of At-Risk Students in Middle School Classrooms." The study provides relevant case literature regarding CRP for the enhancement of preservice teacher education and describes the characteristics of a multicultural…

This Education for Self Responsibility (ESR) curriculum guide is designed to help students learn to make intelligent decisions about health and well being, and to act responsibly when confronted with opportunities to try drugs. The program focuses on ways in which Grades 4-6 teachers can emphasize: personal development; interpersonal relations;…

This study examined how learning a problem-solving strategy or schema in one or two distinct content areas with copying or explaining of the strategy affected students' ability to transfer that strategy to a new content area. Eighty-one regular and 56 honors junior high school students (grades 6 and 7) were presented with story problems and their…

The effects of standardized testing on instruction were studied in two school districts with high-stakes testing. The present study was part of a larger research project concerned with the effect of testing on instruction and student learning. A total of 360 teachers in grades 3, 5, and 6 in approximately 100 schools in two districts answered a…

In 1982, writing was added to the North Carolina Annual Testing Program. Results from the 1990-91 writing evaluations in grades 6 and 8 are reported. Tests were read by two readers, with an agreement rate of over 71%. In 1990-91, sixth-grade students were asked to describe a kitchen so that readers could picture it. Quality was determined on the…

The intent of this book is to provide the framework for educational experiences designed to develop creativity, self-reliance, and a sense of independence in the students' approach to learning. It is comprised of eight units on a variety of themes. Each unit stresses the use of thinking processes, such as creativity and problem solving. Emphasis…