Developmental Programs for Middle School (2001)

Page Contents

A      B      C      D      F      H      J      K      L      M      R      S      T      W      Y

A

_____. (1995). An Integrated Community Approach to Truancy. Promising Programs Profile. ED387712 This program outlines the combined efforts of schools, social service agencies, community agencies, and the juvenile court system to reduce days lost by truancy. Also presented are the services necessary to support long-range remediation of truancy and related risk factors. The program was initiated at an inner-city public school with approximately 450 sixth through eighth-grade students ranging in age from 11 to 16 years old. The target population was students with absences of 20 or more days25 percent of the total student body. Some of the services provided to these students included assessment, referral to community resources, service planning, case work and group work, court liaison activities, and transportation. Other details highlighted for this plan are the type of staff usedsuch as, guidance coordinator, school nurse, and Masters of Social Work Internsand the percentage Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) devoted to the program; program costs; problems encounteredsuch as limited resources of community agenciesand solutions; program accomplishments; evaluation data; publications describing/evaluating the Program; and other relevant information. Results show that the program was one-third fully effective, one-third partially effective, and one-third minimally effective. The school recorded a significant decrease in absentee rate in the fall when compared to the previous fall. (RJM) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED387712

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_____. (1999). "Books Are Cool!" Keeping Your Middle School Student Reading. ED437644 Suggesting there are ways to make reading and writing more attractive to middle school students, this booklet offers strategies for parents to use to help their students keep reading. Sections of the booklet are: "Why Should I Encourage My Middle School Student To Read for Fun?"; "'You Don't Care What I Like': Listening, Talking, and Sharing"; "'I Have No Time!': Helping Your Child Prioritize"; "'There's Nothing Good To Read': Helping Your Child Find Materials"; and "'Maybe Reading Isn't So Bad.'" (Contains lists of 13 books for children ages 10 to 14, 4 popular book series for children ages 10 to 14, 3 magazines for children ages 10 to 14, 4 Internet resources for children, 11 resources for parents, and 7 parent publications published by the International Reading Association.) (RS) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED437644

Beeghly, D. G.& Reese, S. J. (1996). Meetings with Frederick Douglass: Rewriting the Word and the World. ED410530 Academic Development Program students face a special challenge. Within a few short weeks, they must hone their reading, writing, and speaking skills while scrambling to adjust to life in college. Usually, pre-freshmen enrolled in the Academic Development Program are not familiar with the demands of academic reading, writing, and oral response. For these students, meetings with Frederick Douglass have provided an important bridge between lives on the boundary and full participation in academic life and discourse. The close study of the life and times of Douglass proved relevant, meaningful, and ultimately empowering. Douglass not only valued his own personal literacy, he viewed the power of words as critical to the enfranchisement of the dispossessed, including African Americans and women. Rather than being daunted by a difficult text, students relished reading a "real" book about a real person. For many students, studying Douglass was a deeply personal experiencethey found themselves in the texts. Over and over, students expressed delight and surprise at wanting to read class assignments. When asked to apply what they had learned from studying Douglass, students responded by composing "Fifth of July" speeches and essays that were eloquent and moving. (CR) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED410530

Bennett, B. P. L. (2000). Internet Resources for K-8 Students: Update 2000. ERIC Digest. ED439703 Although there are many content-rich resource sites for elementary and middle school students on the World Wide Web, finding such sites can often be difficult. This ERIC Digest describes more than 50 K-8 curriculum related Web sites of special interest to students, teachers, parents and librarians. Sites are listed under the following categories: Collections of Sites; Art; Current Events; Health; History/Social Studies; Literature; Reference Materials Online; Science Related Sources; Search Directories for Kids; Electronic Postings for New Sites for Kids; and Books with Web Sites for Kids. (Resources and their Internet addresses are subject to change.) (AEF) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED439703

C

Caldwell, D. (1995). Service-Learning as an Integrated Experience in Middle School Education: An Introduction to Resources and Information. ED434857 This resource guide outlines 18 service-learning projects throughout the United States focused on middle schools. Listed, in each case, are the project's description, sponsoring organization, the objectives, the project's framework, training information, materials, and ordering information. (BT) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED434857

Carpenter, A. (April 23, 1999). Metacognitive Instances in Middle Level Teacher Education. ED432616 Instances of metacognition uncovered during a qualitative research project with prospective middle school teachers during a sequence of summer courses were studied. These instances provide insights into how to include metacognitive assignments and discussions within the teacher education curricula. A review of the literature on reflection in teaching and teacher education served as a backdrop to the study. Audiotaped, semiformal interviews were conducted with six participants in the summer courses. Their experiences show that metacognition is natural for some preservice teachers, but that it can be developed further if teacher educators are willing to relinquish some level of authority in their classrooms. Metacognition, as a critical form of reflection, could prepare teachers to question the status quo in schooling and to question policies they find unjust. (Contains 13 references.) (SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED432616

Carter, C. C. (April 21, 1999). Conflict Mediation at School: Peace through Avoidance? ED433396 This study examined the outcomes of student conflict mediation at two urban middle schools in California. Data collection involved observations, interviews, and instrumentation with the Mediation Rating Profile (C. Carter, 1998), and a writing prompt. Several mediation agreements contained avoidance resolutions, such as "stay away from each other." Communication gaps existed in the typical conflict mediation intervention that allowed for reproductive resolutions; transformative resolutions were limited to the avoidance of violence. The conflict mediation intervention needs to help students attain a productive resolution, one that is just for all students and will improve their relations, especially when students' conflicts have the potential for recurrence and violence. (Contains 59 references.) (Author/SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED433396

Caton, E., Brown, F., &Brewer, C. (1999). Facilitating Teacher-Scientist Collaborations: Teaching about Energy through Inquiry. ED434803 This paper explores the effectiveness of teacher-scientist collaborations in bringing inquiry into pre-college classrooms. The Montana Organization for Research in Energy (MORE) and the University of Montana sponsored two institutes on "Teaching about Energy through Inquiry" for middle and high school teachers and energy scientists in 1996 and 1997. The primary goals of the institutes were to: (1) facilitate partnerships between teachers and scientists; and (2) increase the use of inquiry as a teaching method in energy education. This paper briefly characterizes these institutes and describes the assessment efforts used to evaluate the effectiveness of the institutes. Closing comments on the institutes' efforts in effectively facilitating collaborations between teacher and scientists are provided. Contains 20 references. (CCM) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED434803

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Davis, J. L. (1999 Length: 22 Page(s); 1 Microfiche). Developmental Course-Taking in Community Colleges. ED430624 This paper presents an examination of community college students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses, and their subsequent academic performance in college-level coursework. The study was undertaken to obtain an historical perspective of remedial education in American community colleges and to review the research related to developmental mathematics course-taking in community colleges. The following topics are presented: (1) an introduction to developmental education, including a definition and the reasons for its importance; (2) a review of the literature on this subject; (3) the results of a field investigation, in which the researcher interviewed four developmental education specialists in the Illinois community college system; (4) general developmental mathematics enrollment data for all Illinois community colleges; (5) a description of the developmental mathematics courses at Olney Central College; and (6) conclusions and recommendations. It is concluded that developmental education is an essential function of the community college if these institutions are to fulfill their mission as democratizing colleges, and that much more research is necessary to determine whether developmental education courses are effective in raising students' ability to college-level, enabling students to persist in their courses, and retaining students until they reach their educational objectives. Contains 17 references. (CAK) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED430624

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Ferreira, M. M. P. L. (2000). Caring Teachers: Adolescents' Perspectives. ED441682 Teachers represent a connection between students and parents. They have an enormous impact on how the philosophy of a school is translated and communicated to these two groups of constituents. Teachers are also intermediaries between the institution and the students, yet because of their sheer numbers in these institutions, they are also part of the institution. Whether students perceive their teachers as caring or non-caring has a direct impact on how students perceive the culture of the school. To further understand students' perceptions of caring, particularly in the classroom context, middle school students at two Midwestern schools were asked to describe a caring teacher. The interest was in identifying teacher attitudes and behaviors that students interpreted as caring. Results of this study indicate that most students described caring teachers in rather traditional roles related to content or pedagogy. To many students, simply helping with and explaining schoolwork were the main characteristics of caring teachers. (Contains 13 references.) (CCM) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED441682

Fields, V. S.& Holland, G. (1998). Outcomes of Students Enrolled in Developmental Education Courses. ED429338 This report describes the educational outcomes of students enrolled in developmental/remedial courses at one postsecondary institution. Three questions are addressed: What are the demographics of students enrolled in developmental/remedial courses? What percentage of students pass developmental/remedial courses on the first attempt? and How do pass/fail elements modify the educational outcome of students who were enrolled in developmental/remedial education courses? Students enrolled in developmental/remedial courses at a multipurpose institution of higher education in northern Louisiana were studied for this report. Data were obtained from the Institutional Research Department and included information on the developmental course(s) in which each student was enrolled; the semester and year of enrollment; the age, sex, and race of the students; and the number of times the students attempted the developmental course(s). The results indicate that after a 7-year period, 16 percent of the students enrolled in developmental/remedial courses graduated, 9 percent were still enrolled, and 75 percent were not enrolled at the school. For the courses themselves, 77 percent of the students who were enrolled in developmental/remedial courses completed the courses on the first attempt and more females than males were enrolled in these types of courses. Contains 10 references. (RJM) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED429338

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Haberman, M. (1998). What Do Urban Middle School Youth Think Should Happen to President Clinton? ED431833 The opinions of young urban teenagers about the possible impeachment of President Clinton were studied through assigned compositions. Among the 228 students, all in grades 7 through 9 in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), were 9 European Americans, 15 Hispanic Americans, 6 Hmong, and 198 African Americans. Student compositions showed little knowledge of the facts of the President's situation. They knew that the President had a sexual affair, but knew little else about it. They were strongly empathetic toward the President, although they did express a moral code that was very similar to common beliefs among the U.S. public. Students expressed a belief that the President should be treated as other people are treated. (SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED431833

Henderson, R. W.& St. John, L. (1997). Thematically Integrated Middle School Mathematics: A School-University-Business Partnership. ED409187 This report examines the accomplishments of a collaborative project to enhance student learning and motivation in mathematics in a middle school serving a changing population of students, the majority of whom are Latino. The partnership joined together the mathematics teachers and site administrator of the school, university mathematicians and educational researchers, and the management and workers from a research-and-development-oriented electronics firm. The partners in the project believed that a thematic approach to mathematics instruction might address a number of the hypothesized causes of low achievement. Results suggest that the project school is doing an especially effective job at the seventh grade level. All students showed improvement against the national norms regardless of mathematics curriculum. Eighth grade data were less encouraging but the students who were taught using a thematic curriculum held their own against the national norms. Students in the thematic class scored better on the Mathematics in Manufacturing criterion test that sampled material covered in a manufacturing unit. Contains 33 references. (PVD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED409187

Hicks, D. C. (1998). A Classroom Improvement Plan: Designed To Improve Middle School Student's Science Scores through Hands-on Activities and Portfolio Assessment. ED436368 This practicum reports on a project designed to improve middle school students' science scores. The project used three general strategies to improve science learning: (1) the inclusion of multiple hands-on activities and techniques in the science classroom; (2) the implementation of portfolio assessment; and (3) the inclusion of a Multiple Intelligences approach to teaching. The study reports that 164 of 180 students met the school district requirements for successful completion of middle school science. (Contains 37 references.) (WRM) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED436368

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Kendrick, J. M. P. L. (1999). Middle Grade Boys: Reading Habits and Preferences for a New Millennium. ED429274 Based on research indicating successful readers have several common characteristics (student choice and availability of reading materials, time for reading, and time to talk about their reading), a study explored research findings about each characteristic and surveyed middle grade teachers' reading practices in the classroom. Seventh-grade students (n=124) in a small southeastern city and seven of their teachers were surveyed concerning student reading. Results indicated: (1) excluding textbook assignments, the majority of boys surveyed do not read and do not enjoy reading; (2) teachers and parents encourage students to read, but fewer than half are engaged in reading to boys; (3) teachers do not provide a time for personal sustained silent reading during the school day; (4) middle grade boys do not read unless required by their teachers; and (5) assigned reading materials are not the reading materials preferred by middle grade boys. (Contains 7 tables of data and 21 references.) (NKA) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED429274

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Lewis, A. C. (1999). Figuring It Out: Standard-Based Reforms in Urban Middle Grades. ED439165 Six urban school districts (Chattanooga, Tennessee, Corpus Christi, Texas, Long Beach, California, Louisville, Kentucky, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and San Diego, California) have been pursuing standard-based reform at the middle school level accepting systemic reform as the norm. This report provides descriptions of their approaches, and commentary on the lessons they are learning in the process. The six districts have set content and performance standards under broad guidelines from the Clark Foundation, but they are pursuing reforms to suit their own needs and capacities. The documentation and commentary in this report was gathered over 18 months during several visits to one school in each district, a school selected for special help because of poor academic results. These focus schools are examples of efforts throughout each district, and they provide a closeup of the classrooms in which middle school teachers are trying to transform learning and teaching for students who need such changes the most. (SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED439165

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Madfes, T. J.& Muench, A. (1999). Learning from Assessment: Tools for Examining Assessment through Standards. A Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Resource. ED434827 This document was designed as a resource for district-level professional developers and teacher leaders who work with middle school teachers of mathematics. A bridge between standards and the classroom, it offers opportunities for teachers to examine the interrelationships between assessment, standards, and instruction in order to improve student achievement in mathematics. This document is organized into three modules: (1) Aligning Assessment to Standards; (2) Collecting Standards-Based Evidence; and (3) Planning Instruction to Support Standards. Each module contains an overview, preparation needs, a key to the transparencies and handouts for the module, a one-page summary of key points, and facilitator notes and script. Facilitator support, supplementary activities, and selected references are also included. (Contains 18 references.) (ASK) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED434827

Mays, D. (1998 Length: 58 Page(s); 1 Microfiche). The Effects of the D.A.R.E. Program on Middle School Students. ED428317 The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program for middle school students (N=95). The evaluation of the data shows that sixth grade students' test scores did improve after receiving D.A.R.E. instruction. However, a two-tailed t-test indicated that the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade groups showed no significant differences. The seventh and eighth graders had equally high or higher test scores than the sixth graders. Results show no significant difference in the use of D.A.R.E. instruction for middle school students. Includes tables depicting the results of the study. (Contains 33 references.) (MKA) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED428317

Meyer, M. D. (1994). Vocabulary Acquisition: A New Instructional Method in the College Developmental Reading-Writing Classroom. ED370079 A study examined the effectiveness of a theory-based classroom instructional method for teaching the vocabulary acquisition process with college developmental reading-writing students. Subjects, 28 students in two sections of developmental freshmen composition, followed a step-by-step procedure in each of five unit plans. The objective of the procedure was to teach students to learn how to understand the 10 most important words in context for each unit and how to learn to move the words from their receptive (listening and reading) to their expressive (speaking and writing) vocabularies. Results indicated that (1) a 98% success rate on vocabulary quizzes was achieved; (2) students began to use their dictionaries habitually; (3) every student passed the final exam; (4) not one student failed the course or withdrew; and (5) the instructor experienced collaborative learning as a process as the students and the instructor worked together on all steps in the procedure. (Contains 15 references and five figures of quizzes and writing assignments.) (RS) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED370079

Michalak, K. A. (1997). Improving Multimedia Technology Usage in an Alternative Secondary School by Infusing Training into the Classroom. ED412929 This program was developed and implemented to enhance multimedia training to optimize multimedia usage in the classroom and reduce negative behaviors in a target group of middle school and high school science students in the exceptional student education (ESE) classroom. Exceptional student education provides alternative education for disruptive middle and high school students. A target group of 13 ESE students and two ESE teachers was established for the program. The objectives for the program were for: 100% of the students to increase knowledge, comfort level, and build enthusiasm for technology; 80% of the target students to increase their behavior grades by one point on a five point scale; 100% of the target students to complete a full multimedia project by the end of the project with a grade of 85%; and for 100% of the participants to rate the training modules a three or above on a scale of one to five. All program objectives were met with the target group improving dramatically in all areas. Appendices include a pre- and post-teacher/student multimedia survey, participant information, project evaluation, post interview, permission to participate letter, technology usage chart, grant from MSTAT, inservice agenda, project checklist, student to student critique, and software evaluation. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/SWC) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED412929

Miller, C. A. (1995). Improving Motivation in Eighth Grade Students. ED394099 This report describes a program for improving motivation of eighth grade students. Attendance, grades, discipline referrals, and student surveys were used in measuring changes in student attitudes. Problems were documented from data showing grades, attendance, and discipline referrals from the second semester of the 1994-95 school year. A student survey was administered at the beginning of the 1995-96 school year measuring student attitudes toward school, teachers, homework, and grades. Probable cause data showed that these problems relate, in part, to a lack of parental involvement, perhaps due to a shifting away from neighborhood schools. A large number of single family homes and the negative peer pressure sometimes associated with middle school were also factors contributing to a lack of motivation in students. Intrinsic motivation was shown by the research to be the only real long-term solution. This resulted in a three-pronged strategy for improving motivation. Parental contact was increased, the seven intelligences were addressed, and cooperative learning groups were established. These actions were taken toward increasing student self-esteem, success, and therefore, motivation. While interventions seemed to have little effect on the students with grade point averages above 2.0, or "C," at-risk students showed some improvement in all measured areas other than attendance. Contains eight appendices of materials used. (Author/JBJ) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED394099

Miller, E. E., Graves-Desai, K., Ed., &Maloney, K., Ed. (1996). The Harvard Education Letter, 1996. ED433115 This document is comprised of volume 12 of the Harvard Education Letter, published bimonthly and addressing current issues in elementary-secondary education. Articles in this volume include the following: (1) January- February"Early Reports From Kentucky on Cash Rewards for 'Successful' Schools Reveal Many Problems" (Miller), "New Ideas Like Collective Incentives and Skill-Based Pay Raise the Same Old Questions" (Sadowski, Miller); "Recognizing Signs of Stress Is the First Step in Keeping Kids from Living in the Streets" (Posner), (2) March-April"Whole Language or Phonics? Teachers and Researchers Find the Middle Ground Most Fertile" (Matson), "The Case of Invented Spelling: How Theory Becomes Target Practice" (Miller), "Creating Family Stories Leads Students to a Richer Understanding of U.S. History" (Gow, Davino); (3) May-June"Perception Versus Reality: School Uniforms and the 'Halo Effect'" (Posner), "Five Reasons Students Plagiarize, and What Teachers Can Do about It" (Tarlin), "Kidding Ourselves about School Dropout Rates" (Fossey), "'But Indians Aren't Real': What Young Children Learn about Native Americans" (Reese); (4) July-August"Idealists and Cynics: The Micropolitics of Systemic School Reform" (Miller), "Hard-Won Lessons from the School Reform Battle: A Conversation with Ted Sizer," "The Disheartening Work of School Reform" (Sizer); (5) September-October"Mathematics and Science Standards: What Do They Offer the Middle Grades?" (Wheelock), "Urban Middle-Grades Reform: Foundations Keep Trying" (Lewis); "Goals 2000: Pork or Progress?" (Lewis); and (6) November-December"Just Like Starting Over: The Promises and Pitfalls of Block Scheduling" (Sadowski), "Getting Kids into the Picture: Student Drawings Help Teachers See Themselves More Clearly" (Tovey), "What's So Bad about the Lecture?" (Birk). Regular features include letters to the editor and summaries of recent educational research. (KB) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED433115

Mizelle, N. B. (August 1999). Helping Middle School Students Make the Transition into High School. ED432411 Young adolescents entering high school look forward to having more choices and making new and more friends; however, they also are concerned about being picked on and teased by older students, having harder work, making lower grades, and getting lost in a larger, unfamiliar school. For middle school students, including those who have been labeled "gifted" or "high- achieving," the transition into high school can be an unpleasant experience. This Digest discusses how educators can ease students' transition into high school by providing challenging and supportive middle school environments and by providing well-designed transition programs. These programs should include activities that provide information to students and parents, activities that provide social support, and activities that bring middle and high school educators together. Finally, the importance of parents being involved in their young adolescent students' transition from middle to high school can hardly be overestimated, and parent involvement in the transition process can be encouraged through a variety of activities, including conferences with the high school counselors and school visits. (LPP) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED432411

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_____. (1998). Remedial Education in Higher Education Institutions. Indicator of the Month. ED415747 This brief report uses tables and narrative to summarize data on remedial education provided in higher education institutions, including the percentage of institutions offering remedial courses and the percentage of freshmen who enroll in these courses. The data indicate that: (1) the percentage of freshmen enrolled in remedial courses and the percentage of institutions offering remedial courses was similar in 1989 and 1995; (2) in 1995, freshmen were more likely to enroll in a remedial mathematics course than a remedial reading or writing course; this percentage had increased since 1989; (3) in 1995, freshmen in public two-year colleges were almost twice as likely to enroll in remedial courses than freshmen in public four-year institutions; (4) almost all public two-year institutions, about three-quarters of public four-year institutions, and about half of private four-year institutions offered remedial writing and mathematics courses; and (5) remedial reading, writing, and mathematics courses were offered in a larger percentage of institutions with high minority enrollment than in institutions with low minority enrollment. (DB) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED415747

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_____. (September 1999). Reading Matters: Information and Ideas from the Middle School Reading Special Interest Group, a Part of the International Reading Association. ED435090 This collection of brief articles, targeting middle school educators, features ideas for reading improvement. The following articles are included: "Special Ed Students Should Read and Re-read for Fluency"; "Collaboration between Special Education and Regular Education: What It Is and How We Make It Work" (Deborah LeGrande); "Newspapers, an Excellent Source for Classroom Activities"; and "Reading Groups Improve Student Comprehension." (NKA) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED435090

Stebbins, S. (1999 Length: 16 Page(s); 1 Microfiche). The School Attitudes of a Group of Working-Class Girls. ED429149 Ethnographic field research done with a group of working class girls in upstate New York examined the structures of schools that maintain gender and class distinctions and the culture of the girls themselves. Most of the field work was participant-observation at after-school and summer programs at a Girls Incorporated site in a mid-sized industrialized city over four years. The field work concentrated on 25 girls. These students tended to see their learning experience as adversarial, being yelled at and told to be quiet. The subjects doubted their abilities and felt no real sense of involvement in their educational process. Findings also show the extent to which working class girls and women find themselves trying to catch up in a constantly changing world of middle-class standards, behaviors, and attitudes. Children, and especially girls, who attend schools that still stress rote learning, adherence to authority, and do not demand more academically of students, cannot compete for jobs and careers that require abstract and critical thinking skills. (Contains 15 references.) (SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED429149

Stokrocki, M. P. L. (2000). Integrating a Middle School Art Course with an Anthropological Theme. ED441733 This case study outlines the program that a teacher developed to integrate a course entitled "Southwest Cultures through Art" for middle school students around an anthropological theme. The course featured units on collage, petroglyphs, and pottery but mostly vernacular architecture. The case starts with a description of the context and participants, an overview of the course, and instructional content in action. A report of the architecture project, working problems, and an example of a student group final presentation is given. The study ends with teachers' and students' responses to the project and conclusions and suggestions for future development. (Author/KC) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED441733

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_____. (1995). TASP and the Effectiveness of Remediation. Annual Report. ED394478 This report describes the evaluation of the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) which provides assessment and academic support for students entering Texas public institutions of higher education. The report includes a trend analysis of year- end TASP Test results and a cohort analysis of academic performance for 431,737 students tested for the program for academic years 1989-90 through 1993-94. Trend analysis shows the raw numbers for all students, except Whites, attempting the TASP Test continues to increase. Asian students appear to have more difficulty with language assessments of reading and writing, while other students have more difficulty with the mathematics assessment. All minorities except Asians appear to be increasing in proportion of overall passing rates. Cohort analysis shows that students who completed required remediation are performing in college at levels generally comparable to those students who did not require remediation. Seven appendixes provide the Texas Education Code authorizing the program, TASP Test Skills List, TASP Test results, and cohort data and outcome indicators by ethnicity. (JPB) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED394478

_____. (1997). The Scope and Effectiveness of Remedial/Developmental Education in Illinois Public Universities and Community Colleges. ED411008 In 1996, the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Community College Board jointly conducted a survey of remedial/developmental education in the state's public community colleges and universities. Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System were analyzed for 1995-96 and surveys were distributed to all public colleges and universities requesting information on the scope of remedial/developmental education, its cost, and the effectiveness of such efforts. Results, based on responses from 39 colleges and 12 universities, included the following: (1) 14% of community college students took at least one remedial/developmental course in 1995-96 and about 7% of university undergraduates did, compared to national figures of 17% for public community colleges and 11% for public universities; (2) 9 out of 10 Illinois students who took a remedial/developmental course did so at a community college; (3) two- thirds of university and 60% of community college remedial credit hours generated in 1995-96 were in mathematics; (4) 1% of university and 6.5% of community college direct salary costs were for remedial/developmental courses; and (5) over three-quarters of the colleges and the majority of universities tracked remedial students' progress in subsequent college-level coursework. Contains 11 references. Appendixes provide a list of related Board reports, a description of the survey methodology, and the survey instrument. (HAA) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED411008

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Walker, C. M. (1999 Length: 19 Page(s); 1 Microfiche). The Effect of Different Pedagogical Approaches on Mathematics Students' Achievement. ED431011 The primary objective of this research was to examine the relationship between student achievement in mathematics and pedagogical approach used by middle school mathematics teachers in the United States who participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. In this research, student achievement was explored at the item, rather than test, level with the thought that differences might be found only at this micro level. It was hypothesized that middle school mathematics students whose teachers utilized a more student-centered, or constructivist, pedagogical approach would have a higher probability of obtaining the correct answer to mathematics items that measured conceptual, rather than procedural, understanding. This hypothesis was explicitly tested using differential item functioning analyses. Results support the hypothesis, although not as strongly as had been expected. An appendix contains the teacher survey. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure, and 10 references.) (Author/SLD) http://eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&newSearch=true&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED431011

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