Search

This Urban Texas School District Restorative Discipline Practice (RDP) initiative was founded and funded on the description that RDP is designed to proactively build relationships, improve school climate, and reduce suspensions of African American (AA) males. This RDP phenomenon was reactively implemented in a Reset Center where suspended students remain in a nonpunitive on-campus classroom to reset emotions and build relationships in real time. Seven coordinators of the district's 52 compensatory middle and high schools were of the same minority ethnicities as their students, experienced teachers, continuously RDP trained, in the program since its 3-year inception and were in aligning feeder schools. This study relied on responses obtained from eight semi-structured interview questions and a demographic Qualtrics survey. Data were obtained from coordinators' perceptions of implementing RD strategies in a reset center while improving schoolwide prosocial skills and relationships among students and staff. Participants conveyed their confidence in the effectiveness of restorative communication, both in individual interactions and within small peace circles involving students and teachers, thereby contributing to the first theme. The second theme emphasized the significance of teachers understanding their students to foster relationships and mitigate classroom disruptions and insubordination referrals. The third theme underscored the importance of cultivating prosocial skills, such as friendliness, kindness, and respect, among students and teachers. Additionally, the fourth theme brought attention to the necessity of equipping classrooms with calming corners and de-escalation tools and mandating the implementation of deep breathing and meditation practices for emotional de-escalation, intended for staff and students. Further research is needed through climate surveys and quantitative studies to validate the effectiveness of these proposed schoolwide norms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

According to a 1996 study by the National Center for Education Statistics, 75% of America's colleges offer remedial courses and 29% of first-time freshmen take them. Community colleges typically spend more on remedial education than do four-year institutions, and they are anticipating increased demand for such programs. The study cites Howard Gardner, who identified eight different intelligences--musical, kinesthetic, mathematical, spatial, linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Gardner argues that Multiple Intelligences (MI) offers an intelligence fair means to consider an individual's potential. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify the dominant domains, specific skills, and predominant intellectual styles of remedial community college students using the Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS) instrument; (2) to determine whether statistically significant differences exist among students in their identification of a particular dominant domain, specific skill, or intellectual style in regard to the variables of gender, age, and ethnicity; and (3) to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between teachers and students in their identification of dominant MI domains. Data was compiled from responses from 81 students in remedial classes at College of the Redwoods in California. Highlights of data analysis include: Women rated themselves higher in seven out if the eight MI domains; men rated themselves higher only in the kinesthetic domain; no significant differences were shown between minority and white students. (Contains 17 tables, five figures, 17 appendices, and 115 references.) (NB)

This study examined the relationship between preschool attendance and placement in compensatory education and retention rates in grades kindergarten through 3. Participating were 292 students in kindergarten through grade 3 in 1994-96 at a small elementary school serving a lower to middle class population in West Virginia. Students were placed into two groups based on preschool attendance; the number of students not attending preschool was selected randomly from the non-preschool group to comprise a sample equal in number to the group of children which had attended preschool. The two groups were compared for school retention and placement in compensatory education programs such as Title 1 Reading or Math, speech therapy, or services for children with learning disabilities. Findings indicated that students who had been in preschool were less likely to have been retained or placed in compensatory education programs than students who had no preschool experience. About 18 percent of the students in the preschool group received compensatory education or had been retained, in comparison to 50 percent in the non-preschool group. (Contains 19 references.) (KB)

The purpose of this study was to examine whether computer-assisted instruction integrated with lecture/discussion would improve student performance in developmental English when compared to a traditional lecture/discussion instructional method. A total of 180 community college students were enrolled in one of six sections of developmental English. Two-full time instructors each conducted one traditional lecture/discussion and each facilitated one section of the computer-assisted program using the INVEST software and one section of the computer-assisted program using the PLATO software. The research questions addressed were: (1) Is there a difference in achievement among students who are taught developmental English using either software as compared to students who receive instruction through traditional methods? (2) Is there are difference in achievement among students in Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree programs who are taught developmental English using either software as compare to students receive instruction through traditional methods? The Multiple Assessment Programs and Services (MAPS) language arts pretest and posttest scores were used to measure writing achievement for all groups. A one-way Analysis of Covariance was used to analyze the relative effectiveness of the different instructional methods and to determine if differences existed between writing scores of Associate of Arts degree-seeking students and Associate of Science degree-seeking students by the different instructional methods. The results of this study support the research on the effectiveness of the computer-assisted instructional method for developmental English students. Contains 48 references. (Author)

Due to changes in agriculture and the resulting decline in numbers of migrant families, many migrant programs must redefine job responsibilities and retrain and reassign migrant support personnel. This practicum was aimed at retraining migrant educational and health support personnel in the job skills necessary to move into available Chapter 1 Basic home-school liaison positions. A preliminary study documented the school district's decline in number of eligible migrant students and estimated the consequent loss of federal aid. A job skills inventory determined the skills necessary for the home-school liaison position. A review of the literature examined rationales and strategies for midcareer retraining. Displaced personnel attended workshops and skill development sessions, held on the job and after hours. Current migrant funds financed the retraining; migrant and Chapter 1 Basic funds were comingled since the newly trained liaisons would provide services to both migrant and Chapter 1 students and their families. Written procedures were developed for the retraining process. Currently employed Chapter 1 resource teachers were assigned as mentors and peer coaches for the trainees. The newly trained liaisons conducted a self-esteem workshop for migrant and Chapter 1 parents. Positive project evaluations were received from the trainees, their mentors, and parents. This paper contains 40 references, parent questionnaires, participant attitude surveys, and competency checklists completed by mentors. (SV)

A study was done to develop and evaluate a program designed to improve the academic and personal achievement of Hispanic American high school students. The study posited that the causes of Hispanic American students' belief that they could not achieve were: (1) dysfunctional learned behaviors; and (2) acculturation difficulties. Using findings on dysfunctional families, a 16-session biweekly small group module was developed to address students' learned behavior and acculturation difficulties. Themes of acculturation, personal growth, academic success, and professional development were included along with an achievement strategy. Nine of 11 volunteer students finished the program. Results were measured using pretests and posttests, attitudinal surveys, student journals, homework assignments, and a final student written report. Three students experienced a slight overall positive difference in attitude, and six students experienced negative changes. The negative variation was interpreted to mean that the program made the students aware of their own problems. In addition, students did not show the expected positive cognitive improvement in their grades on tests administered during the program. Appendixes contain the Family Drinking Survey, the Recovery Potential Survey, the short essay test sample, and a form for entering students' results. Included are 7 tables, 1 figure, and 121 references. (JB)

This study was conducted to identify a difference between preschool teachers' and school-based administrators' perceptions of critical issues and the numerical ranking assigned to those issues in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' (North Carolina) Chapter 1 Preschool Program. The study tested three hypotheses, and sought to ascertain what teachers and administrators understood to be critical issues in Chapter 1 education, the difference between rankings of the issues, value placed on the program, and the relationship between length of experience with the program and value assigned to it. The study involved administering 2 surveys based on the Delphi Technique to 34 preschool teachers, 11 principals, and 12 assistant principals. The rate of return of usable surveys for each round of mailings was 57 and 56 percent, respectively. Analysis of the responses found that there was a difference between the responses of the 2 groups and that of 10 issues, only 2 were ranked the same by teachers and administrators. Overall, it appears that teachers have a micro-level perspective focused on individual classroom concerns. Administrators have a macro-level perspective, evaluating prioritized needs of all program components. Included are an appendix containing samples of the correspondence, forms, and instruments used; and 40 references. (JB)

Previous research indicates that typical district budgeting practices mask large between-school teacher compensation expenditures (TCE) differences, that teacher sorting drives those TCE differences, and that TCE differences drive overall resource inequities. While scarce accurate school-level resource data has hindered intradistrict equity research, extant analyses have shown substantial TCE differences disadvantage schools with more non-white, poor and low-performing students. Though compelling, these findings are limited empirically because they examine small numbers of districts and conceptually because they examine average salaries, which cannot control for between-school differences in pupil-teacher ratios or student compensatory needs that could legitimately alter TCE between schools. Empirically, this study expands evidence of intradistrict inequities by measuring TCE variation using universe teacher-salary data for schools and districts in 16 states. Conceptually, this study allows for improved intradistrict TCE equity comparisons through a novel weighting approach that adjusts per-pupil TCE to control for differences in schools' compensatory needs and pupil-teacher ratios. Using detailed data for four states, each district's "de facto" staff-allocation weights are estimated and used to weight schools' student counts to statistically control for different allocations of teachers relative to student compensatory needs. Schools' TCE is indexed by weighted pupil counts to control for legitimate TCE differences associated with compensatory needs. By measuring TCE at the student level while controlling for compensatory needs, this weighted per-pupil TCE approach provides a more precise measure of intradistrict TCE equity than the average salaries used in previous research. Using descriptive statistics, district-level OLS regressions and hierarchical models on schools within districts, these analyses gauge the scope of TCE inequity and identify the district and school characteristics associated with it. Findings reveal that TCE variation is a widespread district phenomenon, and that districts with greater between-school variation in student poverty, race, and performance have more TCE variation. Within districts, schools with more poor, non-white, and low performing students receive below-average TCE. At the district and school levels, teacher sorting is strongly associated with the distribution of TCE. These findings suggest that intradistrict TCE inequities are widespread and divert targeted compensatory funds. Moreover, intradistrict resource equity deserves increased policy and research attention. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The labor market in America has undergone a fundamental transformation over the past 25 to 30 years. The large loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector has created a dual labor market largely made up of marginal jobs in the retail and service sector (with low wages, inadequate or no fringe benefits, and little or no chance for career advancement) and significantly better white-collar and professional careers (with good pay, adequate benefits and career trajectories) for those with proper academic credentials (Wilson, Mason, & Ewing, 1997). This labor trend had resulted in the shrinking of the traditional middle-class and the frustrating inability of many younger Americans who are struggling financially to maintain the lifestyle of their parents and in many cases are unsuccessful (Newman, 1993). These changes are especially crucial for the at-risk student as they lack both the informal employment contacts and the financial cushion that traditional middle-class students often enjoy. So the emphasis on earning a college credential has increasingly become the determining factor as to who is better qualified to acquire the better jobs. Attaining a college credential is especially crucial to improving the quality of life and economic condition of marginalized groups and historically oppressed individuals which is comprised of a high proportion of at-risk students. Colleges and universities have become increasingly important gatekeepers to acquiring what is, for many at-risk students, the passport to upward social mobility and the realization of the American Dream (Newman, 1993). The purpose of the present study was to explore, describe, and interpret Act 101 students' perceptions of what personal and academic challenges they encountered when first enrolling in college, which support services were most important, and why some eligible students chose not to participate in Act 101 program services. The setting for this qualitative study was 32 community, four-year public and four-year private colleges and universities located throughout Pennsylvania that were participating in the Higher Education Equal Opportunity Program (Act 101). Focus groups were conducted to learn the perceptions and experiences of currently enrolled Act 101 students, program counselors/advisors, and program tutors. The research findings for research question one included personal, financial, accountability, grades, and lack of preparation themes. The research findings for research question two included counseling/advising, program director, tutors, and other service themes. The research findings for question three included personal, outside perceptions, and program service themes. The themes developed from the student responses were consistent with the themes developed from the counselor and tutor themes. These findings were consistent even though the type, availability, and delivery of program services differed at individual institutions as did the cultural backgrounds and residences of the students. Based on the study findings, the researcher concluded that all Act 101 programs that participated in this study shared similar challenges with at-risk students. The researcher further concluded that all Act 101 programs could benefit if similar types, availability, and delivery approaches of program services were utilized in meeting the needs of Act 101 student's. The research findings also supported Tinto's Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure which focused on academic and social integration directly impacting student departure decisions. The researcher found that the participants' quotes and developed themes consistently reflected how the availability and delivery of Act 101 program support services created an overall conductive environment to academic and social integration. This integration positively impacted retention and persistence results for at-risk students in every Act 101 program that participated in this study. Finally, we must continue to evolve with the changing times that demand new thinking and a willingness to adopt new approaches in the way we address at-risk student's needs. Designing, implementing, and maintaining effective support services for at-risk students is critical to increasing retention and persistence rates among the at-risk college population. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Funding public schools has been an ongoing struggle since the inception of the United States. Beginning with Jefferson's "A General Diffusion of Knowledge" that charged the states with properly funding public schools, to the current day legal battles that continue in states across the Union, America struggles with finding a solution to adequate and equitable school financing of public education. Texas currently uses a weighted funding approach in that a basic allotment is used for average daily attendance that is then adjusted or increased based upon specific identification of special population subgroups such as gifted and talented, vocational, bilingual, compensatory or special education students. After Judge Dietz's 2004 ruling on "West Orange-Cove v. Neely," districts are further constrained on their school funding by the cap placed on per capita funding based on the 2005-06 maximum entitlement. This has frozen the total amount of funding received by districts on a per student basis in subsequent years based upon the 2005-06 summary of finance without regard to the changes in the students in state programs and the resulting effect on the funding of the regular education student. To further complicate the funding formula, all of the state program subgroups are being funded on a per capita basis, based upon the number of students in each particular program, except for the state compensatory program. Students in the state compensatory program are identified based upon 13 risk indicators. The state compensatory program is funded based upon the number of students receiving free and reduced-price meals, which is not one of the 13 indicators used to identify at-risk students. This study examined the amount of funding on a per capita basis between districts in the state of Texas for at-risk students. In addition, it examined the effect on the regular education student and student achievement. Findings indicated a significant correlation between socially economically disadvantaged students and the per capita funding for at-risk students in addition to a significant correlation between funding for socially economically disadvantaged students and funding for regular education students. In addition, pairwise differences were significant between accountability ratings for 2006 and 2008 for academically acceptable and recognized districts for per capita funding of regular education students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This thesis is composed of two studies which look at the impact of exposure to schooling on achievement growth of children. Both use data from the National Follow Through Evaluation. The first study investigates the hypothesis that the difference in achievement growth between poor and non-poor children is greater during the summer months than during the school year. This hypothesis is studied with achievement test and background data on approximately 1000 children in kindergarten through second grades from Philadelphia. The data are analyzed in three ways, and the three analyses are seen to produce roughly the same pattern of results. Under each approach, the first grade results provide strong support for the hypothesis, while the second grade results provide moderate support, with kindergarten results being inconclusive. The second study involves an analysis of data from a small experiment designed to test the hypothesis that participation in a summer program increases achievement growth and that this increase is maintained throughout the following school year. The findings from three of the four programs used are quite similar and indicate that the programs do have a substantial short term effect on achievement, and that a portion of this effect is maintained throughout the following school year. (Author/AM)

The problems stated for this study were: (1) to determine the additional cost per month of reading gain in the Dougherty County reading program--funded under Title I of the 1965 Elementary Secondary Education Act--for elementary students (grades 1-6); (2) to compare the previous cost per month of gain for students enrolled in the Title I program with cost per month of gain in innovative reading activities; and (3) to determine the rate of increase in reading growth which may be attributed to the Title I program in Dougherty County, Georgia, 1973-74. Subjects included 1,120 students in 12 elementary schools in Dougherty, Georgia, who were enrolled in a Title I reading project utilizing the center concept and individually prescribed instruction with 13 teachers and 13 aides. Since these students were pulled from the bottom of the lowest academic strata there was no control group available for comparison; therefore, history of previous gain as calculated from the pretest means was used as a basis for determination of difference. Teachers were trained and supervised throughout the school year in both reading skills and management techniques. All data indicated significant improvement in the ratio of reading gains for all grade levels. It was concluded that it cost less to teach better when cost is based on amount of reading gain per dollar expenditure. (Author/JM)

The director of a Head Start Day Care and Family Resource Center (which is the only licensed group child care and early childhood education facility serving Native Americans in the rural southwest) implemented a practicum intervention designed to inform the tribal central finance office about the goals and financial needs of the child care center. Specific aims were to: (1) improve service from the finance office to the center; (2) increase the knowledge of the finance office staff about the operation and administrative needs of the center and vice versa; and (3) improve the attitude of the staff of each program and office concerning the staff of the other program and office. Appropriate areas for in-service training were identified through administration of a questionnaire designed to obtain baseline data on current knowledge and through informal interviews with members of both staff groups. Subsequently, eight training sessions were conducted by the center director for the finance staff, and finance staff provided two training sessions for the center staff. The sessions covered philosophy, goals, activities, and financial needs. Evaluation data indicate the positive outcomes of the intervention. Related materials are included in 10 appendices and include: (1) findings and recommendations; (2) correspondence from federal funding agency; (3) questions and responses from informal interviews; (4) two examples of staff meeting agenda; (5) pre-post training questionnaire and responses from pre-training administration; (6) one example of center staff meeting agenda; (7) training plan; (8) memo to finance staff, re: training; (9) personnel breakdown and vendor list and supplies; and (10) example of project progress notes. (RH)

A practicum was designed to provide an intervention for preschoolers who were at risk for academic difficulties. A developmentally appropriate curriculum was used to increase the developmental levels of the children, and training was provided to parents to enhance their parenting skills and knowledge, and consequently to guarantee the stability of the children's developmental gains. Of 157 children in 3 preschool units in 2 school districts, 67 were identified as at risk for academic difficulties. Pre- and post-test data were taken to assess children's gains. Results indicated that the intervention was successful. Significant gains were seen in children's development in cognition, self-care, language, perception, and fine and gross motor functions, and in social and emotional development. Parents demonstrated active involvement in their children's development, and their parenting skills and knowledge of early childhood development increased. Appended are related materials and a list of 58 references. (GLR)

The negative impact of low attendance and the lack of effective, alternative classroom learning strategies are factors that mitigate against student interest and success in mathematics, particularly with respect to inner-city at-risk students. The goal of this practicum was to improve the problem-solving skills of a group of 50 alternative high school students by strengthening these students' appreciation of and interest in mathematics, by increasing students' schedule of attendance in scheduled mathematics classes, and by improving students' performance on the school's standardized basic skills test in mathematics. For a period of three months, computers, manipulatives, cooperative groups, and Socratic questioning in the mathematics classroom were used to address a variety of learning preferences. No measurable differences could be noted from the pre- and post-test interest survey responses. However, improved student performance and documented increases in class attendance suggest that the design of mathematics instruction to accommodate differences in students' learning preferences is an effective strategy for addressing the unique needs of the at-risk alternative high school student. The report includes 28 references and the student and teacher questionnaires. (JJK)

A school psychologist implemented a practicum intervention designed to increase services to all students eligible for Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) and Children At Risk Educationally (CARE) programs in 12 elementary school districts in the rural Midwest. Objectives of the intervention were that: (1) superintendents in all school districts in the county that had enough students eligible for CARE/ECSE to justify adding a classroom would do so; and (2) the names of all children eligible for CARE/ECSE be put on a class list. Both objectives were to be met before the beginning of the next school year. County superintendents were interviewed and board meeting reports were reviewed in an effort to determine whether the district would provide CARE/ECSE classrooms for the coming school year. The list of eligible students and the school districts' class lists were reviewed to determine whether each eligible student was enrolled in a class. As a result of the intervention, classrooms were provided in districts that had not provided local service, and students identified as eligible were enrolled. In the future, more students will remain in their home district, parent visits to school and classroom will be more convenient, and students will benefit from participation in integrated classrooms. (RH)

Through a longitudinal study of compensatory education programs conducted by the school district of River Rouge, Michigan, the question as to whether the application of an interorganizational change model produces significant improvements was tested. The compensatory education program, both before the interorganizational model and after it, was analyzed in terms of changes in instructional programs, teacher performance, inservice training activities, and student performance. Data were obtained from official documents, written records, and written accounts. The case study was employed as the method to illustrate change. Data were analyzed by historical comparison methods, and a panel of experts served as independent evaluators. A number of findings were derived from the study: (1) instructional programming changed mainly from remediation at a fixed pace before the interorganizational model to remediation and individualization afterwards; (2) a statistical significant change in teacher behavior occurred after the model; and (3) although inservice was fragmended and content oriented before the model, inservice was systematically conducted after induction of the model. Major conclusions drawn from the study include the following: (1) application of the interorganizational model resulted in increased use of individualized instructional material; (2) use of the model resulted in significant improvement in teacher behavior; (3) inservice training activities were more effective after the model; and (4) student academic performance improved significantly. (Author/AM)

The thesis examines the feasibility of several methods for providing remedial high school level education to Marine Corps enlisted personnel. It includes a review of recent Marine Corps enlistment experience and the serviceman's need for education. Also considered are the congressional and Marine Corps requirements for servicemen to process a high school education and the present provisions which allow completion of secondary schooling, with emphasis on the Predischarge Education Program (PREP). This precedes an analysis of alternative methods for providing this education with a view toward expected costs and benefits. Research in support of this study consists of a review of applicable public laws and Marine Corps Orders. Personal interviews with administrators of PREP at three major military bases in California provided basic information and data. (Author)

To investigate the effects of Title I reading programs and the relationships of relevant sets of variables to student achievement, this study sought to determine the unique, and the common, contributions of background, mental ability, program, and parental involvement to the variance in reading comprehension and vocabulary scores for Title I students enrolled in remedial or corrective reading programs. The sample included 877 students in grades four to six in Rhode Island, for whom there were appropriate pretest and posttest scores available from the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests. Data were collected via state reporting forms, and the return rate was nearly 100%. Results for the vocabulary analysis indicated that background, mental ability, program, and parental involvement sets accounted for 7%, 13%, 9%, and 9% of the variance, respectively. The figures for comprehension were 7%, 25%, 5%, and 4%, respectively. Negative commonalities found in the analysis of joint contributions are discussed and interpretations given. Recommendations are included for future work in the areas of compensatory education, school effects research, and commonality analysis techniques. (Author/AA)

This study evaluated the reading component of a compensatory education program designed to aid college students whose skills are not sufficient to meet the demands of required English and other courses in the basic studies curriculum. The reading course is required for students who score below 550 on the SAT verbal subtest and who score poorly on the comprehension subtest of the Cooperative English Tests. The subjects were 154 freshmen and 88 transfer students, who took the reading class in the fall of 1974. The course met three times a week during the semester and utilized two college reading texts, the students' content-area texts, and teacher-prepared materials. At the end of the semester, posttesting indicated that all students made significant gains in comprehension. For comparison of grade point averages (GPA), randomly selected records of 154 regular students were analyzed. The mean GPAs of the special freshmen, special transfers, and regular freshmen were 2.3, 2.4, and 2.6, respectively. (Author/MKM)

This research project investigated the differences in reading achievement levels between students enrolled in Title I compensatory education programs and other students in the same school. Both groups also were compared to similar students in a school which did not receive Title I benefits. The evaluation process was based on an analysis of end-of-the-year test scores for a period of eight years, from eight schools for grades one through six. The scores were divided into two groups: those above the median of the publisher's norm and those in the first quarter of the norms. Five of the schools were Title I schools, while three were not. Student reading achievement levels were examined for the difference between mean reading scores and for the percentage of students in either group. An analysis of the results indicated that there was no change in the difference between the mean scores due to the compensatory program. (Author/MKM)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role, practices, and status of Parent Advisory Committees (PAC) as required by Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and the extent of PAC involvement in the educational decision making process in selected school districts in Texas. The sample consisted of 637 Title I PAC members representing school districts located in 41 of Texas' 254 counties. Data were gathered from responses in 176 Texas school districts to (1) an 80 item PAC member questionnaire, and, (2) a 19 item administrator questionnaire. The PAC questionnaire was designed to provide (1) personal knowledge about the participant, (2) knowledge and understanding of PAC members regarding Title I guidelines, objectives, participation, etc. (3) the role and activities of the PACs, and, (4) personal opinions and feelings on a variety of issues related to the PACs. The administrator questionnaire was directed at eliciting the type of problems encountered in the districts regarding parental involvement through the PACs, and the planning practices discovered in parental involvement through the Title I PACs. (Author/JM)

The study was conceived as a critique of the bilingual education curricula generated by the Bilingual Education Act, with specific reference to the Puerto Rican collectivity in the United States. Six criteria were developed, drawing from the integration of theories of social action and language usage. The criteria were then applied to specific bilingual education programs and to the Bilingual Education Act itself. The study took a critical science approach for the analysis of the social role ascribed to bilingual schooling within the existing social system. It explored the relationship between value orientation and communication codes. It also examined the theoretical assumptions underlying the Bilingual Education Act and its expressed rationale within the concept of compensatory education. The study includes a review of the social and historical background of bilingual schooling in the United States and in Puerto Rico. It also advances some of the implications of presently existing bilingual programs for the educational experience of Puerto Ricans in the United States. Areas for further research are noted in closing. (Author/JM)

This dissertation investigates the efforts of one program, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Upward Bound Program, to combat the detrimental results of poverty. By means of a questionnaire and interview the study specifically evaluates the following five major areas of impact in the students' lives: self, family, friends, academics, and school, and the significance of the future. Twelve Upward Bound graduates from the year 1972 participated in the study. The results of the study show that every student was overwhelmingly influenced in at least four of the five areas under investigation, and perhaps in all five. A significant number of subjects disclosed that because of Upward Bound, their activities with friends changed and their high school curricular changed. The results continually pointed to three additional significant areas of impact on the Upward Bound students. They were; the development of political awareness and sophistication, the development of a spirit of synergism, and the development of an understanding, appreciation, and respect for other individuals and cultures. An examination of the students' financial backgrounds and current situations was also made. Also discussed are the following other areas of influence: Upward Bound families; Upward Bound Staff; non-Upward Bound students; community agencies; and local, state, and federal politicians. (Author/JM)

This dissertation investigates the factors operant during the high school years which facilitate or inhibit the entrance into college of a group of low-income students in a New York City high school. A qualitative approach is used to examine a group of students in a compensatory education program, the transactions that occurred between them, their educational environment as they perceived it, and their social world. A review of the literature considered in this study includes topics such as the relationship of education to occupational attainment and factors influencing school achievement. A section on people, setting, and treatment discusses antecedents to the program and the specific program itself. Two case studies of a pair of students who contradicted the predictions are described along with two additional case studies of a pair of students whose completion might have been predicted. A concluding discussion examines each pair of terms of similarities and differences, and both pairs in terms of such foci as differential experiences of the program, group membership, and others. Three categories comprising the mix of person-program qualities resulting in completion or non-completion of the program are presented. A series of general implications and implications for counselor training are also included. (Author/AM)

Forty third-grade students who were reading below third-grade level and who were identified as educationally deprived participated in a study of the effectiveness of the TARMAC reading program. Twenty students were randomly selected for the experimental group; the other 20 served as a control. The Stanford Achievement Test was administered as a posttest to both groups. Analyses of results indicated that, compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant differences in vocabulary knowledge, word-reading, reading comprehension, word study skills, and social studies grades. (Author/AA)

Forty-nine sophomore students identified from reading and nonverbal IQ scores received remedial reading instruction, based on individual, diagnostic reading evaluations, in small classes of 10 to 15 students for one hour each day of the school year. Thirty-four received remedial instruction for the full academic year; 15 received instruction for at least nine weeks but for less than a full academic year. A control group was matched with the experimental students for sex, grade level, reading achievement, and nonverbal IQ. A variety of data was gathered, including reading and IQ scores, grade point averages, school absences, class cuts, suspensions from school, and attitudes toward reading. Results indicated that remedial reading instruction in grade 10 did not significantly affect reading achievement in grade 12 or school-related behavior as measured by the selected behavior variables. Results were interpreted as supporting previous findings that short-term compensatory education does not produce significant long-term effects on objective measures of achievement or on school-related behavior. (Author/AA)

This study examined differences between the academic achievement of third-grade students who had had Head Start experiences prior to entering public schools and the achievement of similar students who had not had Head Start experiences. Seven third-grade classes enrolled in public schools, as well as in a Follow Through program, participated in the study. Results from a standardized achievement test indicated that, in general, there is no significant difference in the academic achievement of the two groups of students, in the third grade or in either of the two preceding years. Analyses are reported for subgroups based on the race and sex of the students, as well as for the total group. (Author/AA)

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the need for alternative administrative patterns in elementary schools which receive State and Federal compensatory education funds. Findings show that: (1) compensatory education principals indicated that they spent a significantly greater amount of time than did noncompensatory education principals in matters relating to instructional aides, parent advisory committees, and resource teachers, (2) there were no identifiable general job areas which were more directly related in terms of individuals and/or groups with whom the principal works to the work of the principal in a noncompensatory education school, (3) both groups studied spent similar amounts of time per week on school related business, (4) noncompensatory education principals indicated that professional activities related to working with students, teachers, and curriculum development, make the greatest demands on their time whereas compensatory education principals indicated that matters related to plant management, State and Federal program operation, and student discipline make the greatest time demands, and (5) noncompensatory education principals indicated that, if more time were available, they would do a better job of working with students and staff in counseling and curriculum, and would generate closer relationships within the community, whereas compensatory education principals indicated that they would spend more time in the area of curriculum development. (Author/AM)

Using a developmental research model, this longitudinal study focused on the academic development throughout secondary education of participants in a Midwestern Upward Bound project. The study attempted to determine whether the participants collectively demonstrated significant gains in achievement as a direct result of involvement in Upward Bound and assessed whether the school input factors (facilities, quality of the educational process, individualized instruction, and expenditures for compensatory education programs) were significant determinants of program success and the academic development of the students. Findings indicated that the Upward Bound program has been successful in meeting its goals and objectives. Most participants made academic gains, persisted in secondary education, and graduated. Many participants aspired to and gained admission to postsecondary institutions. (Author/MK)

Within the purview of a Chapter One Basic Program, this practicum initiated a 3-month intervention in oral language development for minority group first grade students with language differences and delayed speech who attended Gove Elementary School, Belle Glade, Florida, Goals for students included extension of mean length of utterance (MLU), and growth in general cognitive ability. Goals for the school and the program were: an increase in awareness of the relationship between oral language development and reading and an awareness of the need for a developmental program in oral language. Intervention involved various activities, including rhythms and movement, dramatization, language experience, and sentence patterning. Evaluation data showed an extension of MLU of nearly 34 percent, a growth in function words of 42 percent, and an overall growth in Piagetian seriation, numeration, and discrimination tasks of 19 percent. As a result of the intervention, plans were made to modify the Chapter One Basic Compensatory Program to include language experience and oral language components. Related materials are appended, including diagnostic material such as the Sentence Repetition Technique; Piagetian tasks of discrimination, seriation, and numeration; and descriptions of activities, including Magic Circle, Getting Ready, dictating the shared conversation, sentence patterns, ball rhythms, categories, reading lips, and spontaneous group talk. (Author/RH)

This practicum was designed in response to the observation that very young children who accompanied Head Start parents assisting in Head Start classrooms were observed to be either extremely withdrawn or extremely active. The practicum was implemented to improve the relationships of parents and their infants and toddlers. Practicum goals were to provide parents with opportunities to increase: (1) parenting competencies; (2) knowledge of infant and toddler development; (3) knowledge of parent education resources; and (4) feelings of self-esteem. To attain these goals, six informational workshops, six mother-baby play sessions, and home visits were conducted. In addition, a booklet describing activities for mothers and their babies was developed. Evaluation data showed that 18 of 22 parents participating in at least one component of the practicum indicated an increase in self-esteem and in their knowledge of the value of high quality play and infant-toddler development. Furthermore, observations indicated that mothers participating in home visits had increased the quality of play interactions with their babies. Related materials, including the activity booklet, are appended. (RH)

The primary goal of this practicum study was to provide opportunities for Head Start teachers to become knowledgeable of community resources that would encourage their aesthetic awareness and enhance their creative growth. A total of 16 teachers and teacher aides visited a local Dali Museum, a fine arts museum, a planetarium, a historical museum, and a preschool setting for gifted children. In addition, they viewed the productions of a local ballet and a dramatization of a fairy tale by a professional acting group. Participants received visits by artists who specialized in visual arts, creative movement, music, African folklore, and dance. Head Start teachers and children participated in demonstrations by the artists. In a workshop session, teachers developed a storytelling unit, which was implemented in the classroom. Analysis of project evaluation data indicated that after the intervention participants were including more creative learning activities in their classrooms. They were also more aware of community resources available to them. Further, there were indications that the participants were being influenced by the intervention as they planned curriculum experiences for young children. A 33-item list of references is provided. Related materials are appended, including survey forms, interview guides, and tabulations of research results. (RH)

A Head Start education coordinator who supervised personnel associated with nine child care centers implemented a practicum intervention designed to provide a program of cognitive and affective learning experiences that would help teachers and parents nurture prosocial behaviors in preschool children. A total of 23 teachers and teacher aides, 222 children of 4 years of age, and 8 parent volunteers participated in the intervention. Teachers and parents read books with prosocial content to the children. Children and teachers viewed 15 pretaped segments of the "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" television programs. Seminars on social learning theory for parents and teachers were conducted, and teachers and teacher aides participated in a workshop on role-playing. Practicum evaluation data indicated that teachers and teacher aides had increased in awareness of social behaviors and were using role-playing techniques with increased effectiveness. By the end of the intervention, participating children exhibited increased frequencies of helping, sharing, caring, and donating behaviors. Appended materials are related to behavioral observations and records of change, seminar agendas, parent participation, and reading materials for children. (RH)

A practicum designed to facilitate the transition of Head Start children to kindergarten was implemented by the education coordinator of a Head Start program. The program served 945 poverty-level children in 35 classrooms and 20 home-based sites in 35 school districts in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Practicum goals were to prepare children for transition to public school, train parents to aid in transition, and promote cooperation between Head Start and public school districts. Objectives were as follows: (1) training selected Head Start staff to identify transition needs of graduates and work with parents to address children's needs; (2) fostering mutual understanding of Head Start and public school elementary programing through an information sharing and site visitation system; and (3) training up to 100 parents in strategies they could use in transition activities with their children at home during the summer. As a result of the practicum: (1) an interagency task force developed a checklist of kindergarten prerequisite skills; (2) cooperation between the two agencies increased; (3) parents acquired skills they needed to work with the children; (4) cross-site visitation increased awareness between sending and receiving teachers; and (5) parent participation increased. Related materials making up one-third of the document, are appended, including assessment forms and the kindergarten prerequisite skills checklist. (RH)

This practicum addressed the problem of seventh grade compensatory education students' not having adequate instruction, opportunity, or experience to prepare for success in any level of eighth grade English. Overall goals for the practicum were to give instruction in public speaking, to provide opportunities for students to engage in public speaking, and to give students a foundation in oral expression so they might experience greater success in eighth grade. The practicum report contains five chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction (describes the community in which the practicum took place and the researcher's work setting and role); chapter 2: Study of the Problem; chapter 3: Anticipated Outcomes and Evaluation Instruments; chapter 4: Solution Strategy; and chapter 5: Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations. The report's conclusions confirm that students did gain success and a foundation in oral expression through instruction and opportunities for practice. Ten tables of data are included, 13 references are listed, and 17 appendixes containing the seventh and eighth grade curricula in oral expression, 11 types of tests, a survey of English teachers, and a generic evaluation form are attached. (MG)

Investigated were differences between students participating in a compensatory education program and those enrolled in a regular college program. The primary aim of the Thirteen-College Curriculum Program was to stimulate students coming from culturally deprived areas to pursue study at the higher education level by using innovative instructional techniques and materials. The study involved measures of career progress. An examination of 15 variables using chi-square and t-test statistics revealed the following: (1) experimental group students had a lower mean salary than control students; (2) the program students' grade point average decreased significantly the last 2 years of college as contrasted to an increase in averages of control students; (3) both groups, in significant numbers, chose a career in business; and (4) neither group chose teaching more frequently than other careers. The finding considered the most important difference noted in this study was that significantly larger numbers of the program participants (the experimental group) furthered their education by going to graduate school full-time than did the students in the control group. (Author/EB)

The General Curriculum (GC) at Forest Park Community College in Illinois was designed as a one-semester initial-entry program for academically high-risk students. The full-time GC student was required to take a series of basic academic courses in reading, writing, and mathematics, a human potential seminar, a transfer course (Applied Accounting, Introduction to American History, Introduction to American Politics, Introduction to Biology, or Introduction to Sociology), and a general studies course (Basic Humanities, Basic Science, Basic Sociology, City Politics, or Contemporary Science). Such students spent 19 hours per week in class, but earned only 11 or 12 credits depending on the transfer course taken. This study was conducted in order to determine the extent to which academically high-risk students who enter the GC program succeed in college as compared to academically high-risk students who enter the college in the traditional manner. The current program, the method of student selection, and relevant literature are reviewed in detail. Results of an investigation of student records indicate that GC students did not earn higher grades or complete more credit hours and that the program seemed to work against them in that they were required to take a series of basic skills courses which did not count toward a degree. Recommendations are made, and a bibliography is included. (DC)

Recent decades have seen increasing empirical investigation of the value of early educational intervention in challenging the inhibiting developmental effects of socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. A range of interventions involving small children and their families have been the focus of such research. The present research was based upon an evaluation of the implementation by Glastonbury Child and Family Services, a major family support agency in the regional centre of Geelong in Victoria, of the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters program, now known in New Zealand and Australia as the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY). When the two-year version of HIPPY was introduced to Australia in 1998, with newly arrived immigrant in inner Melbourne, it was formally evaluated to be successful with that population. Soon after, in 1999, it was offered for the first time to Australian-born, transgenerationally disadvantaged families of angloceltic origin, in Geelong. This study has focused on the third implementation in Geelong, once the program had been settled in with this new community. Two main lines of inquiry were pursued. The first concerned whether the program operated as planned within this particular context and the second was the examination of program outcomes. The focus on program outcomes went beyond the expected cognitive or learning readiness gains for children to explore the socio-emotional developmental domain of learning readiness. Socio-emotional benefits to parents and Home Tutors were also explored. Complementary qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used with program participants at three points in time, once during the first year of the program, once during its second year, and once during the year after its conclusion. Each stage of data collection involved indepth interviews with family participants and all staff of the program. Formal psychological assessments of aspects of the developmental status of children were conducted at each stage. A strong attempt was made to find a matched control or comparison group, but logistical and methodological problems made this very difficult, such that the comparison group secured was somewhat less disadvantaged than the HIPPY group. Nevertheless, the study found that the HIPPY children kept pace in terms of learning readiness, and demonstrated over time significantly greater gains in socio-emotional development than the comparison group. Parents and staff were also found to benefit socio-emotionally from their participation in the Program. The indepth qualitative interview data revealed changes to the quality of the parent-child relationship, as a function of the early intervention, with parents reporting feeling closer to the child and an enhanced security of attachment from the child to the parent within day-to-day interactions. The study found that HIPPY was directed in general accordance with the standard model of delivery, but with several areas of adaptation in response to the needs of the particular population of families. The child's enthusiasm for the program and the willingness of HIPPY staff to maintain a flexible approach to implementation were found to be the most facilitative factors contributing to the Program's success. The information produced was rich and allowed for the exploration of how participation in the program may have led to the outcomes found. This line of inquiry raised the idea that improvements in the quality of the parent-child relationship may have mediated the positive socio-emotional outcomes found. The findings also suggested the value of involving the interaction of the parent and the child in the intervention designed to challenge disadvantage by changing developmental trajectories.

The problem of this study was to compare the written language development of two groups of disadvantaged children at the end of their fourth year of school.