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Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of nine San Francisco Bay Area high schools in order to study the nature, intensity, and content of the experience of conflict and dissent in relation to the acquisition of generalized attitudes towards it. Educational climate was identified as a significant independent variable and other sources of variation, such as family and peer group environments and personality dimensions, were assessed. A multiple regression equation was formulated to ascertain the relative weight of factors influencing students' toleration of dissent. The most important finding was that neither of the socioeconomic status indicators had a relationship to toleration of dissent in adolescents. Both sex and ethnicity were significant, as were student perception of strictness of family, openness of expression of conflict with friends, and friends' interests in politics. Significant school-related variables included the number of controversial issue courses taken and the student's perception of freedom to express views in a classroom. References, tables, and measurement scales are included. (Author/KSM)

A COMPREHENSIVE PUPIL PERSONNEL AND CURRICULAR DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED FOR USE OF CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLS. THIS SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE GROUPS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGH REGIONAL, DATA PROCESSING CENTERS. THE OVERALL SYSTEMS PLAN, THE NECESSARY PROGRAMING ACTIVITIES, AND A TECHNIQUE FOR MASTER CODING WERE DELINEATED. ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM'S DESIGN WERE ORIENTED TOWARD PROVIDING BOTH TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE IN REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULING, ATTENDANCE ACCOUNTING, GRADE REPORTING, AND TEST SCORING AND ANALYSIS. THE SYSTEM WAS PROGRAMED TO MAINTAIN CUMULATIVE RECORDS ON MASTER FILE TAPES, AT A REGIONAL DATA CENTER, ON EACH STUDENT IN THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS. (JH)

The papers in this report fall into three focus areas: (1) new goals and objectives for educational institutions, with a stress on normative analysis of public policy alternatives and a reexamination of prior assumptions on which research is based; (2) the political education of youth, with a particular examination of directions in research on political socialization inclusive of cross-cultural studies; and (3) an analysis of the governance of educational institutions, with special emphasis on power, role, and decisionmaking issues. A section on workshop background, participants, and procedures is also available as ED 051 567. (Several sections of the document, between pages 90-214, page 318, and between pages 506-527, may reproduce poorly.) (Author/JF)

This report, the result of a 5-day conference on the politics of education, reviews the four research focus areas covered during the conference: (1) new goals and objectives for educational institutions, (2) the political education of youth, (3) analysis of the governance of educational institutions, and (4) the study of input/output/feedback relationships in educational policymaking. All conference papers proferred specific suggestions for urgently needed research in the politics of education. (JF)

This program was used with more than 8,000 students (grades two through eight in New York City nonpublic schools) who were retarded in mathematics achievement. Seventy-seven special teachers were used, many of whom had never taught before and/or had no contact with disadvantaged children. Administrative procedures are discussed. The goals of the program were: (1) to improve classroom performance, (2) to improve self-image, (3) to promote a positive attitude change toward school, and (4) to improve daily attendance. At the end of the year's program, the subjects were somewhat more behind grade level than at the beginning, but no more so than the control group. Subjects were considered to have improved in attitude and attendance. (LS)

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool which would have practical value to counselors in diagnostic work dealing with underachievers. The Special Incomplete Sentences Blank (SISB) was developed as a means of providing students with latitude for expressing their feelings regarding issues which may concern them. Subjects were selected from the sophomore class of a boys' Catholic high school. They were selected on the basis of grade point average, intelligence quotients, and reading test scores. After being administered to a group of low, under, and high achievers, the SISB showed that when compared to the two former groups, high achievers: (1) consider school less burdensome, (2) have a higher self value, and (3) are not as rebellious toward authority. Other differences are noted. Of special interest is the finding that bright under achievers do not differ from low achievers in most dimensions investigated. It appears that this test shows promise as a diagnostic tool, and as an aid to counseling students. Scoring criteria for the SISB is included. (Author/KJ)

The author takes a look at the free enterprise system as it is practiced in the United States, and concludes that it does not result in equal opportunity for all citizens. Deplorable social and economic inequities are examined. The poor, according to the author are discriminated against in terms of health factors, housing, employment, income and power. Following from this he assumes that the current system is unefficacious and must be modified or completely changed so all people can enjoy it. As a possible means of change, riots and revolution are considered: (1) what are they; (2) what are their goals; and (3) can they work in the United States. The author contends that the American cultural make-up would not, at this time, support total revolution. His answer, and the one for which he builds a case, is a drastic modification of the free-enterprise system, with the government remodifying the system through the legislative process. To those who say that the revolution is here or coming soon, he responds "no," without, however, ruling out that possibility should drastic changes not be forthcoming. (TL)

The major focus of this study is on the relationship between anxiety and achievement. It was predicted that with young children, anxiety is likely to have a debilitating effect on their standardized test scores as well as on teachers' ratings of their competence. This hypothesis is generally supported. The sample consists of 156 childen from preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Results of testing and observation show negative correlations between the anxiety questionnaire and competence ratings for kindergarten children, and no relationship at all between perceived anxiety and achievement for the first grade sample, although anxiety ratings do show a significant negative correlation with achievement. This fact may be attributable to first grade children being more defensive than kindergarteners. Anxiety seems to show no relationship to achievement motivation for kindergarten children, but a positive relationship for first graders. For preschoolers it is found that achievement motivation reflects a concern about success, and may be viewed as a form of anxiety. Results suggest that concern about success and failure is more apt to be part of a general anxiety for the older children, particularly for girls, reflecting the fact that competition is generally less acceptable for girls than boys in our society. (Author/CJ)

It has been observed that following a brief period of isolation, children tend to show a greater increase in responsiveness on a simple motor task than nonisolated children do when verbal reinforcement is given periodically during a task. One explanation is that the social deprivation of the brief isolation heightens the motivation to receive social reinforcement. Another explanation is that the phenomenon is attributable to the generalized motivational properties of the anxiety which the condition of isolation arouses. Forty first-grade children were given a simple motor (marble drop) task after their anxiety level had been measured. After the child became familiar with the task, periodic verbal reinforcement was given as the child performed the task. An analysis of the data showed that response-rate increase over the task period (4 minutes) did not distinguish between high and low anxiety children. It was concluded from the overall findings that anxiety in young children is more likely to obstruct than facilitate performance on a simple motor task involving periodic social reinforcement. (WD)

The purpose of this study was to determine if children with warm social contact with their parents (noncaretaking functions) are more responsive to social reinforcement than are children who are deprived of such contact. Data was gathered from interviews with mothers, who described the amount and quality of both parents' contact with the child. The sample of middle class children, 13 girls and 14 boys, performed a task twice. Responses were measured before and after social reinforcement. For girls, the results showed a positive direct relationship between warm social contact and initial response rate but not between parental contact and social reinforcement. In contrast, boys who had less warm social contact were higher in initial response rate and more responsive to social reinforcement. The results are discussed in terms of sex differences and different schools of thought concerning amounts of social contacts parents give to children. A bibliography is included. (JS)

Medical factors were assessed in 20 children (grades 1 to 10) with behavior and learning problems, and an educational program was subsequently offered. All 20 had their case histories taken, were given pediatric and open electroencephalograph examinations, and were evaluated by psychological tests. One team of physicians found no clearly defined neurological abnormalities; another team rated 10 of the 20 records as evidencing neurological impairment. Two pairs of psychologists also differed in their diagnoses. The ratings of the medical and psychological diagnoses were found to differ significantly (p=.01). The educational program included the following: a special class, with individualized instruction for eight to 12 children, taught by a regular teacher assisted by a mental health specialist and the school guidance and curriculum staff; a learning disabilities group, providing a specialist's instruction in remedial work for two to eight children; an activity group, structured as a club with craft and play sessions, conducted after school for six to eight children; and group counseling for the junior and senior high school students in groups of 10. Reading and achievement scores taken over a 2-year period indicated an average gain for the group as a whole exceeding what would be expected from pupils in regular classes. (JW)