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Two studies examining the role of present and possible (future) academic selves are presented. In the first study, the relations between present and future selves, and changes in grade point average between the sixth and seventh grades, were examined. Results indicated that positive present and future academic self-concepts were related to positive changes in grade point average. In addition, when adolescents' present academic selves were higher than their future academic selves, GPA increased; whereas, when present social selves were higher than future social selves, GPA decreased. In the second study, using a different sample, the relations between present and future selves, and mastery and performance-approach achievement goals were examined. Results indicated that a present good-student self-concept was related positively to both performance and mastery goals whereas a future good-student self-concept only was related positively to performance goals. A factor analysis was used on the first study. Path analysis was used to model the relationships between demographic and self variables in the second study. Results are discussed in a context of changes in academic performance and motivation during the middle school years. (Author/EMK)

Although school violence is an important topic to the U.S. public, little research has examined issues of violence and bad behavior in schools, particularly among early adolescents. To fill this need, research on the transition from elementary to middle grades, to include the domain of violence, is covered in this paper. Three aspects of violence are defined: victimization at school, getting into trouble for bad behavior at school, and perceptions of school as having serious problems. Special emphasis was placed on studying predictors of violence during early adolescence. Drawing on data from a national educational longitudinal study, it was found that students reported being victimized and perceived their school as having serious problems more often in school when the transitions from elementary to the current eighth-grade school occurred during early adolescence. Students who made the transition into their current eighth-grade school during grades 3, 4, or 5 were less likely to report being victimized and were less likely to report perceiving their schools as dangerous or as having problems when compared to other students. It is thought that schools with certain grade structures tend to engage in practices that are incompatible with the developmental needs of early adolescents. Contains approximately 70 references. (RJM)

Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the effects of individual and classroom level factors on reported value of mathematics for students (n=557) in grades three, four, and six. Data for this study came from the "Childhood and Beyond" study. Results indicated that the use of computers and computer efficacy were both positively related to students' valuing of mathematics. A negative relationship was found between teachers giving parents positive feedback and students' levels of valuing math in classrooms. This is in contrast to prior studies that suggest parents' ratings of students' abilities in math are related to students' interest in math. It was determined that grade level is not a significant predictor of valuing mathematics, but that attending a middle level school has detrimental effects on students' valuing of mathematics. The results of the study suggest that teachers do make a difference and that, after controlling for various student characteristics, classroom-level variables still have important effects on students' valuing of mathematics. (SYB)