Inner-city Elementary School Research Articles

The retrospective pretest: an alternative approach in evaluating drug prevention programs.

Two self-report techniques assessed student behaviors before and after a life-skills substance abuse prevention program, targeted at seventh graders in an inner-city elementary school. The retrospective pretest/posttest technique demonstrated no significant changes in drug usage, while a traditional pretest/posttest indicated significant increases in tobacco usage. The findings of this study support the continued use and research on the retrospective pretest, particularly as they relate to tobacco usage. Given participants' inhibitions to self-report deviance, inclusion of this technique can provide a more complete assessment of prevention programs.

Successful Implementation of Instruction at Inner-City Schools

Our purpose in this paper is to provide a research-based commentary which summarizes generalizations that can be made regarding instruction-related practices and policies and their implementation at effective inner-city schools. We define effective inner-city schools as schools with a high proportion of poverty students whose academic achievement (usually defined by reading scores) is considerably higher than similar poverty schools. This discussion focuses on inner-city elementary schools, but most of the generalizations we discuss can be applied at inner-city secondary schools and, probably, at mixed-class schools as well. The generalizations we discuss will center on the following interrelated topics and themes: outcomes-based instruction; effective organizational arrangements for low achievers; coordination of instruction; avoidance of pitfalls and dangers, particularly those that involve over-emphasis on lowerorder skills; operationalization of shared values; organic implementation; and selection of overall instructional approach.

Assertiveness training in a preventive drug education program.

The efficacy of two preventive drug education programs was studied in inner-city elementary schools. Seventh graders were either provided a traditional or an assertiveness drug prevention program. While children in both groups showed significant gains in knowledge, only those in the assertiveness group demonstrated significant changes in drug attitudes. In contrast to these findings, no significant knowledge or attitude changes were observed in youngsters who were not provided either program. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Inner-City Private Elementary Schools: A Study

Inner-City Private Elementary Schools: A Study

Evaluating a Preventive Orientation Program

The present study evaluated a primary prevention, school-based program. The intervention focused on helping youngsters successfully navigate an important transitional event- transfer into a new school. Transitions such as entering a new school pose significant challenges to a child's ability to cope with the process of change. Adjustment difficulties are sometimes associated with school transitions, and transfer students experience anxiety over gaining peer acceptance and meeting school expectations. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a multi-element orientation program in preventing school adjustment problems among children transferring into a new school. The intervention included information, a peer-led discussion group, and a tour. Half the incoming transfer students in an inner-city elementary school were provided the program; the other youngsters served as controls. Children exposed to the preventive intervention, in comparison to controls, were more knowledgeable about the school; however, ...

Students' and Teachers' Views of Thinking Processes for Classroom Learning

Recently the process-product paradigm for research on teaching has undergone revision. Notable among updates to this paradigm are what Doyle (1980) calls the "mediating process paradigm," or what Winne (1981) refers to as the "cognitive mediational paradigm." Both views postulate that teachers do not directly influence student product variables, such as achievement. Rather, teachers influence students by causing them to think and behave in particular ways during teaching. These mediating events, in turn, may lead to changes in outcome variables. Hence, the effects of teaching on learning may be mediated by students' behaviors and cognitive processing during instruction. The cognitive mediational paradigm opens up to question the match between ways researchers hypothesize that learners

Life stress and maladaptation of children.

Social environmental variables differentiating maladapting children from matched controls in four inner-city elementary schools were investigated. Teacher selection was used to identify the maladapting children. Identified maladapting children were more likely to have been on welfare and to have experienced significantly more stressful life events during the previous year than the matched control children. The maladapting group was subdivided into welfare and non-welfare groups. Comparisons between groups on the life stress event measures indicated that the nonwelfare maladapting group experienced more life events than either the nonwelfare controls or the maladapting welfare children. The measures of life events correlated with parent ratings of behavior problems for the nonwelfare maladapting group but not for the welfare maladapting or the control groups.

Evaluating ecological, behavioral, and process consultation interventions

The present study evaluated the differential effectiveness of conceptually distinct consultation programs (ecological, behavioral, and process) in inner-city elementary schools. Program children, evidencing acting-out problems, were monitored through baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases, using an observational format incorporating behavioral, process, and ecological dimensions. Significant reductions in observed and rated behavioral problems occurred only in classes provided behavioral consultation. Significant increases in achievement scores were noted for children provided process consultation. Few consistent changes were noted for those in the ecological and control classes. The teachers rated the behavioral and process consultation approaches as most beneficial and helpful.

Developmental Changes in Reading Attitudes during the Intermediate Grades

A Survey of Reading Attitudes was administered to 431 intermediate grade students enrolled in three inner-city elementary schools which are part of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools. The Survey is a multidimensional instrument which provides measures for eight different dimensions of reading attitude. An ANOVA was performed on scores for each of the eight dimensions to identify developmental changes in reading attitude during the intermediate grades. The results of the ANOVA’s and post hoc comparisons indicated significant patterns of change for the following dimensions: Expressed Reading Difficulty, Reading as Direct Reinforcement, Silent vs Oral Reading, and Comics. In contrast, the Reading as Enjoyment, Alternative Learning Modes, and Reading Group dimensions failed to show appreciable developmental changes.

Attitudes of Selected Elementary Teachers toward Non- Standard Black Dialects

AbstractThe purpose of this research was to investigate the expressed attitudes of a group of inner-city elementary school teachers toward non-standard dialects. Ninety teachers completed a questionnaire and results were analyzed using a step-wise multiple regression program. Separate analyses were performed for a subgroup (N = 30) who had received in-service training related to non-standard dialects. Analyses of results for the total group indicated no significant relationships between race, age of respondent, sex, academic background or teaching experience and the permissiveness rating derived from questionnaire responses. For the group which received the special training, significant differences resulted from analyses for sex, age of respondent, and academic background.

Effectiveness of an early secondary prevention program in an inner-city elementary school.

The adaptation of an early secondary prevention program to an inner-city elementary school is described. The program utilizes nonprofessional workers as the primary helping agents with maladapting children in kindergarten through third grade classes. The program also involves consultation with classroom teachers and parents and an after-school activity group. A community advisory board helps provide accountability to the community and increased program impact in the community. Evaluation of the program provides support for program effectiveness in improving the adaptation of program children.

Three observations of mathematics instruction in inner-city elementary schools: some issues for thought

During the academic year 1972–73, I had the opportunity to observe mathematics classes in a large number of “inner-city” elementary schools in New York City. All of the schools were located in extremely poor neighborhoods and served black and Puerto Rican children, for the most part. In this article I would like to describe three observations, each of which suggests a number of interesting questions and issues that the elementary school teacher may wish to consider. Not only will no attempt be made to offer prescriptive solutions to the problems delineated, but, as will become evident shortly, the author has no simple solutions to offer.

The school health service. A new model

A pilot school health project delivering services through an OEO-University operated Neighborhood Health Center, has utilized a health paraprofessional, the School Health Assistant. It developed new roles for school physician and nurse through linking the school health service in an inner-city elementary school with a source of a family-focused primary medical care in the same geographic area. Comparison of it with a traditional school health program indicated further program development and evaluation should be undertaken.

THE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE: A NEW MODEL

A pilot school health project delivering services through an OEO-University operated Neighborhood Health Center, has utilized a health paraprofessional, the School Health Assistant. It developed new roles for school physician and nurse through linking the school health service in an inner-city elementary school with a source of a family-focused primary medical care in the same geographic area. Comparison of it with a traditional school health program indicated further program development and evaluation should be undertaken.