bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Retirement on Marital Conflict Tactics
Authors: SZINOVACZ MAXIMILIANE E. , SCHAFFER ANNE M.
Published: March 2007

This study explores whether spouses' retirement influences their use of selected conflict tactics using panel data from the National Survey of Families and Households ( N = 559 couples). The data indicate that husbands but not wives perceive a decline in heated arguments on the wife's retirement. This change is partially due to a decline in disagreements. In addition, husbands' retirement appears to enhance engagement in calm discussions by the husband if either spouse is strongly attached to the marriage, whereas low attachment of either spouse is linked to a decline in calm discussions after the husband's retirement. Retirement-related changes in the use of avoidance tactics are contingent on spouses' dependence on the relationship.
“You See the Need Perhaps More Clearly Than I Have”
Authors: DOUCET ANDREA
Published: March 2007

Drawing on a qualitative research study conducted in Britain in the early to mid-1990s with heterosexual-couple households with dependent children, the article explores domestic responsibility for children through a discussion of two distinct and related conceptions of domestic responsibility, emotional responsibility and interhousehold responsibility. Rooted in feminist research on domestic and community life, family sociology on gender divisions of domestic labor, and a symbolic interactionist approach to human relations, the article argues for a conceptualization of domestic responsibility that is constantly negotiated, relational and interactional, intrahousehold and interhousehold, and material and “moral.” The article also details an innovative methodological contribution for collecting data on the gender division of domestic labor: the Household Portrait technique. Theoretical and empirical implications include the need for greater emphasis on the interhousehold dimensions—both material and normative—of domestic labor and the need to focus on the links among masculinities, caring, and domestic responsibility.
How Gender Moderates the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship
Authors: DUBAS JUDITH SEMON
Published: March 2007

This study examined whether young adult grandchildren's reports on the closeness, importance, and satisfaction with their favorite grandparent were moderated by the gender of the grandchild, grandparent, or parent and whether these associations, if found, supported kin-keeper versus kin-selector theories of family relations. Participants were 206 American young adults with a favorite living grandparent. Gender was related to both the closeness and importance young adults ascribed to the relation they have with their grandparents. No effects of gender on satisfaction with the grandchild-grandparent relation were found. Stronger support for men and women as kin keepers rather than as kin selectors was found.
Family Policy and Family Professionals
Authors: CHERLIN ANDREW
Published: March 2007

In this introduction to the thematic issue on family policy, I discuss the evolution over the past decade in the approach to family policy taken by family professionals. I argue that the writings of policy-oriented professionals have become more modest in scope, more focused on specific issues, more aware of the moral tensions inherent in intervening in family affairs, and more appreciative of the strengths of families. This has led, I argue, to a more limited but more constructive contribution to the debates about the family and public policy.
Death in the Family
Authors: WEBER JOSEPH A. , FOURNIER DAVID G.
Published: March 2007

Interviews with 50 children recently experiencing a death in the family focused on the Kvaebeck Family Sculpture Technique. Family configurations produced by the children varied by developmental level, with preoperational children organizing the family by physical location and tending to treat the deceased as still present, concrete operational children referring to the actual power structure and physical attributes of family members, and formal operational children taking a more reflexive view and expressing their feelings of loss more fully. The sculpturing was considered helpful in eliciting family discussion about the death.
Divorce and Marital Instability over the Life Course
Authors: BOOTH ALAN , JOHNSON DAVID R. , WHITE LYNN K. , EDWARDS JOHN N.
Published: March 2007

This study uses a national sample of married persons under age 55, interviewed in 1980 and again in 1983, to estimate why divorce and marital instability vary by age and duration of marriage. Results indicate that the accumulation of assets substantially reduces the propensity to divorce. We also find that several important correlates of divorce and instability (age at marriage, health, social integration, and income) interact with age and duration. In general, these factors seem to operate almost exclusively among young people and young marriages.
Magnitude and Directional Effects of Marital Sex-Role Incongruence on Marital Adjustment
Authors: LI JASON T. , CALDWELL ROBERT A.
Published: March 2007

The direction of differences in marital sex-role attitudes was estimated to play an important role in determining the direction of differences on the marital adjustment of husbands and wives. The more egalitarian in marital sex-role orientation the husband was relative to his wife, the better the marital adjustment of both spouses. The less egalitarian he was relative to his wife, the poorer the adjustment. This finding was examined within the historical context of differences in the social power of husbands and wives. A “magnitude-only” measure of marital sex-role attitude incongruence was not related to marital adjustment.
The Impact of Mental Illness on Families
Authors: GUBMAN GAYLE D. , TESSLER RICHARD C.
Published: March 2007

Mental illness has far-reaching effects on other family members, as individuals and as members of a social system. While the study of the family impact of mental illness has been reported in the specialized mental health literature, it has not received much attention from sociologists. This article applies an illness behavior perspective to the study of family burden, reviews knowledge, and invites research by defining a number of issues, substantive and methodological, that need to be addressed. These include the definition and measurement of burden, diagnosis and course of illness, residence and kinship, social class, context, and coping, and the evaluation of social interventions designed to reduce burden and strengthen family supports. The article concludes with a discussion of family burden in terms of normative forces operating at the macro level.
The Incidence of Extended Households Among Middle-Aged Black and White Women
Authors: BECK RUBYE W. , BECK SCOTT H.
Published: March 2007

Much has been written in recent years about changes in family and household structure in the United States. Analyses based on census data or other cross sections indicate that fewer adults live in families, especially the nuclear family of husband, wife, and minor children. Analyses based on cross sections also indicate the relative rarity of extended households, especially three-generation families. In this descriptive analysis, data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Mature Women are used to compare cross-section and 15-year estimates of the incidence of various types of extended households. Black and white women are analyzed separately and the estimates for the proportion of middle-aged women living in extended households are presented by marital status. Results show large differences between single-year and 15-year estimates of the incidence of extension. Overall, between one-fourth and one-third of white middle-aged women lived in extended households for some time over the 15-year period, and approximately two-thirds of black women experienced this household form for at least part of their middle years. We conclude that, contrary to popular and academic perceptions, extended families are a relatively common form of living arrangement for adults in this country, if only for short periods of time. This may be one indicator of the prevalence of the modified-extended family in the United States.
Men's Provider-Role Attitudes
Authors: PERRY-JENKINS MAUREEN , CROUTER ANN C.
Published: March 2007

The aim of the current investigation was to link men's provider-role attitudes with their involvement in household tasks. This study examines not only the objective division of work both inside and outside of the home, but also emphasizes the importance of examining the cognitions and affect that men attach to their work and family roles. It was proposed that men holding more traditional attitudes about their duty to provide economically for the family would perform fewer household tasks than men with more egalitarian attitudes. The study involved 43 dual-earner couples who participated in home interviews and in a series of telephone interviews. Results revealed that men's provider-role attitudes were related to their involvement in family work. Furthermore, the congruence of role beliefs and the enactment of role behaviors within the home were related to higher levels of marital satisfaction for men.
The Link Between Past and Present Intimate Relationships
Authors: STETS JAN E.
Published: March 2007

This research addresses how past relationships influence the evaluative and interactive dimensions of current relationships. Data from the National Survey of Families and Households are used to examine cohabiting and married relationships. The results show that after controlling for other factors, prior cohabiting relationships negatively influence current married and cohabiting relationships. For marriage, it is cohabitation with someone other than one's current spouse that produces this negative effect. It is suggested that either those who cohabit with someone other than their intended spouse are predisposed to problems in relationships (and they carry these problems into subsequent relationships), or people who have broken off relationships carry the negative effects of failed relationships into later relationships.
Divorced Fathers
Authors: UMBERSON DEBRA , WILLIAMS CHRISTINE L.
Published: March 2007

Previous studies show that divorced men exhibit high rates of psychological distress, alcohol abuse, and mortality. Using data from a recent national survey, we consider the possibility that these problems reflect strains associated with being a divorced father. The results show that divorced fathers report substantially higher levels of parental role strain than do married fathers. The data further indicate that the estimated effects of divorce on men's psychological distress levels and alcohol consumption are explained, in part, by higher levels of parental role strain among divorced men. Qualitative data from an in-depth interview study of 45 divorced fathers are examined to consider possible reasons why parenting in the divorced status may be conducive to parental role strain, psychological distress, and alcohol abuse.
Marriage Markets and Marital Choice
Authors: LICHTER DANIEL T. , ANDERSON ROBERT N. , HAYWARD MARK D.
Published: March 2007

This article presents a search model of marital choice. We tested the hypothesis that demographic shortages of suitable marital partners not only lower the probability of marriage, but increase the likelihood that never-married women will either: (a) marry men with characteristics dissimilar to their own or (b) marry men with low socioeconomic status. This analysis was accomplished using data from the 1979-1986 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, merged with various local-area sex ratios from the 1980 decennial U.S. Census. We found that a favorable marriage market, measured in terms of the relative number of men to women, increases the odds of marrying a high-status man compared with a low-status man (as measured in terms of education and occupation). It also increases the chance of forgoing marriage rather than marrying low-status men. At the same time, we found little evidence that mate surpluses or deficits in the local marriage market affect patterns of homogamy or assortative mating. The implication is that market conditions— good or bad—have little to do with women's willingness to marry heterogamously. Women are unwilling to “cast a wider net” in the face of market constraints.
Home Is Where They Have to Let You In
Authors: GANONG LAWRENCE H. , COLEMAN MARILYN , MISTINA DEBORAH
Published: March 2007

Normative expectations regarding changes in the physical custody of children following divorce were examined in this study. Two hundred twenty-two women and 88 men whose names were drawn randomly responded to a vignette about a divorced couple and their 16-year-old son. In response to a variety of scenarious, participants indicated whether the child should be allowed to change residence. Forced-choice responses, analyzed using multinomial logistic regression, yielded no significant main or interaction effects. Several general themes, however, were evident in the open-ended responses: (a) The wishes of the child should prevail in postdivorce physical custody changes; (b) mothers have a more unconditional obligation to their children than fathers; (c) men's parenting skills and abilities are somewhat suspect; and (d) court-appointed custody arrangements have little influence on postdivorce physical custody changes. Considering that informal modifications in physical custody are common, it is suggested that future research move beyond court-ordered settlements to understand better the effects of divorce on children.
Closeness, Confiding, and Contact Among Siblings in Middle and Late Adulthood
Authors: CONNIDIS INGRID ARNET , CAMPBELL LORI D.
Published: March 2007

The authors examine the impact of gender, marital status, and parent status on emotional closeness, confiding, and contact among siblings in middle and later life. Using data from a multistage quota sample that includes 528 respondents aged 55 and older who have one or more siblings, characteristics of both the respondent and the sibling or sibling network are studied. Separate analyses are conducted for the entire sibling network and for the sibling of greatest closeness, confiding, and contact. Women and respondents with sisters, the single (never married), and the childless tend to have more active sibling ties than their counterparts. Several control variables (number of siblings, geographic proximity, age, and education) are also significant. Emotional closeness to siblings is an important factor related to confiding and contact. Findings are discussed in the context of socially proscribed familial obligation and emotional attachment as bases for involvement with siblings.
Faculty and Family Policies in Higher Education
Authors: NORRELL J. ELIZABETH , NORRELL THOMAS H.
Published: March 2007

This article provides a review of existing policies in higher education institutions that affect faculty and their families, and identifies areas for advocacy and research. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is great variability in policies both between and within universities and that the effects of certain of these policies may discriminate unfairly against women. Thus dual-career problems and parental concerns are reviewed within the context of gender equity. The implications of these policies for recruitment and retention of faculty and for the tenure and promotion process are considered.
The Division of Housework Among “Remarried” Couples
Authors: SULLIVAN ORIEL
Published: March 2007

There are only a limited number of studies comparing housework among couples and individuals in different marital statuses, and the focus of attention has tended to be on married compared to cohabiting couples. This article focuses on differences between couples where one or more partner is remarried or recohabiting and those where both partners are in their first married or cohabiting relationships, using nationally representative survey data from Britain. It is shown in multivariate analysis that women in their second-plus partnerships contribute less in terms of their proportion of total housework time than women in their first partnerships. However, there is no effect for the man's number of previous partnerships or for current marital/cohabiting status. It is argued that the significant issue is interaction and negotiation with a subsequent partner in the light of experience gained from the breakdown of one or more previous married/cohabiting relationships.
Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren
Authors: PEBLEY ANNE R. , RUDKIN LAURA L.
Published: March 2007

Approximately 5% to 6% of grandchildren and 10% of grandparents live in grandparent-grandchild households at any point in time. The proportion of children living with grandparents appears to have remained relatively stable over time. In this article, the authors critically review previous research on the determinants of grandparent care for grandchildren. This research suggests that grandparent care generally is precipitated by need or problems experienced by parents. However, the determinants of custodial care (in which grandparents become sole caretakers) and of coresidence (three-generation households) are quite different. Custodial care generally occurs when parents are no longer able or willing to take care of their children. Coresidence more commonly is associated with the middle generation's problems with living independently or with transition among roles.
Family Solidarity and Health Behaviors
Authors: GRZYWACZ JOSEPH G. , MARKS NADINE F.
Published: March 2007

Guided by social control theory and an adapted version of Bengtson and Roberts's model of intergenerational solidarity, this study used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), with respondents ( N=3,485) ages 25 to 74, to examine the associations between multiple dimensions of family solidarity (affectual, normative, associational, functional, structural) and seven behaviors advocated to promote health. Although some results supported the hypotheses that family ties promote better health behaviors, particularly among men, a number of cases were found to have either no association or a problematic association with positive health behaviors.
The Prayer of a Married Man Is Equal to Seventy Prayers of a Single Man
Authors: SHERIF BAHIRA
Published: March 2007

This study examines the central role of marriage among upper-middle-class Muslim Egyptians in Cairo, Egypt. It is based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out over a total of 20 months by the author between 1988 and 1996. Using religious and legal sources as well as semistructured interviews and participant observation among two generations of 20 households, this study indicates that marriage continues to occupy a significant place in the life course of both upper-middle-class Muslim men and women. This article indicates that societal norms, as well as family structure and expectations, influence the prevalence of marriage as a necessary rite of passage for achieving adulthood among this class of Egyptians. Furthermore, this article describes the actual customs, beliefs, and practices associated with Muslim Egyptian marriages to counteract the Western bias that often obscures studies of this area of the world.
Recent Legal and Policy Developments in Special Education
Authors: Maag John W. , Katsiyannis Antonis
Published: March 2007

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) has been instrumental in ensuring that qualified students with disabilities receive a free appro priate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. Determining the parameters of FAPE, however, has been a daunting task for school personnel and especially for school administrators. Principals find themselves increasingly challenged by a multitude of legal and policy issues regarding special education that are often dif ficult to understand yet necessary to address.
From Literacy to Fluency in Instructional Technology: Taking Your Staff to the Next Level
Authors: Shelly Richard W.
Published: March 2007

The instructional technology train is rolling and many schools and school divisions have pulled away from the station. Ideas and skills that were a challenge five years ago have been replaced by newer ones. The "bar" has been raised. Hardware is now faster, more powerful, and more reliable. How can we move to more powerful levels of technology use in teaching for understanding?
Curriculum Policy Development for Secondary Gifted Programs: A Prescription for Reform Coherence
Authors: VanTassel-Baska Joyce
Published: March 2007

The need for coherent gifted programs calls for a curriculum policy that considers flexibility, differentiation, and articulation issues in plan ning and implementation. Support structures such as grouping and teacher education also must be considered. As the use of state stan dards and assessments intensifies, it is crucial that gifted programs at the secondary level use these approaches as the base for building a rich and complex set of options for gifted learners.
A Promising Future for Every Student: Maine Invests in Secondary School Reform
Authors: Donaldson Gordon A.
Published: March 2007

Maine's vision for a system of secondary learning challenges schools and communities to rethink how they assess, organize, and deliver learning opportunities for adolescents. It strongly asserts that the current meth ods of many schools encourage disengagement from learning and impede the development of learning skills among both students and educators.
Principals and Teachers, Leading Together
Authors: Blegen Mary Beth , Kennedy Carole
Published: March 2007

With the coming leadership of teachers, our schools can adapt to meet the needs of youngsters going to school in this increasingly unpre dictable world. A principal supports teachers but, ultimately, it is teachers who decide what happens for students. What does leadership mean to a teacher? To a principal? Listen to what they have to say.
Developing Teacher Leaders: Providing Encouragement, Opportunities, and Support
Authors: Buckner Kermit G. , McDowelle James O.
Published: March 2007

Teachers' daily contact with students, other teachers, and the instruc tional program places them in a unique position to influence school reform efforts. Principals who are comfortable with teacher leaders can provide the encouragement, opportunities, and support teachers need to become leaders.
The National Standards for School Counseling Programs: A Partnership in Preparing Students for the New Millennium
Authors: Dahir Carol A.
Published: March 2007

Aligning your school counseling program with national standards requires a rethinking of priorities, time, resources, and outcomes. This requires involving the entire school community to integrate the aca demic, career, and personal/social development of students into the mission of the school. How can principals and school counselors become partners on behalf of student success?
School-Based Management: How Effective Is It?
Authors: Brown Bruce Robert , Cooper G. Robb
Published: March 2007

Educators and policymakers are faced with the daunting task of pro viding education services to children being raised in the most rapidly evolving society in human history. The task before the schools is to find methods by which they can improve their effectiveness, while bet ter serving their stakeholders. Is school-based management perceived to be an effective approach?
Colleagues Helping Colleagues: Mentoring and Coaching
Authors: Hopkins-Thompson Peggy A.
Published: March 2007

Expectations from the standards movement, reform, and advances in technology pose challenges that school leaders must be prepared to face. This article advocates principal preparation and cultivation through mentoring and coaching. It clarifies the differences, uses in succession planning, new principalships and job changers, and benefits to both the mentor and protégé.
Preempting Threats with a Sound School Policy
Authors: Stader David L.
Published: March 2007

With more school violence in the forecast, administrators are quickly developing plans to respond. But what are some of the critical elements to be considered? This article looks at four such elements.
Bridging the Gender Gap in High-Technology Education
Authors: Crombie Gail , Abarbanel Tracy , Anderson Colin
Published: March 2007

Low enrollment rates in high school computer science (CS) courses suggest that students may be planning ineffectively for a future labor market. Female students enroll in these courses at far lower rates than their male peers and represent a small proportion of the high-technology workforce. To increase participation, all-female and mixed-gender CS classes were offered in grade 11 at one high school in Canada. Enrollment patterns were observed for three years. Results show increased participation, which increased the number of CS courses offered at the school. Implications are discussed.
Bilingual Education: Portraits of Success
Authors: Nora Julie
Published: March 2007

This article examines the Portraits of Success project, a database that collects and disseminates information about schools that host successful bilingual education programs. Two programs are highlighted; implications are discussed.
The Role of the Principal as Instructional Leader in a Standards-Driven System
Authors: Cross Christopher T. , Rice Robert C.
Published: March 2007

This article explores four elements of effective standards-based instructional leadership: vision and commitment, high expectations and trust, effective communication, and courage to collaborate. The principal's role is highlighted and discussed.
Ten Guidelines for Effective Interdisciplinary Teams
Authors: Manning M. Lee , Saddlemire Richard
Published: March 2007

This article reports on the experiences of one high school's decision to use interdisciplinary teams (ITs). Describles how ITs operate, the basis for using ITs, and offers 10 specific guidelines for the successful implementation of ITs.
Uses and Misuses of Standardized Tests
Authors: Popham W. James
Published: March 2007

Examines five tests by three publishers currently used in high schools today, and discusses four appropriate and inappropriate uses of these tests. Asserts that assessment literacy on behalf of educators is essential in order to avoid the misuse of standardized tests.
Standards and the Art of Teaching: Crafting High-Quality Classrooms
Authors: Tomlinson Carol Ann
Published: March 2007

When educators accept responsibility for effective practice in their profession, they in turn ensure that standards support rather than prevent excellent curriculum. This article presents nine guidelines for aligning standardsbased practices and instructional best practices in the school and classrooms.
Classroom Performance Assessment: What Should It Look Like in a Standards-Based Classroom?
Authors: Moon Tonya R. , Callahan Carolyn M.
Published: March 2007

Content standards and tests aligned to them are the focus of teachers' efforts and often present challenges in meeting varying student interests, readiness levels, and learner profiles. This article describes how performance assessments can enable administrators and teachers not only to address content standards but also to consider the academic diversity in their classrooms.
What is Your School's Mental Health Profile?
Authors: Roberts Walter B. , Morotti Allan A.
Published: March 2007

Understanding the composite mental health of a school's student body is essential in assisting school administrators in their efforts to personalize the school environment and better meet student needs. The mental health profile is a simple tracking mechanism designed to help administrators gather baseline data about the critical mental health challenges facing students and the school personnel who most often interact with them.
TIMSS and the Influence of the Instructional Leader on Mathematics and Science Performance
Authors: Rice Robert C. , Islas M. René
Published: March 2007

To make changes that improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and science, the principal as instructional leader must understand and actively participate in the teaching and learning process. Suggestions for creating a supportive school environment that engages teachers and students are offered.
Cracking the Mathematics and Science Barrier: Principles for Principals
Authors: Neuman Mary , Mohr Nancy
Published: March 2007

There is a widespread assumption that teachers cannot teach in ways that make mathematics and science meaningful for students and at the same time raise standardized test scores. However, researchers at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform have identified seven principles that help school leaders promote school reform efforts that encourage students to be excited about, challenged by, and successful in mathematics and science.
Keeping a Close Watch: A Cultural Philosophy of School Change
Authors: Carter Melanie , Fenwick Leslie T.
Published: March 2007

Under new leadership, one school in Atlanta has moved in a positive direction to create an authentic community of learning and to become known as “technology aggressive.” Personal convictions about staff development and student achievement help support the school as the community undergoes demographic shifts.
Organizing Schools into Small Learning Communities
Authors: Oxley Diana
Published: March 2007

Small learning communities require accommodations from all school stake-holders. This article describes the reorganization efforts of two middle level and two high schools in rural and urban environments into small learning communities. Routine collaborative problem-solving and learning processes are needed to carry the long-term burden of developing structures and practices that challenge taken-for-granted organizational values and assumptions.
Districts and Schools as a Context for Transformed Counseling Roles
Authors: Louis Karen Seashore , Jones Lisa M. , Barajas Heidi
Published: March 2007

This article applies three perspectives—structural, cultural, and practical—to examine issues faced by district and school administrators as they attempt to change the position and practice of school counselors to one with a clear focus on improving academic achievement for all students.
Department Heads: The Most Underutilized Leadership Position
Authors: Weller L. David
Published: March 2007

Literature and practice have shown ambiguity in the roles and responsibilities of department heads, yet it is a position that is vital to efficient school operations. This article describes a survey conducted of 200 department heads to determine job performance. Results show that the role is poorly defined and multifaceted, and most department heads lack adequate preparation. Suggestions for improvement are offered.
After-School Programs Are Making a Difference
Authors: Kugler Marianne Russell
Published: March 2007

This article explores some of the societal issues addressed by after-school programs and describes examples of programs found in secondary schools that have been effective in addressing these issues. Among the examples are those that provide support to academic achievement as well as those that address other areas of learning.
An After-School Evaluation System for Middle and High School Programs
Authors: Huang Denise
Published: March 2007

This article introduces an evaluation system that will enable after-school programs for middle and high school students to monitor and reflect on their program progress and to improve on the quality of program implementation. Key indicators of quality and success are identified and an indicator system is designed, which focuses on four main components of after-school programs: environment, program organization, instructional features, and student outcomes. By using this system, educators can analyze their program’s strengths and weaknesses and plan for improvement.
Interactive Science Homework: An Experiment in Home and School Connections
Authors: Van Voorhis Frances L.
Published: March 2007

A quasi-experimental study was conducted on whether family involvement in homework in the middle grades benefits students. Results suggest that well-designed interactive homework assignments positively engage parents and promote student achievement. Findings should be useful to middle school administrators and teachers for improving curriculum decisions and homework designs in science.
State Comparisons of SAT Scores: Who’s Your Test Taker?
Authors: Marchant Gregory J. , Paulson Sharon E.
Published: March 2007

Differences among states’ average SAT scores are almost entirely attributable to differences in percentage of test takers, parent education and income of the test takers, and the high school rank and GPA of the test takers rather than to the quality of states’ education systems. This article includes statistical support, graphic comparisons, and recommendations concerning the reporting and interpretation of SAT scores in judging quality education.
Principals Who Faced Obstacles to Learning Styles Instruction
Authors: Beglane Edward T.
Published: March 2007

This manuscript explains how two principals implemented the Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model and the obstacles they faced in doing so. Organizational theory is used to describe how the administrators faced similar situations when new superintendents were hired in their respective districts. Possible solutions to vertical conflicts between superintendents and principals are offered.
E-Learning Quality: The Concord Model for Learning from a Distance
Authors: Tinker Robert
Published: March 2007

Three major approaches for distance learning strategies are identified: course supplement, online lecture and correspondence, and the Concord model, based on the centrality of asynchronous student collaboration. Eight design characteristics of the Concord model that fit together to create a practical, powerful design for online courses are detailed. Experiences in applying this model to student courses, teacher professional development, and online course developers are summarized.
Basic Understandings for Developing Distance Education for Online Instruction
Authors: Stammen Ronald M. , Schmidt Mark A.
Published: March 2007

Good distance education depends on good pedagogical practice. The electronic technologies available for distance learning provide the educator with the opportunity to consider new approaches to teaching and learning. Among other issues, the educator must take into consideration the audience, elements of instructional design, and learner needs.
Assessing the Implementation of High-Stakes Reform: Aggregate Relationships Between Retention Rates and Test Results
Authors: Morris Don R.
Published: March 2007

In an aggregate analysis of schools in Florida's largest district, the implementation of a 1980s high-stakes reform, which relied heavily on grade retention to raise standards, was examined. If retention is assumed to be a necessary component of remediation, it is necessary that the retentions bear a strong relationship to student academic performance. However, for most of the elementary and middle grades examined that relationship was found to hold mainly for the more affluent schools. This result was ascribed to behaviors resulting from the high-stakes pressures. Seventh grade was an exception; the relationship between test performance and retention applied across all schools. The exception was attributed to conditions unique to that grade.
Promoting Positive Special Education Practices
Authors: Conderman Greg , Pedersen Theresa
Published: March 2007

Special education is defined as specialized instruction for students with disabilities. Sometimes, however, legal requirements as well as the day-to-day demands of teaching secondary students with disabilities cloud the real intent of special education. This article acknowledges some poor practices occurring in secondary special education and provides suggestions for school administrators who desire to strategically address these issues in order to provide exemplary programs for students.
Inclusion Means
Authors: Keefe Charlotte Hendrick , Davis Ruth
Published: March 2007

What perceptions does the word "inclusion" conjure up? Is it a con tinued civil rights effort for individuals with disabilities? Is it increased placement of students with disabilities in general educa tion ? Is it a vision that schools will become a model for valuing the inherent diversity of U.S. society?
Eric's Journey: A Restructured School's Inclusion Program and a Student with Disabilities
Authors: Richardson Don H.
Published: March 2007

The program at the Harborside Middle School in Milford, Conn., is one of many that have developed across the country to help special educa tion students through "inclusion education"—mainstreaming special education students in regular classrooms, joining with other students, using relationships, and activating high energy teacher teams to pro vide extra support services.
Twenty Recommendations for an Administrative Mentoring Program
Authors: Monsour Florence
Published: March 2007

When college/university programs in educational administration focus more on theory than on practicality, it becomes critical for beginning administrators to have a support system such as mentoring. Mentoring helps to close the gap between preservice training and the actualities of administration.
Ability Testing, Instruction, and Assessment of Achievement: Breaking Out of the Vicious Circle
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: March 2007

We can now measure abilities, teach, and assess achievement in ways that enable all students to achieve at higher levels. To do so, we must break out of a vicious circle that values only a narrow cross section of abilities, and that ignores or actually devalues a broader range of important abilities.
Listening to Four Communities: Parent and Public Concerns About Middle Level Schools
Authors: Johnston J. Howard , Williamson Ronald D.
Published: March 2007

True school reform means working with communities to identify their concerns and then trying to make changes to benefit students and their families. To do that, schools must begin by listening—quietly and sincerely—so they hear what their clients are saying about needed reforms in middle level education.
Dealing with the Aftermath of a Student Suicide: A TEAM. Approach
Authors: Roberts Richard L. , Lepkowski William J. , Davidson Kimberly K.
Published: March 2007

Student suicide, currently the second major cause of death among young people, continues to increase. Schools must be prepared to deal with such tragedies. In planning for useful post-suicide strategies, many areas must be addressed. How can school administrators develop and implement a comprehensive suicide postvention plan?
Breaking the Barriers Between Middle School and High School: Developing a Transition Team for Student Success
Authors: Hertzog C. Jay , Lena' Morgan P.
Published: March 2007

Programs for transition between the home and the elementary school, and between the elementary school and the middle level are readily available in the literature, complete with program design and activi ties. Programs to assist students in moving from the middle level school to the high school, however, are all but nonexistent. This lack of information hampers one of the most crucial moves that students make in their educational careers.
Using Knowledge of the Brain in Educational Practice
Authors: Languis Marlin L.
Published: March 2007

To learn about fetal brain development is to experience the incredible beauty of the brain unfolding into a "mindful" person well before birth; to learn about lifelong brain development is to ponder the brain's capacity for increasing synaptic connections throughout life; to learn about the power of mind/body connections is to consider the awesome possibilities of unlocking human potential at every point along our journey through life.
Search and Seizure in the Schools
Authors: Russo Charles J. , Stefkovich Jacqueline A.
Published: March 2007

Amid the growing tide of violence and drugs in U.S. schools during the past 20 years, educators have grown increasingly concerned about the safety of students and staff members. In response to this problem, administrators have turned to searches of students, their lockers, and their possessions. As might have been expected, these searches have led to litigation over whether the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures applies to public schools.
A Positive Response to Teen Smoking: Why N-O-T?
Authors: Dino Geri A. , Horn Kimberly A. , Zedosky Lenore , Monaco Karen
Published: March 2007

Most young people who smoke will continue smoking into adulthood, increasing their risk for premature disease and death. N-O-T's early intervention program for students who are regular smokers can be a means to prevent debilitating or chronic disease and early death.
Taking the Lead: One District's Approach to Principal Evaluation
Authors: Brown Genevieve , Irby Beverly J. , Neumeyer Charles
Published: March 2007

The Administrator Portfolio Appraisal System that this district imple mented addressed many of the concerns related to principal evaluation indicated in the research. Administrators found the system made appraisal relevant and personal and addressed the situational and com plex nature of their jobs.
The Televised Sports Manhood Formula
Authors: Messner Michael A. , Dunbar Michele , Hunt Darnell
Published: March 2007

Recent research indicates that the televised sports that U.S. boys watch most include pro basketball, pro football, pro baseball, Extreme sports, sports highlights shows, and the dramatic pseudosport of pro wrestling. Based on a textual analysis of these televised sports shows and their accompanying commercial advertisements, the authors identify 10 recurrent themes concerning gender, race, aggression, violence, militarism, and commercialism that, together, they call the Televised Sports Manhood Formula. This formula is a master ideological narrative that is well suited to discipline boys’ bodies, minds, and consumption choices in ways that construct a masculinity that is consistent with the entrenched interests of the sports/media/commercial complex. However, the authors note some discontinuities and contradictory moments within and between sports media texts and call for audience studies to explore the various ways that boys interpret, use, or negotiate the Televised Sports Manhood Formula.
“I Want to be the Minority”
Authors: Kusz Kyle W.
Published: March 2007

In this article, the author offers a contextualized cultural analysis of the “youthful” White masculinities constituted in two sites: first, a 1997 Sports Illustrated cover story titled,“Whatever Happened to the White Athlete?” and second, a discourse about the social-psychological development of adolescent boys written in the wake of the rash of school shootings that took place in the United States in 1997-1998.The author’s main contention is that these representations of disadvantaged and victimized youthful White masculinities found both inside and outside of sport discourses signify a new representational strategy of White male backlash politics in the late 1990s—the youthification of the White male as victim trope.
Government, Opposition and Sport: the Role of Domestic Sports Policy in Generating Political Support
Authors: Johnson Arthur T.
Published: March 2007

All governments, regardless of regime type, use sport to generate political support. Op positions commonly seek to exploit sport in order to diminish systemic support. This article identifies three types of domestic sports policies — integrative, symbolic and instrumental, describes the functions of each type in terms of systemic support, identifies the structure through which each is implemented, and relates opposition strategies to each type. The arti cle concludes that the significance of domestic sports policy is found in the modification and reinforcement of citizen values and beliefs, oppositions will continue to be offered op portunities to exploit sport due to governments' failure to acknowledge the dysfunctional aspects of sports policies, and governments will find it increasingly necessary to limit the autonomy of sport.
Of Polls and Race Prejudice
Authors: King C. Richard , Staurowsky Ellen J. , Baca Lawrence , Davis Laurel R. , Pewewardy Cornel
Published: March 2007

This article offers a collaborative review of the article “The Indian Wars”from the March 4, 2002, issue of Sports Illustrated that purported to present novel scientific findings regarding the attitudes of sports fans and American Indians toward Native American mascots. Despite the claims of the periodical, the authors argue, the article provides a flawed and biased account of pseudo-Indian mascots that misconstrues their history as well as significance to Native and non-Native peoples. The authors begin with a critical reading of the article, analyzing its arguments, interpretive frames, methodology, and evidence. Then, the authors examine the context omitted from the article. In turn, the authors highlight the place of Indian stereotypes within EuroAmerican and Native American communities, the intersections of race and power animating such mascots, and the prejudice and terror encouraged by mascots and media coverage of them. Finally, the authors discuss the implications of “The Indian Wars.”
The Effect of Massachusetts' Gun Control Law On Gun-Related Crimes in the City of Boston
Authors: Deutsch Stuart Jay , Alt Francis B.
Published: March 2007

The impact on gun-related crime of legislative changes involving Massachusetts' Gun Control Law is evaluated. Viewing crime rates as realizations from some underlying stochastic processes, a procedure for measuring intervention effects on crime rates is presented. Time series on gun-related crimes for the city of Boston are analyzed with this procedure in evaluating the impact of the gun control law.
The Public Good, the Private Good, and the Evaluation of Social Programs
Authors: Abt Clark C.
Published: March 2007

Evaluation of the productivity of government-applied social research is considered from the aspects of the several major government and public constituencies concerned, in terms of "Whose benefits? Whose costs?" Public and government concepts of the public good in evaluation research are differentiated. Government-imposed constraints on the quality and quantity of evaluation research are outlined and their impacts considered. Constraints on research quality imposing unnecessary costs include misregulation of sponsored social research by rigid procurement regulations inappropriately modeled on military hardware procurement, rigid overspecification of research tasks, counter- productively cumbersome and costly OMB survey clearance procedures, and inefficient long-term investment. Some impacts on research community employment security, professional development, and R&D investment are considered. A need to disseminate more explicit standards of effective and effectively managed evaluation research is expressed.
Rann Research At NSF
Authors: Raff Samuel J.
Published: March 2007

A survey of possible users of the results of 100 completed research projects funded by NSF/RANN (the Applied Research directorate of the National Science Foundation) provided a basis for ranking these projects in order of indications of use, and a statistical analysis was performed comparing several characteristics of the processing of the pro posals which led to them. Characteristics of the 30 top-ranked projects were compared to the bottom 30. No statistically significant difference in peer review scores was found but there are two statistically significant (5% or better) indications that the RANN program managers viewed the proposals leading to the top 30 projects more favorably than those leading to the bottom 30. These indications are faster processing and more peer reviewers. There are also two statisticallv significant indications that these program managers viewed the research proposed in the top 30 as being more applied in nature. These are: a smaller fraction of university personnel among the reviewers and, among the NSF reviewers, a greater fraction of RANN personnel.