Life events as stressors with gifted adolescents

The present study investigated the perceived stressfulness of life events by 53 gifted adolescents in a rural southeastern area. In comparison to previous samples, these youths rated life events as similar except for items related to achievement, social status, and career aspirations, which they rated as more stressful. Pressure to perform was rated as stressful, but actually being labeled gifted was rated as a relatively low stressful event.     

Fraction Instruction for Students with Mathematics Disabilities: Comparing Two Teaching Sequences

Abstract. This study investigated the effects of teaching middle school students with mathematics disabilities equivalent fraction concepts and procedures using the concrete‐representational‐abstract (CRA) instructional sequence or the representational‐abstract (RA) instructional sequence. Twenty‐six students formed the CRA group, and 24 students formed the RA group. The two treatment groups received carefully sequenced instruction over 10 lessons. The only difference between the two treatment groups was that the CRA group used concrete manipulative devices for the first three lessons while the RA group used representational drawings. Analyses of the data indicated that students in both treatment groups improved overall in their understanding of fraction equivalency from pretest to posttest. On all achievement measures, students in the CRA group had overall higher mean scores than did students in the RA group. Implications for classroom instruction and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

The impact of preprimary school on primary school achievement in Bangladesh

Evidence was collected regarding changes over 3 years in the quality of a preprimary program in rural Bangladesh and differences in school achievement of children who did and did not attend. The quality of 30 preprimary schools was evaluated using the ECERS-R (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised) and ECERS-E (- Extension). Results indicated that the quality improved overall from 3.50 in 2006 to 5.24 in 2008. Samples of 180 graduates of these schools were annually followed into first and second grades and tested for five competencies: speaking, writing, reading, oral mathematics and written mathematics. Their achievement scores were compared with students in their classrooms and students in neighboring schools who did not have the opportunity to attend preprimary schools. First graders in 2008 performed significantly better than comparisons in all competencies, and better than earlier graduates. Second graders performed significantly better than comparisons on all but Reading. Qualities of the math preprimary program correlated with math achievement in Grade 1 only. Consequently the quality of the preprimary program improved over time along with higher achievement for its graduates. The findings support efforts to expand high-quality programs in developing countries to help children succeed in the early primary grades.     

Jimmy Carter on service learning

Jimmy Carter speaks candidly about his commitment to community service, the early influences that shaped his commitment, and the ways that higher education can foster the service habit in students.