The educational quality of early school leavers and the cross-national variation of their income disadvantage

The average quality of available educational resources varies significantly across Europe. This not only affects school success and failure but also subsequent labour market outcomes. The main research question in this paper is to what extent this compositional variation among early school leavers (ESLrs) in particular can account for the cross-national variation of their income disadvantage relative to higher educated individuals. Findings from 3 consecutive years of cross-sectional data (EU Statistics on Income & Living Conditions [EU-SILC], 2005–2007) show that, controlling for the influence of other important country-level indicators, both educational expenditure and a country's mean PISA achievement test score interact with the effect of early school leaving on gross personal income. The income disadvantage of ESLrs is smaller in countries where the average quality of available educational resources is higher. Furthermore, this also applies to educational resources currently available to ESLrs, with the prevalence of lifelong learning yielding the same moderating effect on the income disadvantage of ESLrs.     

Adolescent bully-victims: Social health and the transition to secondary school

This study aimed to investigate the causal pathways and factors associated with being involved in bullying behaviour as a bully-victim using longitudinal data from students aged 11–14 years over the transition time from primary to secondary school. Examination of bully-victim pathways suggest a critical time to intervene is prior to transition from the end of primary school to the beginning of secondary school to prevent and reduce the harm from bullying. Negative outcome expectancies from bullying perpetration were a significant predictor of being a bully-victim at the end of the first year of secondary school. The findings show an association between peer support, connectedness to school, pro-victim attitudes, outcome expectancies and level of bullying involvement. Implications for intervention programs are discussed.     

Cortisol Reactivity to Social Stress as a Mediator of Early Adversity on Risk and Adaptive Outcomes

Children chronically exposed to stress early in life are at increased risk for maladaptive outcomes, though the physiological mechanisms driving these effects are unknown. Cortisol reactivity was tested as a mediator of the relation between prenatal substance exposure and/or early adversity on adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Data were drawn from a prospective longitudinal study of prenatal substance exposure (N = 860). Cortisol reactivity was assessed at age 11. Among African Americans, prenatal substance exposure exerted an indirect effect through early adversity and cortisol reactivity to predict externalizing behavior, delinquency, and a positive student–teacher relationship at age 11. Decreased cortisol reactivity was related to maladaptive outcomes, and increased cortisol reactivity predicted better executive functioning and a more positive student–teacher relationship.     

The Graphic Arts

Max Gallo's The Poster in History (New York: American Heritage/McGraw- Hill, 1974—$22.95)

Erich Salomon's Portrait of an Age ((New York: Collier Books/Macmillan, 1974—$7.50, paper)

M. Thomas Inge's “American Comic Art: A Bibliographic Guide,” Choice XI:1581-1593

Stan Lee's Origins of Marvel Comics (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974—$5.95, paper)

John Hedgecoe and Michael Langford's Photography: Materials and Methods published by Oxford University Press. Apparently Focal Press picked it up in London, and now a new smaller format but hardcover edition is just out from Hastings House (N.Y.) for $12.95     

Changing Technologies

UNDERSTANDING NEW MEDIA: TRENDS AND ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION,edited by Benjamin M. Compaine (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Ballinger, 1984—$29.95).

ELECTRONIC MARKETING: EMERGING 'IV AND COMPUTER CHANNELS FOR INTERACTIVE HOME SHOPPING, by Lawrence Strauss (White Plains, New York: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1983—$34.95).

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY , by Peter Zorkoczy (White Plains, New York: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1982—$29.95).

INFORMATION NETWORK SYSTEM: TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, by Yasusada Kitahara (Edison, New Jersey: Heinemann Educational Books, 1983—$15.00).

CABLE TELEVISION , by William Grant (Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing, 1983—$23.95).

CABLE TELEVISION: AN ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL ISSUES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (Washington, D.C.: Institute for District Affairs of the University of the District of Columbia, n.d., but 1984—price not given, paper).

THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES: CHANGES AND CHALLENGES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS—A SOURCEBOOK OF GENERAL INFORMATION (Washington, D.C.: The Media Institute, 1983—price not given, paper).

INTRODUCING CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS: THE NEW MOBILE TELEPHONE SYSTEM , by Stan Prentiss (Blue Ridge Sumniit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books, 1984-$9.95, paper).

CHANGING INFORMATION CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES: A READER FOR THE PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIAN White Plains, New York: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1982—price not given, paper).

BOOKS, LIBRARIES AND ELECTRONICS: ESSAYS ON THE FUTURE OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (White Plains, New York: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1982—$24.95).

THE SUBCARRIER PAGING GUIDE, by Alan A. Reite and ThOrnas J. Buono (Subcarrier Publishing, P.O. Box 57011, Washington, D.C. 20037—$75.00, paper).     

Education for an Aging Planet

As low income societies experience rapid aging of their populations, they face major challenges in developing educational policies to prepare their workforce for the future. We review modest efforts undertaken to assist colleagues in three societies: Mexico, China, and Jamaica. Graduate education in gerontology has an important opportunity to expand research, training, and service-learning programs in global aging.