The purpose of this study was to investigate effective ways of providing educational services for at-risk students who are repeatedly placed out of the regular classroom into an alternative school. Characteristics of both settings were investigated in terms of meeting student needs to determine what ingredients might be missing from either or both settings that should be implemented to help these students succeed. The research was qualitative and used a case study design. Primary data were gathered from interviews with five students placed in an alternative school setting and interviews with teachers and administrators in both the regular school and the alternative school. Cumulative student records were also used. The researcher concluded that students who are repeatedly placed in the alternative program are a very small percentage in each school; however, there is a need for better resources in both the regular and alternative programs to meet the needs of these students. Key ingredients are better communication between the two settings and a better understanding of the role of the alternative program in serving these students. There is also a need for transition planning and follow-up with students who are not finding success when placed back in the regular classroom and are being pulled back and forth between the two programs.

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At-risk students in a secondary alternative school program were asked to complete an open, subjective questionnaire that explored their perceptions regarding both regular and alternative schools' attitudes toward, and response to, them as individuals. There also were questions about how these attitudes and responses made them feel about themselves and their school experience. Grounded theory-methodology was used to structure the study. Their feelings seemed to focus on basic human values and adult caring. Results support Maslow's theory that both physical and psychological needs fulfillment drive human decision and activity. Students indicated that when basic issues of safety and support were provided for in the school environment, they had more energy and concentration for growth and self-actualization through learning. Results of this qualitative study indicated that educators and support personnel should consider this area important to explore before reaching conclusions regarding how to communicate effectively with, or further restructure programs to serve at-risk students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a parent education program on the self concept and parenting knowledge of incarcerated mothers. Subjects were 97 volunteer incarcerated mothers at a northern California facility for women inmates. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups and were administered pre- and posttest measures immediately before and after treatment. Instruments used were the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Henderson/Trotter parent inventory (HIT). Analysis of covariance and the product-moment coefficient r were used to assess the effects of parent education on the self concept and parenting knowledge of mothers. Additional analysis was done to assess specific demographic/personal factors in relation to the treatment. Major findings of the study were: (1) Parent education did significantly effect the parenting knowledge of the participants at the.001 level. (2) Parent education did not significantly change the self concept of participants over a nine-week period. (3) Results of the posttest scores on the Henderson/Trotter parent inventory were significantly higher, at the.01 level, for mothers reporting abuse versus those reporting no abuse. (4) The mean posttest scores for abused mothers versus non-abused mothers was significantly higher at the.01 on three level of the TSCS dimensions: moral-ethical self, personal self, and family self. Scores were reversed for the two groups on the following dimensions: general maladjustment, personality disorder, and neurosis scales. These findings indicate a more positive effect from the parent education program on mothers reporting abuse versus those reporting no abuse. (5) Posttest scores were significantly higher for mothers reporting "prior record" versus "first offense" on the TSCS defensive positive scale and personality disorder scale indicating the parent education training had a more positive effect on those mothers who reported a "first offense". (6) Results of posttest scores were significantly higher for court-ordered mothers versus optional participation on the personality disorder scale suggesting that treatment was more effective for those mothers optionally participating.

This study addressed the lack of culture-specific empirical data related to Mexican-American battered women. In California this is of great concern because the population of Mexican-Americans is large and increasing. There is a need for programs to be designed and providers trained on the basis of more specific, differentiated data. The study addresses the following question: What are the characteristics regarding age, social isolation, substance abuse, social class, and characteristics of the battered woman's relationship with her partner? General demographic information was also analyzed. The sample included 424 Mexican-American battered women who sought emergency shelter services at one shelter during the period 1979-1994. Data were obtained from shelter records. The findings from this study pointed to a general profile of this population. The typical woman was a relatively young, poor, socially-isolated woman with low educational attainment, with two to three children, who was subjected to a variety of emotional and physical abuse from a male partner who cohabited with her. Most of the partners were substance users with a jail or prison record. The average relationship was seven years in length, with violence starting after approximately one and one half years. Most of the women experienced abuse during pregnancy. The data analysis further revealed that 121 of the 424 women left the batterer after one incident of abuse. Implications for service providers who intend to attract and serve Mexican-American battered women include the provision of support groups within the shelter and the location and referral to support groups outside of the shelter. Support groups would serve the dual function of validating the battered woman's experiences and of empowering her to maximize her individual potential. It is recommended that future researchers compare characteristics of women who left their batterer after one incident of abuse to women who stayed and endured abuse for an average of 5.5 years.

Students who are truant from school may result in their becoming academically and socially unprepared to enter the work force. In an age in which higher paying jobs require technical skills from workers, employees with minimal skills and academic preparation have a negative social and fiscal impact upon the school community and the larger social order of the country. The purpose of this study examines the problem through personal, in-depth interviews of students identified as truants in order to provide a deeper understanding of the phenomena and the critical effects upon their academic and social development. Eight individual students are interviewed, examining their lived experiences as it relates to their education through a collective case study methodology. The reconstruction of these students' reflections on life events provides a subjective analysis of their school attendance, with implications for educators to begin prevention and intervention strategies prior the onset of the middle school experience.

This study examines late adolescent sociopolitical identity formation. Research questions examined how 18–20 year old adolescents think about their development, conceptualize their time and place in history, and understand social and political topics. Using cultural and narrative psychology perspectives, interview items addressed three topics: growing up in changing times; living history; and understanding political concepts. Special attention was given to student reflections on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Ten late adolescents, 18–20 years of age and students at a community college, were interviewed on two occasions for a total of approximately three hours. Responses were analyzed utilizing qualitative approaches drawn from the biographical and phenomenological traditions. Individual profiles were created based upon each student's interview, making extensive use of the students' narratives. Cross-participant responses were analyzed for related items. In this study of sociopolitical identity, it was found that: these adolescents conceptualize national and international events from the perspective of their personal, lived experience. Second, students' knowledge of political concepts was limited. In contrast, students' political interest and affect was high. Third, most students had a strong desire to contribute to and influence their society in a positive way, but had yet to find a means of doing so. Fourth, students exhibited a multicultural and multinational orientation. It was evident that these students experience a world that transcends national boundaries. Fifth, it was found that student attitudes and affects in the aftermath of the September 11 th terrorist attacks were characterized by fear, anxiety, and empathy for the victims and their families. The event and subsequent developments were seen as changing life irreparably, and students reported uncertainty about the impact of these historical periods on their future prospects. Recommendations to psychologists and educators include encouraging and building upon adolescents' sociopolitical affect and interest and providing service learning experiences in the public schools. Also, helping adolescents and young adults conceptualize their activities and interests in a sociopolitical framework, and encouraging a narrative that speaks to the social and political nature of their lived experience is strongly suggested. Further studies that examine late adolescent sociopolitical narratives are recommended.

Although the nature of services provided by college guidance/counseling centers in the Philippines have evolved from an almost exclusive academic focus to a more diversified one, little is known as to who is taking advantage of this expanded service and what may be preventing others from doing so. More information is needed since psychological stress from personal concerns impacts the well-being of Filipino college students, and, in particular, their likelihood to have a positive academic experience. Data were collected from six introductory psychology classes from three colleges in the Philippines. The data consisted of responses to six measures of constructs that prior research has found to be related. These constructs are: locus of control orientation, levels of distress, likelihood to conceal, level of social support, attitudes toward counseling, and likelihood to seek counseling. Statistical analysis of the results was performed and the findings interpreted to determine whether or not specific models of help-seeking behavior would apply to the Filipino college student population. Path analysis was used to determine the best fitting model among the eight that were studied. Based on the best fitting model, specific conclusions were drawn and these are: (1) college students in the Philippines are more likely to seek counseling when their level of distress is high; (2) distress is higher when social support networks are impaired, individuals have an external locus of control orientation, and they tend to conceal personal information from others; (3) social support is less in Filipino college students who tend to have an external orientation and who are likely to conceal personal information from others; and (4) negative attitudes toward counseling are more likely in students who tend to have an external orientation and who are likely to conceal personal information from others. Implications for service providers point toward a more active role in providing services to the students in the classrooms while exploring various way of educating the students about the different factors that contribute to psychological distress and isolation.

For decades colleges and universities have been perplexed by the problem of retaining students within systems of higher education. With the advent of more diverse student populations and the increasing demands for more innovative pedagogical approaches, many universities have implemented learning community programs. To study how learning communities impact first generation college students, this study was undertaken to formulate a better understanding of student retention, peer learning, and faculty engagement. This was accomplished by drawing upon both qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore the data concurrently to derive a comprehensive picture of the phenomena under scope. Using a grounded theory approach for the qualitative data analysis, 24 interviews were conducted, an exhaustive document review transpired, and the researcher engaged in 32 hours of observation for a 16-week period. From this analysis, four primary themes emerged: psychosocial integration, intellectual integration, familial integration, and ecological integration. In addition, stages of peer learning were developed from the observations of the students in the learning community setting, as well as positions of faculty engagement in the learning communities program. From the grounded theory analysis, a socialization model was built to explain first year student retention. The study also employed a logistic regression analysis in the quantitative component of the research investigation, to determine how well the following variables could predict first year student retention: high school grade point average (GPA), first semester GPA, first year academic standing, gender, ethnicity, admission status, major decidedness, ESL status, and the number of developmental courses needed upon enrollment in college. A total of 900 archival student records were examined using a forward logistic regression and a 3-predictor model of student retention was yielded with a classification accuracy of 80.1%. The three significant variables in the model included: first semester GPA, first year academic standing, and ethnicity. When this model was applied to a cross validation sample (n = 685), the classification accuracy was found to be 82.0%. Overall, the findings generated from this study help to shed light on factors that might be predictive of student retention among first generation college students in a learning communities program.