This study is limited to the mathematics performance of two intact groups of culturally deprived kindergarten students, mostly blacks, with a few whites and Mexican-Americans, who were enrolled at Robert E. Lee Elementary School (Denton, Texas) for the entire school year of 1970-1971. The purposes of the study are to compare the effectiveness of two methods of teaching mathematics to culturally disadvantaged children and to check for interaction of treatments when these children are classified by sex.

Since the implementation of the latest reform in the education programs of Quebec, the adaptation of teaching has taken on an important place in the concerns of all actors in education. However, this adjustment towards the adoption of teaching practices that require more participation on the part of the pupil is not accomplished so easily, particularly in the field of science and technology (ST). In order to gain a better understanding of these processes of adaptation, it is opportune to question ourselves on the factors and dynamics of interest at stake, especially in disadvantaged environments. Such environments are faced with situations where other difficulties coexist: integration of pupils, lack of interest, problems in classroom management, multi-ethnicity, etc. As a result, such difficulties give rise. to particular limitations, expressed in the form of needs, by pupils and teachers, likely to have a restrictive effect on the adaptation of teaching practices. Accordingly, our research focuses on the needs perceived by teachers in high school ST classrooms in disadvantaged school environments, since they present a privileged means to better understand the processes involved in the adaptation of practices. The adoption of an ecosystemic perspective, centered on these needs and their contribution towards the dynamics of decision-making, enabled us to better apprehend the complexity of these processes in ST classrooms. We were able to identify the needs perceived by teachers by following the methodology of conceptanalysis of needs, and by combining focus groups with the DRAP software. The results account for the large variety of needs to be considered in the equation of adaptation of teaching practices. These needs generally belong to the classroom system (microsystem). For pupils, they are mainly cognitive needs, but for teachers, they pertain to organization and structure. The influence of these needs on the adaptation processes depends on the interpretation by teachers of teaching situations, so much so that a same need can at times be assumed as negative pressure, generating obstacles, or at other times as a positive impulse, facilitating adaptation.

The master thesis is focused on the prevention of addictions in the education of pupils with social disadvantage. The theoretical part deals with the period of adolescence and describes its biological and psycho - social aspects. The attention is focused mainly on pupils with the need for support in education due to social disadvantage. The thesis defines this term, deals with individual manifestations of social disadvantage and supports these pupils. The following part is dedicated to the topic of addiction and risks of development of addiction in adolescents. Thetheoretical part also describes specific risks of substance and non-substance dependencies. The last chapter introduces the theme of prevention in school and preventive program. The practical part consists of there search were three elementary schools in Prague participated. The thesis describes them and analysis their preventive programs. The research was based on the methods of the questionaire, which was presented to pupils and interviews with prevention methodologies and pupils of the sixth grade. The research aimes on finding specific recommendations for the prevention of addictions in the education of pupils with social disadvantage. These recommendations include, for example, meetings with abstinent, demontration of the...

Le contexte libanais actuel de l’enseignement est caractérisé par une pluralité de types d’établissements et par une liberté d’enseignement. Ces établissements (publics, privés, subventionnés) connaissent, chacun à son niveau, de grandes difficultés qui les menacent, et de véritables problèmes accentués par divers phénomènes sociaux, économiques et politiques. Cette réalité a des incidences notables sur l’état actuel de l’enseignement scolaire en général, sur le statut de chaque type d’école, sur le niveau professionnel des enseignants et sur les réussites scolaires. Notre étude cible les écoles subventionnées, comme constituant une originalité libanaise. C’est un secteur « compromis », situé au croisement du privé et du public, offrant une qualité d'enseignement avec une scolarité accessible à une population défavorisée. L’étude vise à voir de près les enjeux en termes d’équité éducative, et à repérer, au sein d’une situation contraignante, l’aspect militant de certains enseignants de ces écoles, visant à atténuer les sentiments d’équité (sur-équité et sous-équité) et à réduire les écarts par l’efficacité éducative. Les conditions de travail sont à l’origine d’un épuisement professionnel chez certains enseignants. Elles sont par ailleurs un moteur-défi pour d’autres enseignants qui réussissent à se développer professionnellement malgré tous les facteurs de risque. Ce phénomène s’apparente au concept de résilience éducationnelle introduit récemment dans le monde de la psychopédagogie. La résilience du personnel scolaire se présente alors comme un facteur primordial valorisant l’évolution professionnelle et l’efficacité éducative en milieux scolaires modestes et ayant à réguler, en conséquent, certaines in-équités entre apprenants et entre milieux scolaires. / The current Lebanese context of the education is characterized by a plurality of types of establishments and by a freedom of education. These establishments (public, private, subsidized) know, each at the level, of great difficulties which threaten them, and with real problems stressed by diverse social, economic and political phenomena. This reality has notable incidences on the current state of the school education generally, on the status of every type of school, on the professional level of the teachers and on the successes at school. Our study targets the subsidized schools, as constituting a Lebanese originality. It is a sector, situated in the crossing of the private and the public, offering a quality of education with an accessible schooling to a disadvantaged population. The study aims at seeing closely the stakes in terms of educational equity, and at spotting(locating), within a binding situation, the militant aspect of certain teachers of these schools, to limit(ease) the feelings of equity (on equity and sub-equity) and to reduce discard by the educational efficiency. The working conditions are at the origin of a professional exhaustion at certain teachers. They are besides an engine-challenge for other teachers who manage to develop professionally in spite of all the risk factors. This phenomenon is similar to the concept of “resiliency in education” introduced recently into the world of the education. The resiliency of the school staff appears then as an essential factor(mailman) valuing the professional evolution and the educational efficiency in modest school circles and having to regulate, in consequent, some in equities between learners and between school environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference between a student’s reading/language arts TCAP scale score and his or her lunch status for students in grades three, four, & five within two school systems in Tennessee. The population consisted of 2,442 students who were in grades three, four, and five during the 2014-2015 school year in a city school system in east Tennessee and a county school system in middle Tennessee. The Kruskal-Wallis H, a non-parametric test, was used to identify statistically significant differences in the medians of the reading/language arts TCAP scores across the three types of lunch payment status. The independent variable was the type of student lunch status (free, reduced, and full pay). The dependent variable was the reading/language arts TCAP scale score of students in grade three, four, and five. The quantitative findings revealed the relationship between student lunch status group and reading/language arts TCAP scale score was significant for all four research questions. In all analyses, the difference in the reading/language arts TCAP scale scores of students in the free lunch status group and the full pay lunch status group was significant. When the data from both school systems were combined, there was a significant difference in the scale scores between the free and full pay lunch status groups, the free and reduced lunch status groups, and the reduced and full pay lunch status groups.

Over 425,000 youth currently reside in the U.S. foster care system. Youth enter the foster care system for the many reasons, including but not limited to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, incarceration of a parent, abandonment, and death of a family member. Once in the foster care system, many youth remain until they reach adulthood. The purpose of this study is to examine the perspectives of current and former foster youth who remained in foster care into their adulthood and who participated in the Independent Living Program (ILP), a program designed to help foster youth transition to adulthood and independence. The study used in-depth, qualitative interviews to examine former foster youths’ perceptions of the role ILP played in their transitions to adulthood. This study examines the difficult transitions to independence many foster youth experience and the corresponding skills and behaviors ILP addresses. Several themes emerged from the data. Current and former foster youth with negative outcomes reported that staff assigned to them did not support them in correlation to ILP service deliverance and the transition into adulthood. The second major theme found was inconsistent participation in ILP. The third major theme was communication with clients so that they can be informed of upcoming events, workshops, and resources. The fourth major theme was participants’ suggestions on improvements for ILP. The findings from this study have implications for ILP programs and for social work practice. These implications and recommendations are discussed.

Researchers have observed that effective leaders are essential to achieving and sustaining high student achievement in disadvantaged poor rural areas. Poor leadership may negatively influence the academic performance of students. The poor performance of students in disadvantaged rural areas has been a continuous concern for Catholic educators in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the leadership practices that a rural Catholic school principal implemented to improve the academic standards in a disadvantaged environment in Nigeria. This qualitative case study sought to explore the practices of a principal in a Catholic school in the Diocese of Auchi that have improved student performance significantly in a disadvantaged rural area. Leithwood and Riehl's core leadership practices framework served as a conceptual basis for understanding the leadership practices of an effective school principal. The collection of data was through semistructured interviews with 12 participants (principal, 6 teachers, and 5 parents), a focus group with 5 teachers, field notes from direct observations, and documents from the school. Data analysis was thematic and flexible as guided by an interpretative framework. The findings suggest that Catholic school principals in disadvantaged areas need to set direction, have professional development for teachers, focus on the teaching and learning, and create an enabling climate with a positive culture, building Catholic character, good relationships, and stakeholders' collaboration. This study may contribute to positive social change in building best leadership practices in helping students learn in the midst of poverty, sustaining and improving student academic achievement.

Evidence suggests that principals' practices influence student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the beliefs elementary school principals in the mid-Atlantic United States had about which leadership practices have been instrumental in reducing the achievement gap between economically-disadvantaged students and all other students at their schools. The leadership model that Kouzes and Posner developed, which identified 5 practices of exemplary leaders, served as the conceptual framework for this study. Eleven principals who were leaders at schools where the achievement gap in reading had been reduced compared with the state average were interviewed. A combination of a priori and open coding was used to support thematic analysis. Six leadership practices, aligned with transformational and instructional leadership practices, were identified as influencing student achievement positively. The participants indicated the importance of leading by example and developing positive relationships with all stakeholders and communicating and inspiring all stakeholders with their vision for their schools, believed in shared decision making and developing teacher leaders, and understood the value of risk-taking and innovation along with a strong instructional focus. The results of this study add to the research supporting the influence that principals have on student achievement by identifying practices principals could implement at their schools to increase student achievement. It is recommended that school division personnel and principal preparation program personnel use these results to inform their training programs and school improvement initiatives. Positive social change may occur when principals implement these 6 practices at their own schools, thereby increasing the reading achievement of economically-disadvantaged students.

Studies of the association between race/ethnicity and juvenile court outcomes have found that minority youth often receive disadvantaged outcomes compared to similarly situated Whites, and that community context may condition this relationship. Sampson and Laub's (1993) revised conflict perspective is one theoretical model that can potentially explain the social control of youth throughout juvenile justice proceedings. One of the main propositions of Sampson and Laub's (1993) perspective is that communities characterized by underclass poverty and racial inequality will impose greater social control on youth referred to the juvenile court, especially Blacks and youth charged with a drug offense because they are perceived as a threatening population to middle-class values and standards. The current research drew upon Sampson and Laub's (1993) macrolevel theory of inequality and social control to examine the juvenile court outcomes of White, Black, and Hispanic youth from all counties in a Northeast state from 2000-2010. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) was employed to examine the relationship between disadvantaged community characteristics (underclass poverty, racial inequality, ethnic inequality) and juvenile court outcomes; especially if race/ethnicity, drug offending, and type of drug offense (possession versus distribution) tempered these relationships. The results indicate that disadvantaged community characteristics did not directly impact the social control of youth, but individual and joint effects of race/ethnicity and drug offending resulted in greater social control for Black and Hispanic youth of various drug offending combinations. In particular, the effect of race/ethnicity on social control was greater for Hispanic youth compared to Blacks. Depending on the stage examined, the relationship between race/ethnicity, drug offending, and juvenile court outcomes were conditioned by disadvantaged community characteristics. Based on the findings, empirical and theoretical implications are provided that focus on the applicability of Sampson and Laub's (1993) perspective to more recent court outcomes, as well as prevention and intervention programs that focus on decreasing the presence of minority youth in the juvenile justice system. Directions for future research are highlighted to provide greater insights into the circumstances surrounding case outcomes and under what situations community context and race/ethnicity matter in the treatment of youth within the juvenile court.

This study investigates how socially and economically disadvantaged young people, living in a semi-rural, post-industrial Atlantic Canadian community, experience and perceive social and economic health -- defined as participants' sense of comfort and security that their social and economic needs are, and will continue to be, met in their community. I argue that social and educational policies and practices must reflect the realities of local citizens if they aim to interrupt regional health disparities. A key objective of this research is to expose and challenge gender, class, and regional inequalities through an analysis of young adults' social and economic health experiences and perceptions. Drawing primarily upon Pierre Bourdieu's (1990b; 2001)concepts -- habitus, field, and symbolic domination -- relations between gender, class,and historical circumstances theoretically inform this research. Employing a critical ethnographic methodological framework (Madison, 2005),experiences and perceptions of ten economically disadvantaged youth -- five women and five men, ages 19-30 -- were gathered through focus groups, individual interviews, participant observation, critical dialogue (using media to stimulate dialogue among participants), and an adaptation of photovoice (a technique combining photography and narrative). Results suggest that the social and economic health needs of economically disadvantaged young adults are not being met. They confirm Bourdieu's (1999a)assertion of an interrelationship between physical place and the positioning of agents in social fields. Participants navigate economic, cultural, and social fields, aware of their social positioning as they 'work' the fields in order to secure enough capital to 'get by'. Their struggles are examples of symbolic domination and suggest a significant psycho-social cost to young adults seeking social and economic health through various fields. Analyses of their experiences suggest a disjuncture between gendered identities ascribed to participants through historically-rooted habitus and contemporary social fields. Recommendations call for gender, class, and regional inequalities to be addressed through structural interventions and investment in long term community-based education that is integrated with local economic development initiatives. Furthermore, this research calls attention to how research agendas and procedures can actually reinforce marginalization, making it difficult for the voices of disadvantaged communities to enter into dominant public discourse.