Marvin P. Dawkins

Ability Grouping, Aspirations, and Attainments: Evidence from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988.

Among African American youth and other young people in our society, educational aspirations-the bedrock of future educational and occupational attainment-are developed in large measure through affective and cognitive developmental experiences in schools. Notwithstanding the important roles played by families, communities, and other social institutions in aspirations formation, schools are the primary institution in which educational socialization occurs. Yet schools, which are the primary focus of this article, have failed miserably in providing even basic opportunities for the development of literacy, social skills, and values to far too many of those they serve, especially young people of color. Although American public education is based on a common school ideology that purports to promote equal access to all learners, widespread and entrenched patterns of tracking and between-class ability grouping in our nations schools often result in differentiated classroom learning environments and opportunities for students. If students primarily learn the knowledge and values they are taught or to which they are exposed, then these differentiated, in-school learning opportunities have important implications for young peoples educational aspirations and subsequent attainments. Such differences not only imply different learning outcomes, they may also lead to differences among students in motivation to learn and attachment to school. Studies of tracking and ability grouping have called attention to the potentially harmful effects of these practices on African American and

Alcoholism among Women: A Comparison of Black and White Problem Drinkers

This study examines alcohol-related behavior of Black and White female problem drinkers. Subjects included 163 Whites and 38 Blacks currently in treatment. Findings indicate some similarities and important differences between Black and White women in terms of selected factors. When social background factors are held constant, race continues to be a significant predictor of selected drinking behavior factors. In addition, White problem-drinking women are more likely than their Black counterparts to perceive difficulties in male-female relations as a major cause of their alcohol problems. Implications for improving prevention and treatment services to women are discussed.

Alcoholism Prevention and Black Youth

This paper examines forces internal and external to the black community which must be considered in developing alcoholism prevention strategies targeted to the needs of black youth. Norms and values which foster abusive drinking and a lack of awareness of the destructive impact of alcoholism are viewed as major internal forces, while the use of alcohol as a tool of oppression and racism is seen as the major external force which must be addressed. A call is made for the development of comprehensive, community-based efforts which emphasize primary intervention, mobilization of the major black institutions and involvement of black youth in planning and implementing alcoholism prevention measures.

The Syphax Child Care Center.

This article describes and discusses the Syphax Child Care Center, a private preschool that was established to provide both quality child care and education. Although predominantly black in its enrollment, the school is basically a multiethnic center that also serves a significant proportion of children from other ethnic backgrounds. The importance of quality preschool education and enrichment for all American children has been documented by leading authorities of early childhood education.1 Effective preschool experiences have been investigated to a significant degree; however, many of the studies have focused on urban and/or government-funded programs such as Head Start and Home Start.2 Very little attention has been given to preschooling in private, nonurban schools with significant enrollments of black children. Although there is extensive research on the subject of urban and publicly funded preschool experiences, there remains a lack of consistent results with regard to the level of impact on early, elementary school performance.3 For example, while some studies suggest that preschool programs such as Head Start can have positive and significant influence on the academic achievement and social development of children (compared to control children receiving no preschooling),4 others