Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705) sought to increase successful completion of transfer-level math and English courses by addressing systemic problems in traditional placement policies and curricular structures. The law requires colleges to maximize the probability that students who enroll in credit English as a second language (ESL) courses complete…

These technical appendices are for the report, "English as a Second Language at California's Community Colleges: An Early Examination of AB 705 Reforms." Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705 Irwin) sought to increase successful completion of transfer-level math and English courses by addressing systemic problems in traditional placement policies…

The study investigated whether a consultant-driven prereferral intervention (Mainstream Assistance Teams) may be shortened in duration, thus improving its efficiency, without reducing its effectiveness. Subjects were 60 general educators, their 60 most difficult-to-teach nonhandicapped pupils, and 22 consultants, representing 17 elementary schools…

Comparison of the efficacy of integrating 41 elementary school students with moderate mental retardation into either regular classes, a special class with a community-based program, or a special class with a traditional developmental program found that, after 2 years, no single program was superior to the other 2. (Author/DB)

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the relationship between achievement, teacher-reported letter grades, and instructional levels in a sample of 100 Chapter 1 students who had participated in the program for two years. For each student, third grade and fifth grade California Achievement Test scores, end-of-year letter grades, and…

A review of the literature is presented on developmental mathematics courses in two- and four-year colleges and universities. The paper is organized within the categories of status studies, placement, program evaluation, class management, student characteristics, and thought processes. Highlights of the report include: (1) an average of 2.0…

This study attempted to implement and validate a 5-month effort to transition 42 pupils with mild and moderate disabilities (most with learning disabilities) out of math instruction in special education resource rooms and into regular education math. A preliminary discussion examines the "cascade of services" model and transenvironmental…

Beginning in 1978, Fullerton College implemented a mandatory assessment/placement program designed to assess student skills, ameliorate skill deficiencies through basic instruction, and place students in classes appropriate to their level of competency. A study was conducted to determine the impact of the skills prerequisite system on the progress…

Community colleges are recognized today as critical links between high schools and four-year colleges. This paper presents a research model for understanding the transfer function and transfer performance at the level of the college. The model discusses the community college in terms of its capacity for institutionalizing functions and its overall…

This report documents efforts to develop instruments for data-gathering and to train field staff in the use of the instruments, as part of a feasibility study designed to validate a conceptual framework that describes the elements of California's special education prereferral and alternative assessment procedures for ethno-linguistically diverse…

The Language Assessment Battery was administered to third to fifth grade limited English speaking students in New York City. Special techniques addressed two common problems in testing these populations: (1) language tests suitable for limited English speakers change their psychometric characteristics over time as the students' language ability…