The strong relationship between knowledge of vocabulary and reading achievement leads to the conclusion that knowing the meaning of words in a passage enables the reader to answer questions about the passage. The goal of vocabulary instruction is the acquisition of the concepts represented by words as well as the ability to recognize and analyze…

A report on implementation of the Multicultural Reading and Thinking (McRAT) Program in Arkansas from 1989-92 chronicles the program's development, operation, and results. McRAT is a staff development program designed to help teachers infuse higher order thinking processes and multicultural concepts into regular classroom curricula (grades 3 to…

This annual serial volume contains 19 articles offering practical pedagogical ideas from faculty at New Hampshire technical colleges. The following articles are presented: (1) "Goodbye Mr. Desrochers or What I Learned While Teaching My First Lit. Course," by Diane Chin; (2) "A Teacher Learns: Building a Fly Rod," by Walter…

Research on the effectiveness of specific strategies for faculty and instructional development at the college level is reviewedd, focusing on five delivery strategies: (1) workshops; (2) instructional consultation; (3) grants for instructional improvement; (4) colleague collaboration; and (5) print resources. In each case, the strategy is…

Collaboration as a strategy to improve the instructional effectiveness of a school's faculty is examined in this bulletin. The first of four chapters provides a brief discussion of teacher isolation and its consequences and the positive effects of collaboration on school renewal, teacher satisfaction, teacher learning, cooperation among students,…

Seven papers present international perspectives on the relationship between education and child development. Conclusions reached in research on developmental genetics, cognitive development, and classroom instruction are considered, characterizing the current state of knowledge with respect to the influence of education on achievement outcomes.…

This issue contains an interview with Elizabeth Fennema in which she explains that decades of research on learning has had a minor impact on what goes on in the schools. She and other researchers decided to try to integrate the study of teaching along with the study of learning. Their desire was to effect real change in the classroom and to…

This theme issue presents a variety of viewpoints on the topic of educational programs for gifted and talented students, in three papers by Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood. The first paper, "Beyond the Golden Chromosome," reviews the ideas of Joseph S. Renzulli concerning the definition of giftedness, use of the label of gifted, the need for…

These three issues of a newsletter offer diverse kinds of information deemed to be of interest to Association for Direct Instruction (ADI) members--stories of successful implementations in different settings, write-ups of ADI awards, tips on "how to" deliver direct instruction (DI) more effectively, topical articles focused on particular…

This document comprises the archival print edition of the first volume of a quarterly electronic journal providing a forum for information on leading-edge teaching innovations and research findings in the field of family science. The foci of the journal are the family science curriculum, instruction issues, evaluation and assessment, and…

This scholarly journal, an official publication of the Reading Recovery Council of North America, was established to provide an interdisciplinary forum on issues related to the acquisition of language, literacy development, and instructional theory and practice. Articles in Volume 5, Number 1 are: "Affinities and Contradictions: The Dynamics…

This volume highlights thought-provoking issues in visual arts, drama, and music education presented at the 1998 meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Following a message from the Special Interest Group Chair, Larry Kantner, and an editorial, articles in section 1 are: "Art Beginnings" (L. A. Kantner); "Teachers'…

College outcomes evaluation is discussed in two papers. In "The Political Economy of Assessment," Joseph P. O'Neill considers standards of accountability, American reliance on faculty to assess, and the danger of validating quality by external examination. By using the credit-hour system, a quantity indicator (time), is used as a…

A well-conceived system of performance appraisal can indicate the conditions and circumstances motivating individual faculty members to improve their teaching. The performance appraisal system must be sensitive to the different ways in which faculty members fulfill their professional goals of teaching, research, and service. The system needs to…

This paper presents a synthesis of the research on positive behavioral support (PBS) for students with challenging behaviors. PBS is a long-term approach to reducing the inappropriate behavior, teaching a more appropriate behavior, and providing the contextual supports necessary for successful outcomes. It notes that the 1997 amendments to the…