Better teacher evaluation should lead to better instruction and improved outcomes for students, but more accurate classification of teachers requires better information than is now available. Because existing measures of performance are incomplete and imperfect, measured performance does not always reflect true performance. Teachers who are truly…

A study investigated the relationship of 35 high school students' online catalog search performance and their academic achievement and verbal, quantitative, and analytical abilities as measured by standardized tests. Results indicate a moderate correlation between search performance and academic performance and cognitive abilities and a stronger…

Gender differences in level and pattern of cognitive abilities were examined in 49 learning-disabled college students. Females were stronger in visual-motor abilities and verbal conceptualization, whereas the males' highest abilities were nonverbal visual-spatial. Both groups showed weaknesses in memory for digits and factual knowledge and in…

This paper presents a research summary on ability grouping and tracking, and makes recommendations to school practitioners on successful alternative strategies to educate children from diverse backgrounds. The research reveals little evidence that ability grouping improves academic achievement, while overwhelming evidence exists that it retards…

The literature describing deaf persons' intelligence was subjected to a quantitative and qualitative review in this analysis of 85 studies containing independent samples of 43,177 deaf subjects. First, bibliometric analyses were conducted to define the scope, dissemination, and trajectory of the research investigating deafness and Intelligence…

This article describes the Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments, developed for use by school decision makers. Development of the scale is reviewed in terms of five areas of assessment: validity, reliability, propriety, respondent appropriateness, and utility. Specific guidelines and cautions in using the scale are also…

Current middle-school standards require students to operate at levels of literacy never before expected of 10- to 14-year-olds. This monograph, written for teachers, addresses literacy development in middle-school students, stressing the crucial role of teachers. It suggests that teachers must change the core of educational practice and examine…

The study compared communication patterns of male adolescents with Down Syndrome with males matched for chronological age and mental age. The Down Syndrome group was significantly different for mean length of utterance, comprehension of syntax, single word articulation, selected diadochokinetic tasks, and some aerodynamic tasks. (Author/JDD)

Argues that map skills instruction is among the broadest skill applications in the elementary school curriculum. Identifies problems encountered by elementary school children in dealing with maps and describes tasks designed to address such problems. Suggests that what teachers and curriculum developers learn from working with students can be used…

Language teachers are encouraged to find innovative ways to teach vocabulary, particularly illustrating the relationships between words and spatial and temporal relationships in meaning. The concept of the teachable moment is also discussed briefly. (MSE)

This research article and literature review is intended to arouse teachers' interest in the possibility of using drama as a supplementary instructional tool for enhancing their teaching as well as their students' learning. It maintains that educational drama can make students more engaged in their learning, render learning more purposeful for…

Four nomination forms were used to identify 15 intellectually gifted, hearing-impaired students, aged 5-20. Compared to controls, the nominated group had a higher mean intelligence quotient percentile and a higher mean score on the nomination forms. Each of the forms was capable of distinguishing between subjects and controls. (Author/JDD)

This article summarizes Renzulli's Revolving Door Identification Model, an approach to the identification of gifted and talented students. It then investigates reasons for its popularity, addresses criticisms leveled against the model, and assesses its validity and utility for identifying and serving gifted students. (Author/JDD)

This brief article identifies software that supports visual spatial intelligence, a characteristic of many intellectually gifted children. Such software should be complex, flexible, and include visual components. The review of five software titles provides information on appropriate ages, computer compatibility, and source, as well as an…

The research on identifying and educating gifted youth supports the use of multiple identification measures, accelerated instruction, and ability grouping. (Author/TE)