The purpose of this study was, first, to understand the item hierarchy regarding students' understanding of scientific models and modeling (USM). Secondly, this study investigated Taiwanese students' USM progression from 7th to 12th grade, and after participating in a model-based curriculum. The questionnaire items were developed based on 6…

Research conducted by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges in Los Angeles on the status of the community college liberal arts curriculum found that liberal arts programs have a beneficial impact on students. Research findings have consistently revealed that what students know is related to what they study and how they have studied it.…

The fine and performing arts have long been a part of the two-year college curriculum, though the organizational structures of the colleges have afforded these courses limited visibility and widely varying roles within the curriculum. In 1987, a study was conducted by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges to determine the goals and…

In spring 1984, a study was conducted by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges to examine various facets of transfer education at urban community colleges. Part of the study focused on the large discrepancy between the number of community college students saying they wanted to earn a bachelor's degree and the actual number who attained…

A review is provided of statewide and institutional data reflecting the magnitude and causes of the reverse transfer phenomenon. First, data from California, North Carolina, Illinois, Missouri, and Minnesota are presented, contrasting the numbers of students who transfer from two- to four-year colleges to the sometimes greater number of students…

Dropout rates are particularly problematic measures for Hispanic youth. One-third of Hispanic adolescents are foreign-born. Their sending countries tend to have much lower rates of secondary school completion than does the United States. This digest presents recent tabulations on the number of Latino high school dropouts, noting pitfalls in…

Recent trends in immigration and foreign student enrollments are placing a growing demand on community colleges for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. A 1991 study of course sections at 164 two-year colleges nationwide revealed that ESL had grown from 30% of all foreign language courses offered in 1983 to 51% in 1991, and that the…

Changing socioeconomic, cultural, and demographic forces have caused educational nonparticipation among adults to be treated as a social issue. Recent research has attempted to combine dispositional, situational, and environmental factors into composite models of participation. These models have suggested the following categories of deterrence…

This digest highlights one tool that teachers use--standardized tests--from the parent's viewpoint. The discussion covers basic features of testing and suggests questions that a parent might ask his or her child's teacher concerning such tests. Standardized tests are usually objective tests sold by commercial publishers and designed to provide a…

Until recently, fathers were the hidden parents in research on children's well-being. Research stimulated by the new interest in fathers suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's schools does make a difference in their children's education. Using data from the 1996 National Household Education Survey (NHES:96), this Digest looks at…

In order to provide data to help schools respond to the diversity in the backgrounds and educational needs of children entering school, a U.S. Department of Education study asked parents of 3- to 5-year-old children who had not yet started kindergarten about their children's accomplishments that indicated emerging literacy and numeracy skills and…

The increasing availability of inexpensive computer applications has become a major force in promoting the infusion of technology into the counseling field, yet the extent to which counselors and counselor educators use these resources is largely unknown. This Digest describes a survey to assess how competent counselor educators are in the…