The National Writing Project (NWP) is the nation's premier professional development network dedicated to improving the teaching of writing. The NWP network comprises nearly 200 local sites in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This report presents the results of a seven-year survey study of teachers participating in NWP summer…

To improve student completion rates in higher education, faculty are using cohort educational models (CEM); however, very few studies were found regarding CEMs effects in educating culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) doctoral students in the field of special education. This study investigated two questions: (a) Are there differences for…

The Westside Test Anxiety Scale is a brief, ten item instrument designed to identify students with anxiety impairments who could benefit from an anxiety-reduction intervention. The scale items cover self-assessed anxiety impairment and cognitions which can impair performance. Correlations between anxiety-reduction as measured by the scale and…

The new IEA "International Civic and Citizenship Education Study" (ICCS) will investigate the extent to which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens across a range of countries. ICCS will survey 13-to-14-year old students in over 30 countries in the year 2009. The ICCS outcome data will be obtained from representative…

Within the broad context of its National Human Resource Development Strategy (2001) the South African government has implemented two pieces of legislation, namely the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998), an attempt to boost the nation's productivity by increasing skills levels in the workplace, and the Skills Development Levies Act (Act 9 of…

This report focuses on two aspects of teacher supply and quality: (a) the under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities, especially African Americans in the teaching pool, and (b) teacher candidates' performance on licensure assessments, including general skills tests in reading, writing, and mathematics (known as Praxis I[R]) and selected…

The federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, project strives to equalize low-income students' access to higher education by increasing their participation in rigorous coursework, providing expanded opportunities for low-income students and parents to learn about postsecondary educational opportunities…

A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of Fox Valley Technical College's (FVTC's) marketing communications with prospective students. The literature on customer service, marketing communications, and institutional image was reviewed, and 17 construct criteria and 7 content criteria were developed as the framework for the…

One goal of site-based management in schools is to move decision making on policy issues closer to the point of implementation. Therefore it is important for teachers and administrators at a site to have the information and assistance necessary to make informed decisions. To help site personnel gain this information and evaluate data, a "site…

Study abroad is an attractive alternative for university students, but with increasing costs and decreasing dollar values administrators must take a closer look at program outcomes as they relate to institutional values and goals. The project reported here focuses on self-development, specifically the effect of study abroad on student self-esteem…

This study was undertaken to evaluate a training program on understanding Alzheimer's disease for nursing home caregivers of those with the disease. A pretest/posttest design control group methodology was used to evaluate 81 staff members. Results of the study showed that: (1) staff satisfaction with working with mentally impaired and demented…

A study was conducted at American River College during Spring 1981 to assess the effectiveness of a systematic desensitization program in reducing student anxiety toward chemistry and in improving student performance in chemistry courses. During the study, students in two sections of an introductory chemistry course were administered three tests…

Describes the theoretical framework, measurement properties, predictive power, and reliability and validity of the Drug Education School Evaluation Instrument (DESEI), used to determine the effectiveness of the North Carolina Drug Education Schools. The DESEI is included. (BH)

In 2001, the Tennessee Department of Education identified underperforming schools from across the state as Corrective Action schools. Corrective Action schools are among those that failed to meet federal and state guidelines for adequate yearly progress (AYP). The present study was conducted to examine the key features of 9 Corrective Action…

This research investigated variables that may influence effectiveness of the Supplemental Instruction (SI) learning assistance and enrichment program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and other U.S. postsecondary institutions. The first study analyzed variables related to academic performance of students from the university (mean final…