In the 1950s and 1960s, students practiced ducking under their desks in case of an atomic bomb attack. We know that this was silly and provided no protection and many school practices that are popular today are equally silly. This book explores a wide range of what the authors label "duck and cover" policies--ideas that may have started…

Maria Montessori developed a form of education in the first half of the last century that came to be called by her surname, and research indicates it often has positive outcomes. In the years since its development, tens of thousands of schools worldwide have called their programs "Montessori," yet implementations vary widely, leading to…

Tennessee's Project STAR, a randomized experiment involving almost 12,000 pupils, demonstrated convincingly that small classes in the early elementary (K-3) grades increase pupil performance, reduce the test-score achievement gap between or among different social groups, and can have long-lasting effects. The benefits are greater for minority…

A major shortcoming of macro-spatial research undertaken to date in Israel pertains to the neglect of state investment-related measures and the extent to which they mediate unequal opportunities to learn (OTL) and educational opportunities between localities. In the present study, OTL refer to class size and high-school tracking patterns.…

A bibliographic study was made of current research on class size, providing an historical overview of selected class size studies and a review of conclusions applicable to class size. A central theme which runs through the literature concerning class size reduction is that academic achievement does not necessarily improve when student-faculty…

Researchers on the Lasting Benefits Study (LBS) are tracking students who participated in Tennessee's K-3 Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project (1985-89) as they continue into later grades. Project STAR was a statewide experiment conducted to demonstrate the effects of reduced student/teacher ratios (15:1) on student achievement…

The effects of naturally-occuring within-group variations in social density were assessed via observations of children in an extremely crowded township nursery in South Africa. The nursery class consisted of 83 children who ranged in age from 32 to 64 months. Levels of crowding at home appeared to exert only a small effect on sensitivity to…

Presents the results of a study where researchers noted the correct answers on quizzes, returned the quizzes and allowed students to grade them, and noted discrepancies in the scores. Reveals that cheating is unrelated to gender, religion, or overall grade point average, but positively associated with poor performance in class. (MJP)

Research on the use of sociometric ratings (peer nominations) in predicting achievement and school outcomes is briefly reviewed along with developments in instrumentation. Particular attention is given to a newly revised system of collecting teacher and self ratings along with peer nominations in a comprehensive assessment of the affective and…

The influences of class size and the number of students completing surveys on faculty and course ratings were studied. For classes of 30 or more, a 50 percent response rate gives an acceptable indication of rating, while for a class of less than 30, about 80 percent return is needed. (Author/SW)

An attempt was made at Mountain Empire Community College to develop and implement an impartial and equitable method of faculty evaluation. As part of this process, an instrument was developed to provide both a quantitative and qualitative student rating of faculty. The instrument contains 10 questions covering the syllabus/course outline,…

Discusses and compares advantages and disadvantages of large and small computer-based instructional systems. Predicted and actual costs in two systems--PLATO, which uses a mainframe system, and VITAL, a microcomputer-based system--are analyzed, and cost comparisons are made based on class size. (LRW)

The reorganization of home economics recommended in this report involves important and far reaching changes in both teaching and administration. The committee in home economics distinguishes two types of courses which it designates as general and intensive. To achieve the necessary results in the general courses, teachers must be broadly trained,…

Presents results of a study comparing student class size preferences among first-year college students and upper-division students. Reports that first-year students prefer small classes and upper division students prefer large classes. Concludes that experience in larger classes results in a stronger preference toward the large classes. Urges…

"Projections of Education Statistics to 2015" is the 34th report in a series begun in 1964. This report provides revisions of projections shown in "Projections of Education Statistics to 2014." It includes statistics on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting institutions. Included are projections of enrollment,…