An independent activity engagement program, developed for institutionalized people with mental handicaps, included an adapted watch to provide auditory or visual cues at preset times, a box with pictorial cards representing familiar activities, and reinforcement. The program was suitable for the two adult participants but they continued to rely on…

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of mathematics programs for middle and high schools. Study inclusion requirements included use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of at least twelve weeks, and equality at pretest. There were 102 qualifying studies, 28 of which used random assignment to treatments.…

This paper summarizes and critiques the literature concerning the development and use of time-compressed, intensive course formats in colleges and universities and suggests directions for future inquiry. The paper begins with a discussion of the origins of intensive courses and their development over time. Briefly reviewed are related educational…

This report assesses the effectiveness of the Napa County (California) Instructional Skills Staff Development Program, focusing on its impact on student achievement and student engaged rate in classrooms. The program, providing training for teachers and principals in administrative and instructional skills, is examined for outcomes in two schools,…

Student library assistants and undergraduate and graduate students from agricultural and biological engineering, biological sciences, and entomology participated in a study to determine the effectiveness of instructional materials adapted to specific science disciplines for developing practical skills in the use of library resources. All students…

This study, with 4 parent-child dyads in which the children (ages 9 to 11) exhibited substantial homework problems, found that goal setting and contingency contracting produced significant improvements in children's homework accuracy. Two of the subjects showed substantial improvements in on-task behavior. Parents rated the procedures highly.…

This report describes first year activities and results of a project comparing two early interventions with 102 children (grades 1 and 2) at risk for emotional or behavior disorders. Fifty-nine children received an intervention involving social skills lessons given on a whole-class basis at least twice a week with information sent home regularly…

A study evaluated an adaption of the Stallings Process of Teaching Reading in Secondary Schools in a large urban public school system. This inservice training program is designed to increase teachers' effective use of time. The program is composed of pre-training observations and resulting feedback on needed improvements in classroom behavior,…

The Learning Partners Program (LPP) of the Westview Schools in North York (Ontario) was evaluated. The language arts program paired primary school students from grades 1 to 3 with junior school students three years older. The junior school students received preparation from their homeroom teachers. The evaluation examined the degree of program…

Nineteen junior high school teachers of English, social studies, and mathematics for low-achieving students participated in a study of the process of teacher change resulting from inservice training in effective teaching techniques. The purpose of the training was to increase student time on task and interactive instruction. Participants were…

A staff supervision and classroom management program to increase involvement in functional task activities (e.g., self-help, leisure, social/communication) was implemented in three classes serving 19 students (ages 11-36) with profound mental and physical handicaps. Large increases in functional task involvement and smaller increases in student…

This action research project examined the impact of a program for improving age-inappropriate behaviors that interfere with personal and academic progress. A total of 69 students from 3 elementary classrooms and 2 speech therapy groups were involved in the research. The targeted population consisted of fourth and sixth graders; students with…

Faced with increasing concerns of educators, parents, and students regarding the lack of school discipline, this study evaluated a social skills program to reduce inappropriate behavioral incidents in urban middle and rural high school students. Students' inappropriate behavior, such as talking back, not preparing for class or not participating in…

This practicum investigated the effectiveness of using music activities to reinforce basic money skills with 10 students, ages 12 to 21, with mental retardation in the trainable range. The program used a combination of music and visual aids as strategies for reinforcing basic money skills and improving student on-task behaviors in the classroom.…

This paper examines the research on how student-to-instructor ratio effects influence schooling, with particular attention to how the research relates to low-achieving children. It also summarizes the conclusions of several existing reviews of literature on: the effects on schooling outcomes of class or instructional group size; and scheduled,…