A study was conducted at South Carolina's Technical College of the Lowcountry to compare the success rates of students enrolled in distance education courses to those of students in traditional courses. Average grades, completion rates, and withdrawal rates were analyzed for students in 11 courses, with outcomes compared for students enrolled in…

A conceptual analysis of gain scores and a technically sound procedure for using such scores to compare different instructional programs are presented. The procedure proposed makes use of an index called Rescaled and Adjusted Gains within Strata (RAGS), together with a flexible but explicit procedure for score analysis and reporting. (LC)

Assigned children (N=114) from stratified blocks of percentage overweight to a comprehensive behavioral program or to a no-treatment condition. The average child in treatment declined to percentage overweight 5.71%; children in the control group gained 2.41%. Parental participation was correlated with weight change among children in the treatment…

The Teaching Family Model (TFM) of delinquency treatment has evolved into a national network of community-based behaviorally oriented group homes. A longitudinal summative evaluation of TFM homes and comparison groups from the same or neighboring communities was mounted, and the results of a five year cost-effectiveness study are presented.…

Tested effectiveness of a sequential goal-setting training program in increasing and maintaining productivity for mentally retarded individuals and whether the goal-setting program was as effective with very low developmental levels as with levels in the moderate range. Work productivity differed significantly based on level of retardation and…

Assessed the effectiveness of covert modification procedures in an assertion training program. All treatment groups were superior to the control in behavioral ratings of assertiveness during the posttest in those situations that had been employed previously in treatment; two were superior in those that had not been used, providing evidence of…

The quality of, importance of, and provision for 10 student personnel services were evaluated at Iowa State University. Data from administrators, faculty, and students were analyzed. All groups agreed on the importance of the existing services, but faculty and administrators percieved program quality to be higher than did the students. (Author)

A study to measure any increase in aesthetic awareness in artistically gifted high school students who attended a university inter-arts seminar, as compared to a control group that received no special instruction, indicates that the seminar students significantly increased their understanding of artistic concepts and their ability to make…

Undergraduate students (N=40) were classified as either judgers or perceivers based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and enrolled in six study skills classes characterized by more or less structure. Results indicated groups were equivalent prior to the course but afterwards judgers used study skills and attitudes more than perceivers. (Author)

Investigated the effects of participation in the Title I Child-Parent Centers on substantiated reports of child maltreatment for 1,408 children. Found that 913 preschool participants had significantly lower rates of court petitions of maltreatment by age 17 than 495 children who participated in alternative kindergarten interventions. Four- to…

Compared a 6-session, peer-led smoking intervention program for high school-age youth (n=93) to an identical program led by adults. Results showed a significant difference in the number of cigarettes smoked by students in both peer-led and adult-led groups when compared to the control group. (RJM)

Describes five programs of early intervention for the prevention of reading problems (Success for All, the Winston-Salem Project, Early Intervention in Reading, the Boulder Project, and Reading Recovery). Compares these five programs on a number of dimensions, identifying common features that seem related to preventing reading problems. Draws…

Examined the Success for All Program's effects on elementary students' reading achievement. A comparison between two SFA schools and two matched-control schools showed that African-American students in SFA schools performed comparably to their White counterparts in all four schools and significantly outperformed noncontrol minority students. (47…

Examined effectiveness of conflict resolution training integrated into a curriculum unit on friendship taught daily for 4 consecutive weeks to kindergartners in a midwestern suburban school. Found significant differences in trained and untrained children's knowledge and retention of the conflict resolution procedure, willingness and ability to use…

Evaluated an intervention designed to influence mothers' sensitive responsiveness toward their infant by presenting information about the newborn's competence to interact and promoting affectionate handling and interaction. Found that the enhancement group showed greater frequency of co-occurrences involving vocal exchanges, looking to the…