This descriptive report covers the first phase of a 20-year longitudinal study of black children adopted under 3 years of age by black couples, white couples, and single persons. The sample of three groups of approximately equal size was selected from the adoptive placements of two private child welfare agencies between June 1970 and June 1972.…

The Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES), Phase II, was a research project on effective teaching behavior--what teachers do that significantly affects what and how pupils learn. The purposes of Phase II were to (1) develop an assessment system for measuring teacher and pupil behaviors and other factors which could influence each of them and…

Factors associated with effective job performance among agricultural extension workers in Jamaica were examined; and the validity of transferring, to a developing nation, the descriptive and theoretical generalizations concerning selection of effective extension workers in the United States was investigated. The sample of 99 officers included 30…

A test of a reputable scholarship search service using a fictitious student and characteristics revealed that the aid source information obtained was only fair in relevance and response rate to follow-up inquiry. Students are advised to concentrate on more productive sources of information: colleges, personal contacts, and publications. (MSE)

The No Child Left Behind Act requires standards-based accountability for school districts and schools receiving Title I funds. A major component of this policy is to report whether districts and schools are making "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) based on their performance goals. This paper raises questions for rural schools using the…

In response to the numerous school reform initiatives being implemented, Sternberg proposed a theory of contextual modifiability stating that successful change in a school requires that the school be modifiable. Sternberg developed the School Characteristics Inventory (SCI), a 116-item Likert scale questionnaire, to assess schools'…

The construct of dispositions is well defined in national standards, and U.S. colleges of education are required to assess candidate dispositions to meet accreditation requirements. Measurement, however, is virtually non-existent. On-line reviews of college accreditation reports indicate that colleges are attempting to assess dispositions without…

This document, which draws on the findings of a survey of further education (FE) colleges in the United Kingdom and case studies of 9 FE colleges, presents good practices for managers of tutoring programs and tutors. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the changing role of tutors in the post-16 sector and the importance of recruiting, training, and…

Prekindergarten students (n=1,137) in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse urban public school took a kindergarten diagnostic assessment in September prior to entry into the regular kindergarten program. The assessment was a pilot version of a longer instrument that had been used at the school for several years. Results were used for…

The ways in which potential problems in terms of validity were addressed by a beginning researcher conducting research into teacher attitudes are described. The researcher, a doctoral candidate, studied the beliefs, attitudes, and values of four experienced high school biology teachers. Principles and practices of research were set into place…

This paper reports on research conducted to determine whether science curriculum reform efforts in Korea have had a positive effect on the classroom learning environment from a constructivist point of view. The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was administered to 1083 students and 24 science teachers in 12 different schools. One…

This study investigated the use of an online authentic assessment tool to evaluate students' fluency with the World Wide Web (WWW). Participants included 120 middle and high school students with a strong technology background and a familiarity with navigating the World Wide Web. Using the online Web Expertise Assessment and accompanying WWW…

Student assessments and their possible effects on faculty performance and vitality are discussed. Two kinds of assessments considered are: (1) students' rating of individual courses and instruction, and (2) students' evaluation of the curriculum and teaching in their major field department. (MLW)

Studies published since 1965 on the relationship between classroom behavior and academic achievement are reviewed. Criteria are established for selecting the studies, the research is assessed, and recommendations for future research are made. (MH)

A long-range plan to evaluate medical students' physical examination skills was undertaken at the Ingham Family Medical Clinic at Michigan State University. The development of the psychomotor skills evaluation model to evaluate the skill of blood pressure measurement, tests of the model's reliability, and the use of the model are described. (JMD)