The assessment and evaluation programs of Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, and Michigan, and the development and implementation of steps they initiated to progress toward the goal of accountability are described in detail in this report. Following the introduction, section 2 discusses the laws enacted by the four states that are the basis for their…

To test some aspects of Skinnerian programed instruction, a 241-frame program on Swedish grammar was presented to students 10 to 12 years old. Skinnerian insistence on student-constructed overt responses and on presenting the "key answer" after each frame were contrasted with covert responses and key answer frequencies less than 100…

The Iowa Assessment program used criterion referenced tests developed for use with students in grades 5 and 8. Participation by local school districts was on a voluntary basis. Lists of minimal objectives were developed after reviewing textbooks and objectives identified by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. These objectives were…

To replicate the findings of a previous experiment in which it was shown that the systematic presentation of rules and feedback on conservation and conservation-related problems can be employed to teach young children the traditional (Piagetian) liquid quantity problem rapidly, an analysis was made of the role of two others variables: (1) use of…

Review of reversal learning data obtained from Ss of various developmental phases suggested that overtraining increases perseveration in pre-school children, and decrease perseveration in older (e.g., 1st grade) children. The present experiment tested this apparent trend. Children of two age groups (X = 4 yrs., 4 mos., vs. X = 6 yrs., 5 mos.)…

Theory and research regarding four levels of concept attainment and three uses of concepts as specified by the conceptual learning and development (CLD) model are described. The strategy and objectives of a longitudinal assessment of children's conceptual learning and development are presented. Perspective is provided regarding the role of the…

The effects of the violation of the assumption of normality coupled with the condition of multicollinearity upon the outcome of testing the hypothesis Beta equals zero in the two-predictor regression equation is investigated. A monte carlo approach was utilized in which three differenct distributions were sampled for two sample sizes over…

The technique originating from the study of ecological systems for the examination of dynamic educational systems over time is utilized. The technique is based on the theory of energy exchanges in interactions between variables. Using this technique, interactions among variables can be specified and simulated over time using an analog computer.…

This program, begun in 1968 and included in "Effective Reading Programs...," serves about 2,800 students in grades 10-12. A secondary reading skills chart was developed, behavioral objectives were written, and minimal-competency tests in both reading and sriting were prepared. During the school year, all skills listed on the chart are…

Fifty-eight middle class children were tested over 6 years with 25 achievement, I.Q., and personality tests. Consistency of test results were evaluated by a variance comparison method and a simple signal detection model. Both methods lead to the conclusion that achievement tests are far better predictors than personality tests with I.Q. scales…

Action research combines the development of competence with community action. It provides a means of organizing large numbers of people around well-defined, short-term jobs; engages people face to face with a problem; and translates research into politics by building a base of mass support for a given problem. The basic components of any action…

This paper proposes a broader and more rigorous approach to the analysis of errors produced by second language learners. As a supplement to longitudinal studies, a procedure called "lateralisation" is advocated as a way of providing the researcher with more data than is normally available through examination of learner text alone. In…

These guidelines were developed for administrators and teachers involved in bilingual/bicultural programs for children of limited English-speaking ability. They are designed to assist those developing such programs in the regular school curriculum as well as in summer programs. Though they follow the federal guidelines for Title VII…

Fifty-eight literature citations relevant to preparation of teachers for Southwestern Spanish-speaking children and youth are reviewed in this paper. The citations include journal articles, monographs, research reports, and synthesis papers published between 1920 and 1974. Topics covered are bilingual teaching strategies, stereotyping, problems…

This book is a collection of 20 articles and research reports that deal with practical, technical issues of research methodology applicable to the study and evaluation of today's schools. The evaluation techniques suggested are aimed primarily at educational reform and improvement, rather than revolutionary change. Because all the authors are…