Four forms of a 36-item adaptation of the Stanford Achievement Test were administered to 484 fourth graders. External factors potentially influencing test performance were examined, namely: (1) item order (easy-to-difficult vs. uniform); (2) response location (left column vs. right column); (3) handedness which may interact with response location;…

In 1959, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the University of Pittsburgh selected a stratified random probability sample of all secondary schools (public, parochial, and private) in the United States, tested all their students in grades 9-12 with a two-day battery of aptitude tests, information tests, tests of ability and achievement,…

Surveys were mailed to the 257 students who had enrolled in the first of the core courses in the architecture transfer program (ARC) at Harper College between 1969 and 1978. Of the target population, 18% had stopped at this point; 22% had enrolled in two ARC courses; 20% had enrolled in three ARC courses; 21% had met minimum requirements by taking…

Components of the Proficiency Testing System (PTS) designed for the Central Valley School District, Washington, are described. Components are: (1) progress assessment, consisting of norm referenced tests, writing samples, diagnostic tests, and ability checklists; (2) user assistance, including an objectives manual, inservice workshop, and a…

A longitudinal study was undertaken in Alberta to pilot an evaluation model which was devised by Robert E. Stake and which could provide feedback on the merit and effectiveness of vocational education in the provincial high school curriculum. Using both student records and questionnaires administered to the students, information was gathered over…

The panel which conducted this study was invited by the Florida Teaching Profession--National Education Association (NEA) and the NEA to assess the educational soundness of implementation of the Florida Accountability Act. The panel felt that the overall purpose of the accountability program was praiseworthy, but that the minimum competency…

Two studies were conducted to determine the educational effectiveness of innovative correspondence course materials. The studies were made simultaneously during the period from September 1976 through October 1977. Different materials were compared in terms of student performance, student acceptance of materials, course completion time, and…

The fifth annual report of the Secretary of Agriculture on rural development (prepared in response to a directive from the Rural Development Act of 1972) summarizes current rural conditions by presenting the most recently available statistical data on employment, income, population, housing, and community services and facilities and illustrates…

Justification for a college education is presented in this study by measuring the outcome of college experience. Evidence includes nearly five decades of research on students' achievement both during and after college, and on the educational influence of colleges themselves, to show how college graduates benefit from their exposure to higher…

Tabular and narrative material highlight accomplishments of a three-year Basic Skills Learning Centers (BSLC) Project, which was designed to provide nonurban elementary schools in 20 western states with materials and technical assistance to improve remedial instruction in reading and mathematics. A section on project structure and history…

Recommendations and guidelines are presented for the educational diagnosis of students entering the Los Rios Community College District. The paper first underscores the need for a diagnostic process to help students assess their potential for academic success, and then recommends: (1) the assessment of past academic and work experience, basic…

A retrospective comparative analysis of data collected between 1975 and 1979 was undertaken at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) to quantitatively determine the impact of WCCC's developmental education program on: (1) the persistence and academic performance of underprepared students; (2) the college's financial situation; and (3) the…

The following Title I and Impact Aid programs carried out in Bronx, New York's Community School District 10 are evaluated in this report: (1) a reading program providing remedial instruction to students in grades K-9; (2) a non public school component providing remedial reading and mathematics instruction to eligible students in grades 1-8 at…

Data are reported from a mail survey of a stratified sample of white and black undergraduate students at Northwestern University during winter 1977. The study deals with three areas in which socialization through education could be expected to differ by race and sex: self-esteem, academic involvement, and expectations about family and career. Two…

Research and descriptive studies conducted from 1966 to 1979 in the area of mature women returning to school are reviewed, and an annotated bibliography in this field is presented. Some important articles from the early sixties are also included. The following topics are considered: description of women returning to college, reasons for returning…