Descriptive statistics of grading scales used in 371 Virginia high schools are discussed in light of the admissions decisions at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. An analysis of the effect of grading scales on admissions decisions is presented. Nontraditional analysis is recommended as an alternative for interpreting the complex…

Presents findings from a study of teaching practices in Principles of Economics courses at Michigan's 29 community colleges. Describes course prerequisites; textbooks used; lecture supplements; and the use of experiential learning tools, such as computers and field trips. Presents three recommendations for improving student preparation in…

Discussion of the effects of technostress on library personnel focuses on an investigation that examined how employees in Florida community college libraries and learning resources centers are dealing with technological change in their work environment. Considers implications for planning and implementing technological change and includes…

Crime went down throughout the U.S. in the 1990s. Potential explanations include demographic shifts, improved economic opportunities, changes in drug markets, evolving police strategies, and an increasing prison population. Previous attempts to parcel out responsibility among these explanations are unpersuasive. Some do not consider all of the…

Context: Graduated drivers license (GDL) programs have been shown to reduce motor vehicle fatalities among 15- to 17-year-olds. However, the 20 most rural states have been the least likely to enact more stringent GDL policies. Purpose: Estimate the relationship of GDL programs and the number of traffic fatalities among 15- to 17-year-olds on rural…

The status of environmental education in elementary teacher education programs in Pennsylvania was previously unknown. This study was undertaken to survey all of the preservice elementary teacher education institutions in the state using a mailed questionnaire. The response rate was approximately 57%. The results indicate that the inclusion of…

Supervision of offenders in the community remains a critical component of the correctional processes in the United States. With almost six million offenders under correctional supervision in the community, there has been relatively little attention and few resources devoted to the style and quality of supervision received by these offenders. As a…

Context: Evidence exists for differences in health insurance coverage among states, but less is known about variations across different kinds of communities within states. Purpose: This article assesses the role of residential setting (metropolitan county, rural adjacent, and rural nonadjacent) in health insurance coverage for adult residents,…

In California today, many licensed early care and education (ECE) programs--and a large number of license-exempt providers--receive public dollars to care for children of low-income families. While, a generation ago, the term "subsidized child care" carried a very specific meaning, referring to certain forms of center-based care that…

This technical report is from a study that assessed effective content-English-as-a-Second-Language (content-ESL) programs across the United States, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The study was undertaken to develop a descriptive analysis of the nature and scope of these programs and the relationship between program policies and practices…

To obtain a current assessment of clientele preferences of extension program delivery methods in North Carolina, a study was conducted during summer 1992. Eleven Cooperative Extension agents from 11 counties chose a specific subject relevant to needs of their local audiences for the focus of an educational program, developed an objective for the…

This document tabulates the results of a 1994 survey of public library funding in Michigan. The survey discovered that 68.8% of public library funds are provided by local tax support, 13.7% by penal fines awarded to libraries by court systems which have received income for violations of state laws, 7.6% by state aid, and 9.9% by other means, such…

This study compared some of the survey data collected by the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to information from vital records and administrative records in the First Steps Database (FSDB) for a group of women who gave birth in 1993. PRAMS is an ongoing survey of Washington women who have given birth. The FSDB contains birth…

This paper presents findings of a study that identified Mississippi middle school principals' perceptions of middle school functions and characteristics. Three broad functions of middle schools include: (1) to provide a program especially adapted to diverse student needs; (2) to promote continuity of education; and (3) to introduce needed…

As part of a study of the advancement and support of women in administrative positions at institutions of higher education in North Carolina, administrators at the state's community colleges were surveyed in 1996 to determine their characteristics, satisfaction with their careers, and experiences with respect to obstacles and mentors. Surveys were…