The major innovation of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III" (DSM-III) was the explicit specification of criteria for determining whether an individual's problems qualify for a particular diagnosis. However, neither the choice of child diagnostic categories in DSM-III nor the choice of criteria…

The assertion that there is a social component to children's construction of knowledge about natural phenomena is supported by evidence from an examination of children's classification schemes for plants. An ethnographic study was conducted with nine sixth grade children in central Texas. The children classified plants in the outdoors, in a…

A study created a typology of 271 adult literacy programs nationwide describing their distribution along two dimensions: (1) relevance of materials to learner needs and sociocultural context (life-contextual/decontextual), and (2) extent of learner control of decisions about program activities (dialogic/monologic). A questionnaire elicited…

This paper reports on a study that explored the possibility of measuring distance education classes using the Media Sensor, a device designed to sample and record various electronic impulses generated during a distance education session. Research questions explored: (1) the ability of the Media Sensor to identify patterns in the audio and video…

Theory and research on parent-child linguistic interactions that focus on the symbolic representation or categorization of objects are discussed, noting the role of such variables as the age of the children, linguistic context, and sex of the involved parent. During the second year of life, even if maternal and paternal games with toddlers are…

This study examined performance of a simulated computerized adaptive test that was designed to help direct the development of a medical recertification examination. The item pool consisted of 229 single-best-answer items from a random sample of 3,000 examinees, calibrated using the two-parameter logistic model. Examinees' responses were known. For…

In 1992, a national survey was conducted to determine the percentage of the community college curriculum devoted to the non-liberal arts, to develop a taxonomy of non-liberal arts subject areas, and to ascertain the percentage of these courses which were transferable to research universities and comprehensive colleges and universities in five…

This report begins by describing the American Library Association (ALA) Library/Book Fellows program, which began with a grant from the U.S. Information Agency in 1986. The program has a threefold purpose: (1) to increase international understanding through the establishment of professional and personal relationships and the accomplishment of…

This study investigated whether mean scores in school effectiveness ratings were masking poor delivery of educational services to low achievers in a sample of 242 Louisiana public elementary schools accounting for over 18,000 third graders tested in 1989. Ten separate multiple regression models, each producing studentized residuals used as school…

This study examined how successful Hispanic American high school students have managed their upward mobility, specifically the decision to work hard and get to college. The sample consisted of 115 participants at the annual Hispanic Youth Conference in Sacramento (California). Why the students decided on college, how they planned to get there, and…

This study sought to understand how children develop their gender identities by examining their social interactions in a school setting. It followed six children over the course of the school year at a university-run laboratory preschool, utilizing videotaped observations, field notes, and teacher interviews. Four of the targeted children's gender…

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students the biology content needed to become scientifically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. The course of study is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of the course and includes a course description,…

This paper provides a discussion and analysis of: (1) selected forces, factors, and conditions which have contributed to the reported decrease in the number and percentage of students classified as mildly mentally retarded for purposes of special eligibility and programming; (2) changes in the characteristics of the "new population" of mildly…

A test of English language proficiency designed for administration to school children with severe disabilities is presented. The test packet contains a manual for test administrators, a five-page form for recording student testing data, and a score sheet. The manual offers an introduction to the instrument, including its rationale, definitions of…

The results of a 2-year study examining the ways that four major urban school systems (New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston) sort students into different schools, tracks, ability groups, and grade levels are summarized in this report. The study looked carefully at the effects of these sorting practices on low-income, minority, limited…