This study represents an initial phase in the development and application of a battery of measures for research and evaluation with disadvantaged adolescents in a youth-work training program. The paper-and-pencil instruments devised attempt to compensate for deficiencies in currently available tests by shaping content, format and administration to…

Presented are the records of 1976 seniors in the United States and who registered for the College Boards before April of their senior year. Statistical data presented includes information on: (1) type of high school; (2) ethnic background; (3) high school record; (4) test scores; (5) college plans; (6) activities; (7) skills and abilities; and (8)…

Relationships between cognitive and affective learner characteristics or "aptitudes" and mathematics achievement for sixth-graders in three instructional treatments in one school district were examined. Aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) analyses were performed to test for differential prediction of achievement outcomes among treatments, using…

The relationship between attribution processes and academic self-concept is studied among students from four ethnic groups in inner-city high schools, and an explanation as to why low achieving minority students do not report low academic self-concepts is sought in this paper. Questionnaires eliciting self-conceptions and responses to hypothetical…

School Readiness profiles measured countywide at kindergarten entry provide important, population-based information about the developmental capacities of children as well as the capacity of families, pre-schools, and communities to support children's school readiness. These profiles enable key stakeholders to plan, evaluate, and improve programs,…

This study used longitudinal data from the High School and Beyond study to examine how individuals' educational expectations change after high school, especially as related to postsecondary education. Data were from a nationally representative sample of high school seniors in 1980 and follow-up four years later. The dependent variable was…

Describes a successful collaboration between high school and community college faculty that effected a reduced need for first-time college student remedial writing instruction. Discusses Ohio's Early English Composition Assessment Program, the model for collaborative success, and project recommendations. (YKH)

A thematic approach to curriculum enables students to connect topics and supports meaningful inquiry. Presents 4 activities for levels K-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8 in which students explore problems of interest to them involving the theme of construction and architecture. Includes reproducible worksheets. (MDH)

This article describes the revised Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment, a dynamic assessment for children functioning developmentally between infancy and six years that involves the child in play situations, which provide opportunities to assess cognitive, social-emotional, communication and language, and sensorimotor development. Its…

The author of this article challenges a common assumption made by both critics and defenders of standardized-testing technology (or psychometry), namely that standardized tests "measure" something (culture, ability, etc.). It argues that psychometric practice cannot be classified as a form of measurement and instead is best understood as…

This article presents findings from a 4-year study of 13 culturally and linguistically diverse elementary schools implementing comprehensive school reform (CSR) models. The study focused on: (a) the actions at the state and district levels that facilitated or inhibited reform implementation; (b) the adaptability of the various reforms in…

In the state of Florida, several of the principles of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have been enacted earlier than at the federal level. For example, the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) is required for all students through grade 10 and must be passed for promotion to grade 3 and for high school graduation. Schools are graded A through…

Steven Barnett and Clive Belfield examine the effects of preschool education on social mobility in the United States. They note that under current policy three- and four-year-old children from economically and educationally disadvantaged families have higher preschool attendance rates than other children. But current programs fail to enroll even…

This issue brief, based on a meeting of a group of distinguished researchers, educators, and policymakers convened by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) explores lessons from research and practice about the role of an intentional curriculum and professional development and supports for teachers in closing the achievement gap for…

Advances in technology are increasingly impacting the way in which curriculum is delivered and assessed. The emergence of the Internet has offered learners a new instructional delivery system that connects them with educational resources. "Advances in Web-Based Education: Personalized Learning Environments" covers a wide range of factors that…