Based on taped samples of the students' speech, 68 white elementary school teachers rated subjects on personality, quality of response, and current and future academic abilities. Black students, Black English-speaking students and unattractive students were rated consistently lower. Academic failure may result from evaluations based on race and…

In the past few years, secondary schools in Scotland have been affected by two organizational changes--the near completion of comprehensivization and the raising of the school leaving age to 16. The effect of these changes has revealed the inadequacy of current methods of assessment and certification. This research considers what improvement might…

In an analysis of the National Teacher Examination (NTE), the authors found that the weighted common examination scores are significant predictors of effective teaching (student achievement), if the variance shared with teacher race is included. (Author/MJB)

A study measured the influence of academic ability and high school socioeconomic status on college plans and occupational aspirations of students. Findings indicate that school context variables do not substantially affect college plans and occupational aspirations. (Author/DB)

The article discusses longitudinal data from a national survey of college freshmen intended to determine the dimensions of the comparative reference group of students evaluating personal academic competence. Findings indicate that students evaluate themselves relative to undergraduates nationally. Tables and commentary are included. (Author/DB)

Scores were examined for students who repeated the Medical School Admissions Test (MCAT) within the same calendar year for years 1970-74. Nearly all repeaters showed improvement, low ability groups more and high ability students less. No pattern of greater MCAT improvement over time was found. (JT)

The cognitive, linguistic, and academic skills of two groups of children were examined following an innovative bilingual education program. Results indicate that the Experimental children are similar to their English-speaking controls in terms of academic, linguistic and cognitive skills. They function well in French, although without native…

Results of a battery of academic and language tests administered to aphasic children and adolescents (N=15) 10 years after onset revealed that the subjects generally performed more poorly than non-brain-injured subjects on the language measures. Academic difficulties were characteristic of the population. Poor performance on arithmetic…

Student performance on an undergraduate honors degree was examined using four different assessment methods (traditional examinations, examination on questions seen ahead of testing, case studies, and student projects). Performance is best when a variety of evaluation methods are combined and that weaker students perform best when traditional…

Sixty-four 10- to 12-year-olds (N=64), identified as gifted, average, or educable mentally retarded (EMR), were administered tasks in which failure/success were manipulated. Assessment indicated that gifted students credited success to low task difficulty, had initially high expectations which lowered following failure, and persisted more with…

A study examined community college and four-year-college faculty attitudes concerning the quality of transfer students before and after a series of workshops on transfer education. The study focused on questions of instruction and faculty perceptions of students in different academic environments. (MSE)

Investigated the influence of gender, ability, and grade level on the political attitudes of ninth and twelfth grade students. Among the conclusions were that low ability subjects are less likely to support fundamental freedoms and that females have greater respect for law and law officials. (GEA)

The rationale for employing severe discrepancy criteria in learning disability identification is discussed. Educational implications of two models for determining severe discrepancy are described (the variation model and the prediction model), and the importance of distinguishing between the two is stressed. (JW)

This study examined the self-perception and motivational orientation of 49 intellectually gifted fourth and seventh graders. Compared to controls, the gifted children perceived themselves as more scholastically competent, better behaved, but less athletically competent. Gifted girls perceived themselves as more scholastically competent than either…

A feedback inventory was administered to 259 seventh graders in Israel immediately following standardized group scholastic ability testing procedures to determine the subjects' attitudes toward the procedures. Few meaningful differences appeared across sociocultural or gender groups. Test attitudes did correlate with scores. (TJH)