This study examines high school expectancies in a sample of at-risk, rural youth, and how these expectancies relate to 8th grade functioning, 9th grade functioning, and 9th grade experiences of high school. A total of 76 eighth-graders and their parents, drawn from a larger study of the transition to high school, participated in interviews the…

Limited classroom time available in middle school mathematics classes forces teachers to choose between assisting students' development and assessing students' abilities. To help teachers make better use of their time, we are integrating assistance and assessment by utilizing a web-based system, ASSISTment, that will offer instruction to students…

This paper focuses on the use of alternative assessments at the state level with a focus on the Connecticut experience. Judging from the size of audiences attending sessions on alternative assessments at national conferences and the numbers of articles appearing on performance assessment in recent educational journals, it is obvious that there is…

Recent research on teachers' expectations has begun to explore the factors underlying the link between expectations and performance. To investigate the relationship between the affective responses of teachers and students' attributions regarding effort versus ability, 130 college students (66 male, 64 female) were instructed in solving anagrams…

G. L. Anderson reported finding an interaction between drill and meaningful methods of instruction with fourth grade student ability and achievement. The reanalysis overturns Anderson's conclusion that there is an aptitude treatment interaction within classes. (BJG)

The effect of three affective student characteristics, in comparison with selected student ability characteristics, on course grade in elementary language courses is examined. Results imply that affective characteristics have at least as much influence on learning as do ability factors. (Author/RM)

The results of a study designed to develop an understanding of the background characteristics, motivations, and experiences of students enrolled in summer school at the University of Alberta, are presented. A questionnaire developed to gather information on personal characteristics; academic factors; enrollment motivations; and administrative,…

A study using multivariate analysis investigated how self-judged academic effort among Chicano college students is directly affected by academic self-efficacy. Also examined were the indirect effects of students' perceptions of the soundness of the evaluation system on self-judged academic effort, and the effects of school context on effort. A…

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate and identify possible factors that might be operating in the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) system and that seemingly lead to academic superiority when compared to American public schools. Data obtained addressed the perceptions of parents, teachers, and administrators on issues…

There has been an increasing call for school psychologists to spend time collecting data that are functionally related to the planning of academic interventions. In order to identify the problem and plan for remediation, data must be taken that bear directly on the child's academic problems in the classroom and the curricular sequences actually…

This paper examines the cognitive structures and processes that mediate mathematical and scientific ability. Ability is divided into achieved abilities and precursor abilities. Identified concepts in the area of achieved ability include expertise, understanding, and problem-solving. Other abilities can be seen as precursors to such achieved…

This program was designed to examine ways to assess competencies in basic skills, as well as ways to remediate those secondary students found lacking in these skills. Students were identified through the use of their Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) scores. Teachers reassigned to remedial classes revealed a need for teaching teachers to work…

Due to the dominance of women in allied health professions, men can be considered as minorities in these fields. Blacks and other ethnic minorities are also under-represented in allied health and other health professions. Yet it is anticipated that an increase in the number of minorities trained as health professionals will result in higher…

Problems in validating ability tests for handicapped students and research approaches to predictive validity are discussed. Validity for handicapped persons tested under regular conditions; for applicants to special programs, and for tests taken under special administrative conditions are considered. Item analysis and the construction of new…

Article sought to answer the question of whether pupils in comparable ability levels, taught in homogeneous and heterogeneous classes, differ significantly in achievement gain in 11th grade American history at the .05 alpha level. (Author/RK)