To what degree testing can become adaptive is considered in three ways: from a formal methodological perspective; from a human process, stability, perspective; and from a sub-system or component view within an adaptive instructional system (AIS). With the advent of large computer-based training systems, the opportunity to broadly implement…

This evaluation report consists of a description and longitudinal analysis of the long term educational impact of the Learning to Learn Program on children from poverty backgrounds. The program is based on the principle that children's development follows an orderly sequence of growth from motor to perceptual to symbolic stages. The results of…

Designed to explore the determinants and long-range consequences of individual mobility in the U.S., the Explorations in Equality of Opportunity Project is a longitudinal survey of 2,077 students who were tested by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) as sophomores in 42 public high schools in 1955 and who were followed up by the Institute for…

Data presented in this study of the Academic Interest Measures (AIM) include score distributions for a national sample of high school juniors grouped by sex, ability, and curriculum (effects of socioeconomic status were found to be negligible); relationships between AIM and many other variables, such as ability test scores, students' ratings of…

An inquiry into methods of assessing the ability of non-English speaking children, conducted with the aim of devising new tests which can be used to assess the abilities of children from a different cultural background and with a poor knowledge of English, is discussed in this book. Cross-cultural tests which are essential in a multi-racial…

In this review of the research on how current computer learning environments can foster the acquisition of complex cognitive skills, two issues emerge: (1) what cognitive accomplishments are likely in the computer environment; and (2) what factors predispose students to benefit from the environment. (MBR)

A growing body of evidence indicates that the test scores of low-income children drop significantly relative to their higher-income counterparts during the summer months. This study finds that a well-implemented summer learning program can improve reading skills and increase the extent to which parents encourage their children to read during the…

Parental reports of 585 children's childcare experiences during the year preceding kindergarten were used to index the extent of children's involvement in three types of childcare: center-based (e.g., daycare center, Head Start, preschool), informal (e.g., relative-based or sitter-based) and parental. Childcare choices covaried with household SES,…

A longitudinal sample of 242 predominantly white teacher candidates was studied to identify possible relationships between the candidates' academic abilities, the degree of their success in making the transition from student to teacher, and their development of concerns about teaching during teacher preparation as hypothesized by Fuller's model of…

In his studies of human capacity, Howard Gardner revealed a wider family of human intelligences than previously suggested. Noting that restricting educational programs to focusing on a preponderance of linguistic and mathematical intelligences minimizes the importance of other forms of knowing, this book presents strategies for creating open…

The promotion of academic success has been linked to children's social and emotional wellness, reduction in risky behaviors, and promotion of social and emotional competence. This chapter briefly summarizes the evidence regarding the link between academic performance and health risk behaviors, including substance abuse, delinquency, teen sexual…

This book presents performance-based projects to provide elementary school students both the structure and the freedom to become actively engaged in their own learning. The approach is based on the concept of authentic learning, which advocates a relevant, real world experience to personally engage students in learning. The book is divided into…

Explores the impact of the social and academic diversity of the class on teachers' perspectives about their schools as workplaces. Data from 370 Israeli secondary teachers indicate that classroom diversity is correlated negatively with average academic ability and positively with class size and discipline problems. (SLD)

Argues that educators have not developed curriculum and instruction models tailored to lower-achieving students. Discusses characteristics of lower-achieving students and to teaching methods and instructional materials. Presents suggestions for making history and social studies more relevant for these students. (CFR)

Analyzes declining Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores since the 1950s. Distinguishes between the population of those who take the SAT and the population of all high school seniors. The culprit is the downward trend of educational skills of U.S. academically most promising students toward those of the average student. (JB)