The study shows how data obtained in the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 has been used to answer some questions about the federal strategy for awarding financial aid. The questions considered are: (1) What expectations did the senior class of 1972 planning to enter postsecondary education have about how they would meet…

Surveys of 150 full-time faculty and a stratified sample of 1,111 full- and part-time students at Lane Community College were conducted in order to obtain information on the skill levels of students, as perceived by faculty, and on educational needs and availability of information on student services, as perceived by students. A majority of both…

In order to assess the effects of home backgrounds upon a child's performance in school, data were collected from 518 students and their mothers. Interviews with mothers covered topics such as: family background and parental expectations and aspirations; parental contact with the school; use of communication media; child management and personal…

In this volume is reported the review of related literature that was conducted during the design phase of the study (July 1973 through January 1974). Its purpose was to provide input for the study design. Chapter 1 is a summary of the findings judged most relevant to three basic questions: (1) Who are the disadvantaged, how are they defined, and…

Find out how a simple and inexpensive program of sustained silent reading--where students read independently during class time--can be a sure-fire way to improve student vocabulary development, literacy skills, and background knowledge. Teacher-author Steve Gardiner updates you on the research studies that validate sustained silent reading as a…

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 to examine factors influencing the educational and occupational attainment of American women. The longitudinal study followed 2,160 seniors from 1,200 schools for 14 years after high school graduation. A variation of the Wisconsin model, which examined…

This curriculum of life skills is designed to reduce recidivism, increase post-release employment and wage rates, and successfully integrate released inmates back into families and communities. It uses a newsletter format, with newsletters arranged into eight volumes. Each volume concerns a unit of related information, including an instructor…

Part 1 of this study investigated possible causes of the observed decline in correlations between SAT scores and freshman grade-point average (FGPA). Working with a database of 38 colleges, the study found that the comparability of course grades received by entering freshmen declined in the 1980s. Three new measures of grade comparability-variety…

Performance-based, contextual assessments can highlight the academic and personal strengths of students that may be overlooked or judged pathological by traditional psychometric measures. This case study of a 10-year-old African American male special-education student illustrates how portfolio assessment improved the perception of his academic…

The challenge with mixed-ability groups is satisfying both equity and excellence. A Colorado school district pursued differentiation by ensuring that the board, central office, and principals understood the need to provide informed leadership, differentiated teaching models, and training for transfer. Sidebars list resources and advice for…

This article describes the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-Revised, a criterion-and norm-referenced test designed to measure developmental and academic skills of students ages 5 through 13, including writing skills, reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematics skills, and listening comprehension. Its purpose, administration,…

School dropout is a complex social problem. In 1999, more boys (15 %) than girls (9 %) dropped out of Canadian schools prior to graduation (Bowlby and McMullen, 2002). In the United States, Kaufman et al. (2000) evaluated that 5 % more boys than girls dropped out of school. This literature review focuses on the place given to gender within studies…

Claude Steeles' stereotype threat hypothesis posits that when there are negative stereotypes about the intellectual capacity of certain (stigmatised) groups, members of that group suffer aversive consequences; group members who are most strongly identified with the stigmatised domain in question (e.g., intellectual or academic ability) are those…

This booklet focuses on understanding authentic learning and assessment practices and their effect on students and teachers at the middle level. After an examination of what is meant by authentic learning, five guidelines are suggested for use in selecting authentic content for middle level students. Specifically, authentic materials: (1) should…

This research brief reviews and analyzes national data on college going, persistence, and graduation. It compares characteristics of students who enter college immediately after high school graduation with other types of postsecondary entrants, considers traditional versus nontraditional paths of college going, and examines college persisters and…