Surveys used for program and institutional evaluation, such as self-studies conducted for accreditation review, are discussed. Frequently, these evaluations take the form of faculty surveys and student surveys. This paper explores the following general considerations associated with mail surveys and other surveys: avoidance of response bias;…

Findings of a 1989 research study on LOGO-based instruction for teaching abstract concepts of geometry are reported in an effort to encourage mathematics teachers to use the LOGO language in computer-assisted instruction. Thirty-three ninth graders (19 males and 14 females) (6 white students and 27 black students) were involved in the controlled…

Ottawa's program of middle French immersion (MFI) instruction, beginning in fourth grade, was evaluated when the first cohort reached sixth grade. Results of the study were compared with those of other groups, particularly the early French immersion (EFI) program and late French immersion (LFI) program students. The evaluation also added data from…

This study explored differences between families with children educated at home and those with children in public schools, and examined the educational and socialization values and practices of different subgroups of homeschoolers. Subjects were 70 homeschooling parents and 20 nonhomeschooling parents who completed a questionnaire assessing…

This exploratory study describes a sample of teacher-pupil interactions in a high school containing a large number of at-risk students. The study was also initiated to contrast a group of mentor teachers with nonmentor teachers in terms of teacher-pupil rapport. Mentors were chosen from a pool of volunteers by the school principal and a committee.…

This study investigated the relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement in a group of 150 high, medium, and low achievers at a large midwestern public high school. Correlating data from the Coopersmith Inventory of self-esteem with grades, cumulative grade point averages, and class rank, the study disclosed a positive correlation…

This paper describes studies conducted in Saudi Arabia that: (1) investigated the effect of the number of orthographic alternatives of English consonant sounds on the spelling responses of 48 first-year secondary students studying English as a foreign language (EFL); and (2) compared the use of two spelling mechanisms of these first-year secondary…

Methods for predicting specific college course grades, based on small numbers of observations, were investigated. These methods use collateral information across potentially diverse institutions to obtain refined within-group parameter estimates. One method, referred to as pooled least squares with adjusted intercepts, assumes that slopes and…

Illinois' state-funded preschool program, the Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure, is serving almost 19,000 children in the 1989-90 period on an allocation of 48 million dollars, which was distributed to 184 projects in 353 school districts. The preschool projects serve children of 3-5 years, who are taught…

This report presents international statistics on the status of children and families, and thus updates a 1988 fact sheet containing international comparisons of public policies promoting the well-being of children and families. Included in the report are data on basic demographic trends, family composition and marital dissolution, the economic…

Students at Glasgow College who were learning mathematics in the traditional lecture/tutorial situation were compared in an experimental study to those learning mathematics using a computer aided learning (CAL) tutorial. Questionnaires were given to the students to determine both their previous experience of computers, CAL, mathematics, and…

This report describes a computer assisted process that resulted in the development of a comprehensive database of actual courses taken by undergraduates in teacher preparation programs for use in decision making about possible curriculum redesign for teacher education majors. The creation of the database required four stages: (1) selecting majors…

A study examined differences between political cartoonists and op-ed page editors on both traditional ethical issues (such as conflicts of interest) and the special, style-related concerns of editorial cartoonists. Hypotheses proposed were that editors and cartoonists (1) would condemn "cloning" or copying, reflecting an ethical…

In 1980, a study was conducted to determine the student dropout rate at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster and the characteristics of typical dropout students. Data were obtained for 99% of the 736 students enrolled during fall 1980 with respect to variables including race, sex, marital status, age, major, day/evening schedule,…

In the late 1970s both jobs and population were growing more rapidly outside metropolitan areas. As a group, nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to a metropolitan area experienced a faster rate of employment growth than metropolitan areas between 1975-79. Even in rural counties (no urban place of 2,500 or more) not adjacent to a metropolitan…