Issues of the relative costs of multiple choice tests and alternative types of assessment are explored. Before alternative assessments in large-scale or small-scale programs are used, attention must be given to cost considerations and the resources required to develop and implement the assessment. Major categories of cost to be considered are…

Home economics and social studies teachers' perceptions of their ability and use of the reading process were compared. Data were gathered through a reading survey instrument given to 82 home economics teachers who later participated in workshops on integrating the reading process into the curriculum. The same instrument was mailed to 100 randomly…

A fall 1989 nationwide survey of General Educational Development (GED) Tests candidates examined schooling experiences, study patterns, and educational plans. Findings indicated the GED Tests attracted more young adults than older adults, more older women than older men, and equal numbers of young adult men and women. Seven percent of candidates,…

Fourteen teachers from four California school districts developed this practical guide for teachers faced with a growing number of adult nonliterate students in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. The guide is organized as follows: student goals and objectives, student characteristics, student identification, classroom activities,…

This report presents results of a comparative cost study of nursing education programs provided by community colleges, general academic institutions, and health science centers. The study delineates and explains differences in costs and recommends a formula to allocate all general revenue funds appropriated for nursing education programs. The…

Testing and assessment that are "more authentic" (performance-based or alternative) represent the most pressing issue in education today. Some of the major criticisms leveled at standardized testing are examined, and the advantages and disadvantages of more authentic assessment are reviewed. A general direction for integrating traditional and…

This paper explores the impact of single-parent families on adolescent females and their aspirations for the future. The study, taking data from the national longitudinal High School and Beyond (HSB) study, uses a stratified weighted national sample of 4,573 black and white high school senior females in the class of 1980. The sample includes girls…

Two studies focused on factors associated with attrition and satisfaction among two-year postsecondary technical college instructors. Results suggested differences in the needs and professional development activities of beginning and experienced instructors. A third study compared follow-up data from a group of beginning instructors 5 years after…

The career intentions of a group of students enrolled in the first year of the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) at Palmerston North College of Education in New Zealand were studied. The research was prompted by a concern that most students aspired to work in kindergartens and few students were choosing to enter child care occupations. A…

The storytelling narratives produced by four children, namely, two low-income African-American first-graders and two White middle-class first-graders, were examined using a text analysis technique that organizes lines into the groupings referred to as stanzas. The narratives were based on the viewing of a film. Subtle differences were found in the…

Previous research has examined whether manipulation of one environmental element, such as sound, significantly affected group norms for achievement. This investigation examined the relation of preferred and actual acoustic environment on reading performance. Subjects were 32 male and 32 female sixth-graders from a suburban school in New York State…

Some potential relative advantages of performance assessment strategies over paper-and-pencil tests using short-answer and multiple-choice item formats are discussed. The major advantage of the multiple-choice test is its ability to sample a large number of learning outcomes efficiently. However, performance assessments are increasingly being used…

Previous studies of the development of correlational reasoning have focused on the interpretation of relatively simple data sets contained in 2 X 2 tables. In contrast, this study examined age trends in subjects' responses to problems involving more than two continuous variables. The research is part of a multi-year project to conceptualize…

The inferential operations of mildly retarded students reading at the intermediate level were investigated using methods based on discourse comprehension theory. It was hypothesized that problems encountered in reading by these students were related to difficulties in generating logical inferences. Mildly retarded junior high school students and…

A reference guide to federal student assistance programs is presented with a description and history of funding provided for each. For most programs, there is an analysis of the distribution of funding by sector, type of institution, and state. Information is also included on sources of revenue for public and private colleges and universities,…