This pilot study compared developmental outcomes, academic achievement, and parent involvement for children attending a Title I full-day kindergarten with those of children attending a Title I half-day program in New Albany, Indiana. The subjects were nine children from the full-day program and ten children from the half-day program. The…

This study explored middle school teachers' perspectives on and expectations of adolescence and puberty, using observations and interviews of 15 teachers in two Japanese middle schools and two United States (U.S.) middle schools, as well as a survey of teachers in selected schools in both nations. Teachers in the U.S. described puberty as being…

This paper discusses the construction of language tests, particularly for English as a Second Language (ESL), that focus on language use in real situations. Linguistic theories that provide background for language test construction are reviewed, and application of those theories to ESL instruction in Japan is examined, with attention to the…

This report documents the results of a survey on the current use and management of approval plans, and compares them with similar studies published in SPEC kits in 1982 and 1988. Overall, Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions still consider approval plans to be efficient and cost effective. Survey results include: (1) the percentage…

Two studies examined the relationship between children's clay models and the children's concurrent school achievement, and compared a 6-year longitudinal record of achievement test scores for one cohort of students at schools that did or did not provide visual arts instruction. Participating in Study 1 were 201 kindergartners and third graders…

This analysis of the academic profession in 14 nations was based on responses received from an international survey of nearly 20,000 college and university faculty members from Australia, Brazil, Chile, England, West Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Data were analyzed and…

This paper describes cultural and educational characteristics of West African countries that may have implications for West Africans studying and learning English in the United States. Countries discussed include Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Niger, Gambia, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali. The structures of the systems of elementary,…

This report examines the responses in a 1-year followup survey from over 13,000 baccalaureate graduates from Illinois public universities in 1991. The report presents a statewide profile of the Class of 1991 one year after graduation, examining their rates of employment, further education, and satisfaction with their undergraduate education.…

This report compares two studies, one conducted in 1993 and the other in 1996, that examined public attitudes toward higher education in California. Grouping the findings as enduring values, changing concerns, and "dealing with the next tidal wave," the report concludes that Californians: believe education is essential for a decent job…

Graduation rates are often used indicators of the performance of institutions of higher education. How institutions are represented can be profoundly affected by different approaches used to develop the data for the rates. The impact of variations in how these rates are constructed is illustrated by the example of the City University of New York…

A study investigated the attitudes of African students of business English at a British university (University of Brighton, England) toward use of the Internet as an educational resource. Students were given an introduction to Internet use for research on individual projects, surveyed concerning their attitudes toward and initial experiences with…

This report responds to a congressional request for information on the following selected issues involving intercollegiate athletics: (1) revenue and expenses of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member schools' athletic departments; (2) a data profile on the gender and race/ethnicity of staff members in five selected…

This report provides a normative profile of the American college freshman population for the fall of 1992 obtained from a national survey of 213,630 students from 404 of the nation's two- and four-year colleges and universities. The normative data presented are reported separately for men and women. The major stratifying factors are institutional…

This report examines the value for research and policy purposes of data generated by the "Pound 10 Grant Scheme" operated by Roinn na Gaeltachta in Ireland, which seeks to preserve the Irish language. The scheme was introduced in the early 30's by An Roinn Oideachais (an organization which had responsibility for the promotion of the…

This study, conducted at an urban research university, attempted to identify those conditions valuable in recruiting and subsequently retaining older (over 35 years of age) female doctoral students. The study used data from a Spring 1991 survey of all graduate students which solicited information about experiences, accomplishments, and growth…