The author's optimistic view of evaluation in the future includes increased utilization, especially in the private sector; more professionalization, with potential for conflict; more academic program development; more use in policy; increase in the use of complex methods; and more involvement in program development. (SLD)

A cross-validation study is reported in which personality and cognitive ability variables were evaluated as predictors of 2 separate performance criteria for 450 Master of Business Administration students. Personality variables are found to be related to academic success when characteristic modes of behavior play a role in academic performance.…

Examines the factors which most affected students' final grades in introductory chemistry courses at a culturally diverse community college. Indicates that no single parent earned an "A" in any of the four sections, although class attendance and final examination performance proved to be the strongest indicators of final grade. (MAB)

A study investigated how well four family medicine residency directors could predict their students' performances on the Quebec licensing examination for family physicians. Results showed the directors had difficulty discriminating among performance groups, suggesting that evaluations by directors and standardized examination results should be…

The article reviews research on the language basis of reading disabilities and draws implications for early identification. The article considers language problems in reading-disabled children, follow-up studies of language-impaired children, and phonological processing and reading disabilities. Implications include the value of preschool…

The role of practice tests in predictions about test performance on texts was investigated in 3 experiments with a total of 180 college students. Taking a similar practice test did not help students predict their test performance. Practice tests may help students learn information. (SLD)

Fourth and fifth graders built weather measuring instruments, entered data into a computer program that forecasted weather, and compared the resultant forecast with actual weather. As a result of their activities, students took a greater interest in weather phenomena, understood the computer program, and learned to think more logically. (LB)

Mothers and fathers were interviewed when their child was 3 months old and observed in the Strange Situation when their infant was 12 months old. Infants' security of attachment was predicted by the quality of interaction with parents and by the amount of time parents spent with the infant. (BC)

Examined relationship between Differential Ability Scales (DAS) and academic achievement as function of race among 48 Asian-American and 1,731 white children, aged 6-17, from DAS school-age standardization sample. Results indicated that majority white group scores were overpredicted on Basic Number Skills and Asian-Americans' scores were…

A methodology for confronting students with the inconsistencies entailed by their own beliefs is outlined. This methodology is illustrated using the dynamics domain of physics and a computer modeling program, DYNALAB. (KR)

Two prediction models using age and entry-level reading and math scores to differentiate completers and noncompleters were tested with 1,319 community college adult basic education students. Persisters and dropouts were not homogeneous groups; for example, General Educational Development completers differed from other completers, and early and…

Examined the development of proportional reasoning by means of a temperature mixture task. Results show the importance of distinguishing between intuitive knowledge and formal computational knowledge of proportional concepts. Provides a new perspective on the relation of intuitive and computational knowledge during development. (GLR)

This study of 420 entering students at Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire) found that a combination of criteria such as Medical College Admission Test scores, undergraduate science grade averages, and college selectivity was useful in identifying successful first-year students. Results also indicated that the admissions committee…

Shares the results of two studies on the Possible Sentences strategy which indicate that the strategy can be as effective, if not more so, than semantic mapping in teaching vocabulary and fostering recall information. (MG)

Examines the effect of using a literature webbing strategy lesson and predictable books with 22 below-average first grade readers. Finds that the literature webbing strategy lesson was significantly more helpful in improving below-average readers' comprehension as measured by miscues in oral reading and answers to comprehension questions than was…