The agreement between Mantel-Haenszel and Rasch procedures for identifying differential item functioning (DIF) on teacher certification tests was studied. Two specific research questions were addressed: (1) whether the Mantel-Haenszel and Rasch procedures identify the same items as functioning differently; and (2) how consistently each method…

This book, going beyond the case study approach, addresses the ideas and institutional structures that interact with and are affected by immigrants to the United States. Part 1, "Historical, Demographic, and Ecological Considerations," is comprised of the following articles: (1) "Immigration Reform and Immigration History: Why…

This report summarizes the results of a national survey of U.S. elementary and secondary schools, conducted during the 1982-83 school year, which focused on the schools' instructional use of microcomputers, including use both as a means of instruction and as an object of instruction. Specific topic areas covered include: the number of…

In 1988, a study was conducted at John Tyler Community College (JTCC) to investigate patterns in student retention during the 1987-88 academic year. A survey was mailed to 124 full-time and 237 part-time students who enrolled in the fall quarter but did not return for the winter or spring quarters. Study findings, based on a 50% response rate,…

This collection, which is a product of a 23-day study tour of China, focuses on educational research and changing educational objectives and practices against the background of the changes that have occurred in the country since the Cultural Revolution of 1976. Sheldon Weeks' introduction to the collection explains how the study tour came about,…

The universities in Taiwan, in carrying out their missions of research, teaching, and public service, have made significant advances in improving the quality of their faculties. Both public and private universities have undertaken a variety of faculty development activities to help their faculties grow professionally and to remain vital. The major…

Starting with an analysis of technological change and innovation cycles, this paper explores the effects of information technology on education in Australia over the past decade. Taking into account current programs and policies concerning the introduction of information technology in education, the paper outlines possible directions for future…

After less than a decade from its inception, the introduction of new information technology in Australian education has already undergone some identifiable stages. These range from the scattered development of innovative programs to the formulation of state and national policies, from the original introduction of microcomputers into schools to the…

Designed to assist educational decision-makers at the school and district level, this report summarizes the work of the National Task Force on Educational Technology, which was formed in the fall of 1984 to investigate the potential of appropriately integrated technology for improving learning in American schools. The task force used six primary…

California's 1980 proficiency law, which is the topic of this report, mandated that each school district was to adopt or construct tests and establish standards for assessing proficiency in reading, writing, and computation on tasks that were necessary to success in school and in life. In order to graduate from high school, a student must have…

Intended to assist underachieving high school pupils in improving their reading and communication skills, the Secondary Developmental Reading Program in the Columbus, Ohio Public Schools, emphasized literacy survival skills and reached 809 pupils in grades 9 and 10 in 13 senior high schools during the 1986-87 school year. The program used…

An error-prone model (EPM) to predict financial aid applicants who are likely to misreport on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) applications was developed, based on interviews conducted with a quality control sample of 1,791 students during 1978-1979. The model was designed to identify corrective methods appropriate for different types of…

Faculty development programs in different types of colleges are considered, along with support of faculty development by private foundations, including the Bush Foundation's Faculty Development Program. The evolution of faculty development in institutions in the United States is traced, with emphasis on efforts in the last 15 years. A literature…

Many classical pianists want to develop jazz piano skills because they have acquired: (1) an awareness of the importance of jazz as an art form; (2) an attraction to the sophistication and complexity of jazz music; (3) an interest in exploring contemporary music styles; and (4) a desire to become involved with a type of music which is viewed as…

Seeking to understand American and Nicaraguan perspectives of the Nicaraguan revolution, a study examined the rhetorical strategies used by Presidents Reagan and Ortega in their speeches. Ten public addresses made by each president in 1985-1986, pertaining to funding for Nicaraguan counterrevolutionary forces, were charted and examined for…