This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 13 titles deal with the following topics: (1) developmental differences in preschoolers' comprehension of WH-questions; (2) discourse analysis and early literacy in minority education; (3) effects of text structure on…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) evaluated the writing ability of American students in 1974, 1979, and 1984. Data from 95,000 students were examined for trends over this 10-year period. Writing tasks, including informative, persuasive, and literary or imaginative writing were administered to national samples of students aged…

The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared…

Developed during a project designed to provide a continuous, competency-based line of vocational training in business and office education programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels, this package consists of an instructor's guide and learning module for a course on Business English. Various aspects of implementing and articulating…

The Statewide Assessment Program of the Florida State Department of Education is responsible for measuring student achievement and disseminating the assessment results. One dimension of this effort has been the development of predicted or adjusted school scores. These scores are based on several factors which are related to achievement. Among…

All second- and third-grade students in California public schools were tested in reading achievement, and all sixth and twelfth grade students were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Second- and third-grade achievement gains were reported on the California Reading Assessment Program Reading Test over an eleven-year…

In 1965 the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) inaugurated a cross-national survey of achievement in six subjects: Science, Reading Comprehension, Literature, English as a Foreign Language, French as a Foreign Language, and Civic Education. The overall aim of the project was to use international tests in…

This text on multisensory structured language education (MSLE) provides the foundation for MSLE and offers components of instruction and effective teaching strategies that teachers can put into practice for students with dyslexia and others struggling to learn to read, write, and spell. Chapters include: (1) "Multisensory Instruction" (Louisa C.…

The New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District in Wilmington, Delaware, has made great strides in integrating academic and vocational studies by adopting a "project" approach to integrated learning. Students at the district's high schools are involved in a variety of real-life projects aimed at advancing technical knowledge…

This project described the characteristics and teaching behaviors of those successfully teaching AP® Calculus AB and AP English Literature and Composition to underrepresented minority students. Its purpose was to assist educators in improving the participation and performance of underrepresented minority students in AP classes. Study results…

Discusses current research on how children understand the symbol system and its link to meaning; how they learn to write like authors, including editing and writing for different audiences; how they learn to become literary critics and to discover new worlds in books; and how different classroom contexts can encourage different types of literacy…

Offers 58 suggestions for eliciting students' responses to literature, which will enhance reading development, critical thinking, writing quality, and personal expression. Includes writing activities, speaking activities about a book, drama presentations, media presentations, artistic representations, and literature response journal entries. Notes…

Focuses on autobiographical composition and storytelling to promote critical thinking and feminist inquiry in women's studies and composition courses. Analyzes the personal discovery of the author's own voice as a woman writer. Presents three activities designed to initiate dialogue and elicit stories. Outlines assignment in which students produce…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This January 14, 2005 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Utopia College: A Distinctive Alternative" (Nemko, Marty); (2)…

This booklet provides practical exploration of the use of narrative in the classroom with students and in teachers' personal and professional development. The various narrative forms are described in boxes throughout the booklet and include letter writing, storytelling, autobiographical accounts and several others. There are four "Your…