To obtain practical experience, a research methods class at the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs) undertook a special project to help a nearby county (Park County), assess its planning needs. The county was chosen for its characteristics as a rapidly growing rural area faced with the problems created by mounting population pressure on…

A comparison of the end-of-study versus months-to-years later levels of language proficiency of 49 students of Japanese at Cornell University, from both intensive and nonintensive programs, is reported. In addition to academic records and performance on the Japanese Proficiency Test, data obtained from a comprehensive background questionnaire…

This guide was developed for earth sciences and marine sciences instruction in the senior high schools of Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The subjects covered are: (1) Earth Science for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders; (2) Marine Biology I for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders; (3) Marine Biology II, Advanced, for 11th and 12th graders; (4) Marine…

Science instruction is the topic of this guide developed for the junior high schools of Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The subjects covered are (1) Biology I, Advanced, for grades 9-12; (2) Earth/Physical Science, Advanced, for advanced 8th graders; (3) Earth/Physical Science, Advanced (Field Test), for advanced 8th graders; (4) Earth…

This paper describes a mechanism developed by the authors to gather student feedback from formative revision Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQs) within an on-line learning system. The MCQs provided first year Computer Science students with instant formative feedback, while data was also gathered about student responses, such as the percentage…

In 1988 Saint Mary's College received a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to create a program to improve the quality of science education in the local public and private schools. As part of applying that grant we created one-week summer work-shops for elementary and middle school teachers (K-8) based on guided inquiry methods of education. Each…

This study considers the enrichment of social studies methods through the integration of videoconferencing in a telecollaborative format. The purpose in developing this study was threefold: (a) to describe the perspectives of teacher candidates while participating in a telecollaborative social studies methods course experience, (b) to determine in…

This article describes how the Problem of the Week Environment at the Math Forum online mathematics resource allows K-8 preservice teachers who are enrolled in mathematics content problem solving-classes to experience the process of reading, evaluating, and replying to young problem solvers' work with thoughtful comments and effective hints. This…

The social sciences may be viewed as policy sciences and, as such, can make significant contributions to both public policy and the social studies curriculum. Political science has made contributions in legislative reform, centralized budgeting, regulation of lobbying, and improvement of election administration. Sociology has helped make…

The progress of the California community colleges, the California State University (CSU), and the University of California in providing remedial courses and services to underprepared students is reported. Attention is directed to progress in implementing 17 recommendations made by the California Postsecondary Education Commission in the 1983…

A handbook for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Southern Mississippi is presented. General information is provided on GTA supervision, instructor absences, GTA obligations, the office and supplies, and the university's sexual harassment policy. A section on the first day of class covers: the…

The educational reform movement, rural economy, and demographics of rural areas of the United States require, if not mandate, that partnerships be forged in education among and between people in rural areas, urban and suburban areas, states, and the nation to provide quality education for students who will become the leaders of tomorrow. Through…

This annual publication seeks to inform interested readers about issues currently confronting the United States. The introductory section briefly discusses the 101st Congress, members of the Bush administration, and the Supreme Court. The federal budget process is also discussed in this section. The section on domestic policy issues contains the…

This paper reports on the major findings of a 1982 national survey of personnel preparation programs in the field of special education. Initial goals of the study were to identify and classify existing programs (of 698 identified, 516 returned surveys) and to determine the percentage of special educators prepared in "small" programs. Results…

The Postsecondary Education Transcript File of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72) is a machine-readable data file containing information on transcripts from NLS-72 senior cohort members who reported attending a postsecondary institution after high school. Records were obtained from all types of educational…