Designed for use in Michigan junior high schools in conjunction with the publication "Essential Performance Objectives for the Social Studies," this handbook contains over 175 social studies learning activities. Material is divided into three sections. (1) An extensive introduction considers methods for improving classroom teaching. Topics…

This directory contains descriptions of exemplary California community college vocational education programs and materials for special population students, including disadvantaged persons, limited-English-proficient individuals, handicapped students, and displaced homemakers. Provided in the directory are descriptions of model assessment systems;…

Intended for elementary school teachers of reading and composition, this book assembles several articles on the reading/writing relationship that have appeared in 1982 and 1983 issues of the journal "Language Arts." The three sections of the book define the relationship between composing and comprehending, explore relevant research, and…

Designed primarily for administrators, staff developers, counselors, and teachers of adult basic education (ABE) and English as a second language (ESL), this book provides resources for a staff development program for trainers of ABE and ESL teachers. There are four sections. The staff development manual provides a procedure for introducing…

This article discusses different approaches to reading instruction for EFL learners based on theoretical frameworks. The author starts with the bottom-up approach to reading instruction, and briefly explains phonics and behaviorist ideas that inform this instructional approach. The author then explains the top-down approach and the new cognitive…

More than a dozen statistical models have been developed for the purpose of cognitive diagnosis. These models are supposed to extract a much finer level of information from item responses than traditional unidimensional item response models. In this paper, a general diagnostic model (GDM) was used to analyze a set of simulated sparse data and real…

The Standardized Letter of Recommendation (SLR), a 28-item form, was created by ETS to supplement the qualitative rating of graduate school applicants' nonacademic qualities with a quantitative approach. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the following psychometric properties of the SLR using the Rasch rating-scale model: dimensionality,…

Species identification tasks are a prerequisite for an understanding of biodiversity. Here, we focused on different educational materials to foster the identification of six European reptile species. Our educational training unit was based on natural plastic models of six species and pupils either used an illustrated identification book or a…

This summary report presents methodologies, results, and conclusions of a two-year evaluation model implemented by an Alberta, Canada, rural school district to provide information for administrative and public decision making. An introductory chapter enumerates district goals for students and the model's objectives. Chapter 2 outlines how survey…

This document reports on Virginia's progress toward the development of model child care programs in rural communities. An introduction providing background information is followed by a discussion of the project model, project goals, quality child day care in Caroline County, and the methodology of the project evaluation. Subsequent discussion…

This manual is intended to help teachers meet the objectives of the 1985 Alberta, Canada, Offices Procedures 20-30 curriculum. The manual is organized in five sections. The first section contains introductory information on the Office Procedures 20-30 curriculum, including course objectives and a flowchart of the modules in the office procedures…

This paper explores the links between student achievement and parent involvement, the importance of continuity between home and school, three philosophies underlying parent programs, and effective practices in parent involvement. The three philosophies considered are those of school-to-home transmission, interactive learning, and partnership for…

This document is the introductory module of a 9-module set within an 11-unit resource pack designed to help trainers and postsecondary and continuing education staff meet the needs of special needs students in Great Britain. Having completed this module, staff should be able to: (1) recognize and counter the effects of stereotyped images and…

Seven papers are presented which illustrate model programs and research on providing vocational services to students with disabilities. "Project WorkAbility: California's Successful Transition Program for Secondary Students" (Deborah Henderson) describes locally controlled transition projects involving interagency collaboration and statewide…

The following 26 papers are presented in this document: "The Relationship between the Adult's Cognitive Style and Achieving Style to Preference for Self-Directed Learning" (Bitterman); "Developing a Mentoring Program for Persons in Independent Work Sites" (De Vries); "Reflection and the Problem of Self-Deception in Adult Learning" (Dirkx); "A…