This study is an investigation of how modeling aids learners in developing problem solving skills within a computer learning environment. The task given to the 45 undergraduate and continuing education students serving as subjects, was to solve a crime in the computer game, "Where in Time is Carmen San Diego." Three subject groups…

The purpose of this Mississippi study was to determine if there was a correlation significantly different from zero between test scores, level of accreditation (Level 1--the 17 highest-scoring public school districts in the study, or Level 2--the 18 lowest-scoring), district expenditure per pupil, district size, and eligibility of students for…

Previous studies have shown that, when administered a self-adapted test, a few examinees will choose item difficulty levels that are not well-matched to their proficiencies, resulting in high standard errors of proficiency estimation. This study investigated whether the previously observed effects of a self-adapted test--lower anxiety and higher…

The purpose of this paper is to address the evaluation of the social service component of Head Start, through its main contributor, the family service worker (FSW). Sixty-six Head Start family service workers--arranged in 3 focus groups of 10 to 20 workers--from both rural and urban communities in the Southeast met to discuss the characteristics…

This book on African American males presents the first step in an ongoing exploration of the relationship between parenting and academic achievement among African American children. Subjects of the study were high-achieving members of the Meyerhoff Scholars, young African Americans distinguished for their achievement. The Meyerhoff Scholar program…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multisensory spelling intervention under two conditions using high-frequency words written in isolation and in context. The population for the study was 15 fourth and fifth grade students with learning disabilities. A randomized, pretest-posttest control group design was used. The…

Much research has been devoted to ways in which schools influence students. To study this influence, the identification and definition of dimensions of school effectiveness across a range of outcomes and different geographical and educational policy contexts is presented here. The paper describes the findings from a 3-year study funded by the…

This study discusses the outcomes of a survey of 23 educators from 19 high schools on a block schedule in New Hampshire. Educators from each school were asked their perceptions of the effects of the block schedule on students identified as having emotional/behavioral disorders and/or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in comparison…

This study compared the performance of 300 Chinese children on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised (BTBC-R) with that of American children from the standardization sample of the BTBC-R. Subjects were in kindergarten, first, and second grade, and completed the test at the end of the 1996-97 school year. The focus of the comparison was to…

This report examines recent trends in the establishment of state-level policies for beginning teacher evaluation and supervision. The state role in defining the experiences and clinical preparation of beginning teachers increased substantially during the 1980s; there are, however, important differences in how states approach this responsibility.…

This brief document describes a system of performance measures and standards for secondary and adult vocational education programs that determine Guam Community College's vocational program outcomes. The three components of the system are academic competency measures and standards, labor market measures and standards, and special needs…

Designed to help educators examine their current student assessment practices and ensure that assessment activities lead to real improvements, this paper lists and discusses nine principles for assessing student learning. The nine principles are: (1) the assessment of student learning begins with educational values; (2) assessment is most…

At Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC), in Florida, a committee was formed to define administrator excellence in the context of teaching and learning and to develop a performance review process. During the second pilot-testing of the resulting Performance Review Feedback Survey process, over 1,200 surveys provided information on 283…

This paper examines recent trends in the establishment of state-level policies for the performance evaluation of experienced teachers. "Trends" are defined as the prevailing state-sanctioned currents of thinking that undergird teacher performance evaluation policies. The document includes a paper that reports on the specific nature of…

In this study, Vygotsky's theory of the interpersonal origin and cognitive-developmental function of children's private speech is outlined and compared with Piaget's view of egocentric speech, and some contemporary North American research on children's private speech is reviewed. For the study, 32 preschool-aged children were videotaped during two…