The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a creative-comprehensive approach (students creating original music by assuming the roles of composer, performer and analytic listener) when compared with a performance approach (students engaged in the performance and aural analysis of preselected folk and traditional music).…

Because a large number of nonattending students had been retained in the first three grades, a nongraded or pass-fail system in early elementary grades was recommended to reduce the negative impact of failure on student performance. Incentives for attendance were also suggested. (JMF)

The influence of student task interest and of usable performance feedback on the effectiveness of verbal reinforcement was investigated in fifth graders who received approval, disapproval, or neutral reinforcement. Neither reinforcement nor reinforcement-task variable interaction provided enough motivation to improve accuracy of task performance.…

High, neutral, and low statements of success expectancy were paired with positive and negative success feedback statements in a reading comprehension experiment. Incongruent combinations such as high success expectancy--negative feedback produced higher comprehension than congruent combinations. Results were interpreted by arousal and attribution…

College students attributed their own performance and the performance of the average student to ability, test difficulty, preparation, and luck. Successful students perceived internal factors and unsuccessful students perceived external factors as more important causes of their own performance. Students' anxiety and their ratings of the course and…

Intercorrelations among overall clinical performance ratings, examination scores, and overall grade-point average were computed for a graduating class of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine to increase understanding of cognitive and noncognitive attributes of clinical performance. (Author/JMD)

The performance of psychiatric residents with various lengths of medical primary care internship during their first year of residency training are compared. The results suggest that first-year residents without a traditional 12 months medical internship are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with those with a year's internship. (JMD)

Counselors must recognize that most intelligence tests measure a sample of the childs' intellectual functioning on a variety of tasks rather than innate potential. Intelligence varies depending on personality, development, and environmental influences. (Author/HLM)

Interconnects numerous conceptual threads in the field of giftedness, such as performance, achievement, competence, outcomes, metacognition, creativity, and making connections. Addresses the influence of different factors on the progressive nature of talent development and the need to differentiate curriculum. (CR)

A socially moderated link was established between statewide achievement results and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) by using the same achievement level descriptions in an Iowa Test of Basic Skills standard-setting and an NAEP standard setting study. A statistically moderated link was established through an equipercentile…

Outlines a series of simple yet effective practices, techniques, and tips for improving the singing voice and minimizing stress on the vocal chords. Describes the four components for producing vocal sound: respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. Provides exercises for each and lists symptoms of sickness and vocal strain. (MJP)

Presents a case study of how the Oak Park School District (Michigan) used feedback on student achievement in its 16-step strategic planning process to frame reflection and action to improve performance. The quantitative analysis of data grouped in relation to district standards is a unique aspect of their approach. (SLD)

This study investigated attention to and recognition of components in compound stimuli among infants and preschoolers. Oddity tasks with preschoolers and familiarization/novelty-preference tasks with infants demonstrated successful discrimination among stimuli components on basis of edge property information. Matching tasks with preschoolers and…

Ninety-five rural eighth graders completed the Idiom Comprehension Test in three contexts: idioms in a short story, in isolation, and in a verification task. Performance in the story condition and on high-familiarity idioms showed the greatest accuracy. Associations existed between performance and reading ability for the story and verification…

A study examined 61 examples of advocacy from 34 states and selected six sites for case studies. Factors that supported positive outcomes include advocates who are persistent, knowledgeable about both best practices in gifted education and local state political processes, and more often collaborative than adversarial. (Contains references.)…