Several different methods for projecting grade-progression ratios were tested with 12 years of grade-specific membership data for Virginia. In nearly all cases, projections made by exponential smoothing produced more accurate results than series produced by averages, moving averages, or regression methods. (SLD)

This article evaluates the extent to which syntactic, lexical, and conversational factors can significantly predict the frequency and loci of stuttered moments in children's speech. A synthesis of the experimental and clinical evidence suggests ways in which the assessment and remediation of fluency disorders in children can be tailored to…

Evaluation as a field has moved beyond debating whether certain designs are good while others are bad to begin to appreciate that each of a group of designs may have its uses. The importance of good designs that reflect real-world complexities is increasingly being recognized. (SLD)

Coping style and effects of counseling intervention on pain tolerance was studied for 61 elementary school students through immersion of hands in cold water. Bayesian predictive inference tools are able to distinguish between subject characteristics and manipulable treatments. Sensitivity analysis strengthens the certainty of conclusions about…

Data on 1,192 students from the National Longitudinal Survey-High School Class of 1972 showed that, although the precollege characteristics of black students who attended historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs) predicted lower wages, the value added to future wages from HBCU attendance was 38% higher than that from attending traditionally…

In a study designed to investigate the cross-cultural similarity of vocational interests as measured by the Strong Interest Inventory, an Icelandic version was administered to 413 college students in different majors. Results indicate that United States' norms are valid for Icelandic groups and allow satisfactory prediction of vocational…

Several models of information integration are developed and analyzed in the context of a prototypical pattern-recognition task. Evaluation, integration, and decision-making processes are specified for each. Simulations and predictions are carried out to provide a measure of identifiability or extent to which they can be distinguished from one…

Empathic responsiveness and affective reactivity to infant stimuli were examined in matched groups of mothers (n=45) at either high or low risk for physical child abuse. Low-risk mothers showed an increase in empathy following presentation of a crying infant, whereas high-risk mothers showed no differences in empathy across infant conditions.…

A detailed analysis and computer-based solution to a puzzle addressing the arrangement of dominoes on a grid is presented. The problem is one used in a college-level data structures or algorithms course. The solution uses backtracking to generate all possible answers. Details of the use of backtracking and techniques for mapping abstract problems…

Examines the use of tasks with backward false belief explanation as an effective technique in gaining a complete picture of the development of understanding of the representational mind. Argues that traditional prediction tests of false belief cannot tell whether children's wrong answers show misunderstanding about false belief or seduction by the…

An optimal unbiased classification rule is proposed based on a longitudinal model for the measurement of change in ability. In general, the rule predicts future level of knowledge by using information about level of knowledge at entrance, its rate of growth, and the amount of within-individual variation. (SLD)

Investigated rates of birth, divorce, marriage, and unemployment for subgroups in Canada and the United States and their effects on suicide rates. In Canada, domestic integration and the economy predicted youth suicide rates more accurately than they did adult rates. The United States had less variation in predictors for age groups. (RJM)

This commentary on a paper by Douglas Detterman and others (EC 604 995), which tested a model assessing basic cognitive abilities in young adults with and without mental retardation, criticizes the paper for drawing conclusions not justified by the empirical results. (JDD)

A modified Conflict Tactics Scale and the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory were administered to three groups. The CAP abuse scores distinguished among physically abusive mothers with a childhood history of abuse and nonabusive mothers with and without a childhood history of abuse. Intergroup differences were exhibited in rigidity and…

Use of 11 kinds of visual aids by 458 clients of an Israel low vision clinic was evaluated by age, sex, work status, participation in a rehabilitation program, academic status, number of visual aids in use, and number of diagnosed eye diseases. Usage prediction was found to be complex and highly differentiated. (Author/JDD)