This research contrasts the learning effects of an affective dimension of meaningfulness with the word-quality of consonant-vowel-consonant trigrams. Subject rated trigrams for both "association value"--having word-quality versus lacking word-quality--and "reinforcement value"--liking versus disliking the trigram regardless of word quality. Paired…

Primary objectives of a national study were to quantify resource utilization patterns of vocational education programs effectively serving special needs populations and to develop a methodology for estimating resources required to successfully serve these populations. Emphasis was placed on the disadvantaged, as defined in P.L. 90-576. Surveyed…

The purposes of this study were to determine (1) the usefulness of ACT composite scores in assessing and predicting achievement and attrition of disadvantaged and regular freshmen at the University of Nebraska at Omaha during the 1972-73 academic year, and (2) the effectiveness of a special program in keeping low income students in school during…

In order to ascertain whether distinctive patterns of selectivity exist among young aspirants to professional careers in education and health situses, data from a survey of high school seniors (N=1,500) in four northeast and two southeast Alabama counties and from three selected urban high schools adjacent to the northeast counties were examined.…

This paper provides an overview on ways of thinking about young children's respect for diversity. It maps sources of knowledge about four different sorts of diversity in young children's lives: cultural and racial diversity, developmental diversity (including "special needs'), gender diversity and socio-economic diversity. It sketches this…

Little is known about the the socioeconomic background of students attending community and technical colleges. This has created a void in understanding student access and success. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has thus enlisted help from the Columbia University Community College Research Center (CCRC) to construct an…

A recurring issue among community colleges is the perceived high rate of attrition of their students. Summers (2000) conducted a study at a Midwest comprehensive community college to examine the relationship between student enrollment behaviors and various outcomes. He found that students who persisted enrolled earlier than those who did not. He…

Previous studies (Liyanage, 2003a, 2003b, 2004) by one of the authors indicated that ethnicity and religion jointly predict the metacognitive, cognitive and social affective strategies of ESL learners in Sri Lanka. The current study further examines which of these two variables (ethnicity or religion) is more important in determining the…

In an attempt to provide improved First Time in College (FTIC) enrollment predictions, this study followed exploratory techniques seeking to differentiate yield rates among FTIC applicants based on one or more of the following source characteristics: Geographical Location, Single or Multiple Institution applications, Race/Ethnicity and Sex, High…

This paper examines racial and ethnic achievement disparities in places where schools are reputedly excellent, reporting on the 2000-2001 Ed-Excel Assessment of Secondary School Culture, which collected data on black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and mixed race students. Questions covered family characteristics, opinions about instructional quality,…

Twenty percent of the children enrolled in rural and small-town schools are non-Caucasian, children of color. As in nonrural schools, rural schools have yet to close the achievement gap across various racial and economic subgroups of this diverse population. Overall, rural students perform as well as or better than their nonrural peers on…

This study examined differences at the classroom level between Kentucky schools with minimum versus large gaps in academic achievement between particular groups of students. Data were gathered via observations of 213 classrooms at 18 elementary, middle, and high schools. Although all the schools were identified as high-performing in terms of…

This paper reports on clinical and school outcomes after 6 months of implementing the North Carolina FACES (Families and Communities Equals Success) mental health program. Of the 210 children and youth participating in the program evaluation, 42 percent were African American, more than three quarters were male, 55 percent of families had annual…

This report presents third-year findings from an evaluation of the School Choice Scholarships Foundation Program. In 1997, this program provided scholarships via a lottery to low-income, New York City children in grades 1 through 4 that allowed them to transfer to private schools. The evaluation compared scholarship to control students, using test…

This report presents trends in national and statewide test performance for North Carolina's public school racial/ethnic subgroups. It is intended to help policymakers gauge the progress and status of minority student achievement in the state's public schools; facilitate the comparison of the academic achievement of racial/ethnic students in North…