This report summarizes the results of a statewide survey of nonreturning freshmen (n=621) at Maryland public 4-year campuses. The former students were asked about the factors that were most instrumental in their departure from their institution, their reaction to their college experience, their likelihood of re-enrolling, and their level of…

This review brings diverse research to bear on the contention that current achievement tests may underestimate students' subject-matter knowledge and problem-solving ability because of the mismatch between the symbolic form that typical achievement tests use and the specificity of students' symbolic encoding that arises from instruction and…

This report is a publication of the Hispanic Community Mobilization for Dropout Prevention (HCMDP) project, a two-year demonstration program of the ASPIRA Association, Inc. Institute for Policy Research. The project's goals are to create Hispanic community awareness of the Hispanic students' educational problems, and to provide Hispanic parents…

The relationship of differential item functioning (DIF) to item difficulty on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was examined, based on data from nine recent administrations of the test from June 1986 through December 1987. This pool of information includes item statistics on 765 verbal and 540 mathematical items computed for subgroups of White,…

This report discusses the substance use patterns and problems of black adults and youth relative to other groups (primarily whites). In addition, the report examines recent and older literature in order to reveal factors that may influence use and issues that need to be considered in designing prevention programs. The following sections are…

The issue of black college students and the impact of racism and their ethnic background on their academic success is explored. The black college student is seen as possessing a unique contextual self, borne of a heritage that values, to a very high degree, the family and other people that significantly impact the lives of those with whom they…

To assist in the development of policies to eliminate the subtle inequities which inhibit the mathematics achievement of many Black youths, it is suggested that the redesign of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment study Black students' opportunity to learn mathematics. Recommendations for the redesign of…

An inservice training program designed to help teachers identify culturally different gifted students is described in this report, which provides specific information about identifying gifted Native Americans. Introductory material summarizes some research on the learning and behavioral characteristics of Native Americans as they differ from the…

This hearing examines the mental health needs of America's Black and Hispanic elderly in New York State and, particularly, in the New York City area, and considers solutions for service delivery. Seven expert witnesses testified. Few research studies specifically target aged Blacks and Puerto Ricans; however, many minority elderly share the…

This study explores patterns of behaviors and attitudes, as well as the academic, demographic, social, and economic circumstances of students who have dropped out of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). It also examines other factors that influence dropout attitudes, aspirations, and needs after leaving school. Factors affecting…

Classroom climate has been found to predict a significant portion of the variance in student achievement, independent of student background and intelligence quotient scores. This study sought to more clearly define classroom climate by determining to what extent climate measures teacher characteristics, student characteristics, and classroom…

Four general problems (two substantive, two methodological) were addressed in a research project: (1) Does the nature of the pupil or the setting make a difference in the teaching style which is most effective? (2) Does the cognitive level of the learning objective make a difference? (3) How can relationships within the classroom be analyzed? and…

The paper demonstrates an approach for describing educational organizations in terms of their multiple evaluating environments. A college profile is drawn based on the diverse criteria that students, faculty, administrators, admissions staff, and athletics staff use to assess the success or failure of undergraduates. The relative values that 377…

Results are presented, in the form of an annual report, of the standardized test performance of elementary and secondary school students in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Rockville, Maryland. This year, as in the past, the report includes an update of the historical record of countywide test results on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills…

A longitudinal study conducted in six southern states dealt with four population categories (poor youth, rural youth, black youth, and females) frequently neglected in status aspiration, career goal, and life plans research. The term "life plans" included educational and occupational aspirations as well as expectations of age at…