This study provides information regarding the validity of the regression model for the American College Testing Program assessment (ACT), incorporating high school course grades and ACT test scores, for predicting the first-year college grade point averages (GPAs) of ACT-tested special-needs students. The sample of special-tested students used in…

A study was undertaken to obtain direct empirical evidence for the validity and usefulness of English as a second language (ESL) placement of a shortened version of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test being used in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and locally developed and scored writing tests. The LACCD provided…

In 1992, a study was conducted at Golden West College (GWC) in California to determine whether an English prerequisite should be required for a speech communication course and, if so, what level of English course was necessary. Fourteen sections of Speech Communication 100 were randomly chosen from the spring, summer, and fall semesters during the…

Results of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Student Observation Scale (SOS), a measure of classroom behavior, were correlated with results of the BASC Teacher Rating Scale (TRS). Two classroom observations were made of each of 30 students (21 males and 9 females) aged 5 to 11 years. Teachers of those students completed the TRS.…

This competency analysis profile contains a list of 70 communications skills that have been identified as core competencies for inclusion in programs in 49 occupational areas. The core competencies, which have been identified by employers and verified by English-certified instructors, have been organized into units devoted to reading, writing,…

The relationship between scores on the American College Test (ACT) and grade point averages of first-time college freshmen after the first year of study was investigated by correlating ACT composite scores and grade point averages (GPAs). ACT scores and GPAs were obtained for 100 first-time freshmen at an urban state university in Illinois. There…

This paper analyzed time to degree and enrollment intensity (number of hours earned each quarter) for Ohio State University baccalaureate recipients. Using an investment theory framework based on an organizational behavior model, the study sought to determine whether commitment propensity variables were important in explaining degree commitment,…

In Hong Kong there has been a move toward greater self-management in schools. The government has supported the School Management Initiatives scheme and has stated that the management system calls for teacher appraisal as one of its internal quality assurance mechanisms. This study examined the relationship between dimensions of school climate and…

Formal teacher appraisal was introduced to schools participating in Hong Kong's School Management Initiative (SMI) without prior evaluation of its effectiveness. This study examines the current practice of appraisal and provides guidelines for schools wishing to introduce teacher appraisal. Teachers from SMI schools (n=337) completed…

This investigation of the relationship of computer anxiety reduction to instructional strategies and learner characteristics used multiple repeated measures in a 2x2x2 quasi experimental design with arousal-seeking tendency, coping style, sex, computer skill mastery, and locus of control as the independent variables. Discrete dependent variables…

The relationship between factors underlying a measure of acculturation, the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARSMA), and the 566-item Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was studied. The ARSMA consists of 20 questions that are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from Mexican oriented (1) to Anglo oriented (5).…

Problems of validity and reliability of concept mapping are addressed by using item-response theory (IRT) models for scoring. In this study, the overall structure of students' concept maps are defined by the number of links, the number of hierarchies, the number of cross-links, and the number of examples. The study was conducted with 92 students…

The merits of the multilevel model for educational research and its uses for school effectiveness research are considered. The main goal of the paper is to establish what intelligent applications of multilevel models can do, helping researchers decide what they must do to make a rational choice between models. Multilevel models are random line…

Findings of a study that examined how effectively instructional leadership and instructional climate predict student learning outcomes are presented in this paper. Surveys to determine principals' self-perceptions and teachers' perceptions of instructional climate were completed by 72 principals and 1,523 teachers. Achievement results for 9,415…

A Writing Anxiety Scale (WAS) was developed. A literature review and interviews with writing instructors identified nine components of writing behavior (Empathy, Expression, Evaluation by Others, Motivation, Organization, Procrastination, Self-Esteem, Technical Skills, and Writing Anxiety). A pool of 146 items were written to reflect the…