The prevalence of invalid reports of cigarette smoking initiation (reporting smoking at one point and denying it at another) was studied, with 2,597 seventh- and eighth-grade students questioned. About 4% of the sample provided inconsistent responses, a rate that justifies concern about self-report accuracy. (SLD)

Contends that talking about texts in a conversational environment, during and after reading, allows students to think about a text and think about their thinking. Explains "conversation sparks," which push students to make a variety of type of comments that include predictions, questions, clarifications, and inferences. Concludes that giving…

A study of 150 preschoolers suggests that systematic teacher mediation can enhance children's interpretive skills of television material, such as the ability to: identify fantasy in relation to special effects; bridge temporal and logical gaps; identify elements of camera work and their visual implications; and make intelligent predictions based…

Examines the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, familial, and religious variables on life satisfaction in a national probability sample of 2,107 from the National Survey of Black Americans. Findings show that familial relationships, education, religion, age, and employment status are significant predictors of life satisfaction. Similarities…

Examined in four studies whether and when infants connect information about an actor's affect and perception to their action. Found that 12-month-olds, but not 8-month-olds, recognized that an actor was likely to grasp the object she had visually regarded with positive affect. Replicated findings with 12- and 14-month-olds and with several…

Examined the academic success of 215 first-generation students at a public research university by examining non-cognitive variables and SAT scores. Found that non-cognitive variables are better indicators for continuing enrollment and moderate predictors for GPAs of students of color. (EV)

Studied whether eighth-grade reading scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills predict success on the five subtests of the Georgia High School Graduation Test. Findings for 102 high school seniors show that reading scores are statistically significantly related to all five subtests, with correlations ranging from 0.69 to 0.86. (SLD)

Developed is a classroom activity that illustrates the scientific method. The importance of observation, interpretation, and prediction is discussed. The activity uses pictures of the surface of Mars. (KR)

Because prediction plays such a vital role in reading comprehension, predictable books are essential in the teaching of beginning readers. Prediction involves a three-step cycle: sampling, predicting, and confirming. Steps in using predictable books with hearing-impaired students are outlined, and a list of predictable and repetitive books is…

Presented 33 case histories of suicidal patients to crisis workers (N=19) for ratings of short- and long-term suicide risk. Ratings revealed considerable variability raising question about reliability of such global assessments. The variability, as measured by the standard deviation, was comparable between short-term and long-term ratings.…

Investigates prediction instruction in three basal reading series. Finds that many basal reader materials do not contain explicit definitions of predictions, nor do they provide rationale statements related to prediction instruction. Discusses implications for prediction instruction in basal readers. (RS)

In recent years the trend in planning new school facilities has been "high tech" equipment. Reviews current movements in facility construction regarding technology; assesses the international issues destined to affect United States education; and discusses the implications of these issues and analyzes where they may lead. (20 references) (MLF)

Deals with the methodology and practices for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Describes the EIA process, prediction process, alternative assessment methods, training needs, major activities, training provision and material, main deficiencies and the precautions, and real world training examples. (Author/YP)

Public and private colleges and universities are bracing for an unfavorable economic climate in the 1990s, spurred by concerns about federal funding. Institutions are cutting costs, becoming more enterprising, and implementing new pricing policies, using techniques previously used in government and business. (MSE)

Findings provide tentative support for the hypothesis that strategy information derived from enactive interviews is more predictive of children's behavior in peer situations than is information derived from the verbal interview method. This suggests that preschool children automatically access cognitive scripts for behavior in social interactions.…