An empirical item characteristic curve shows the probability of a correct response as a function of the student's total test score. These curves can be estimated from large-scale pretest data. They enable test developers to select items that discriminate well in the score region where decisions are made. A similar set of curves can be used to…

Drawing from data obtained from a two-page student questionnaire mailed to a number of Connecticut English and reading teachers in all types of schools, this paper reports on the reading interests and habits of students in grades four through twelve. Usable responses were received from 3,339 students from 51 schools in 37 different towns and…

This paper reviews some of the findings of research on classroom questions, and considers ways in which sociolinguistic theory may help resolve some questions it leaves unanswered. The paper is divided into three sections, which correspond to three features of questions. The three features are the "context" of questions, the "content" of…

A study on visual literacy in children explored such questions as: (1) how a visual literacy curriculum might be structured; and (2) whether, when students participate in a visual literacy program, they consequently say or write more, and whether what they have to say is more insightful. During the experiences, children talked and wrote about…

The primary purpose of the Constitutional Rights Foundation's Youth Community Service (YCS) program is to give disadvantaged high school students the opportunity to develop leadership, communication, and other skills to design, organize, and implement community service. This evaluation of the Los Angeles (California) YCS program examines: (1) who…

Although the use of video playback of classroom assignments for students who are communication apprehensive, shy, or unassertive has received widespread adoption, a review of the literature suggests that its use is potentially harmful. Typically, those with high anxiety about communication are characterized by excessive fear of evaluation,…

Following a brief research review regarding the relationship between teacher behavior and student outcomes, a model is proposed for identifying those teaching behaviors that are significantly related to high-quality student performance. The model's stages include: (1) delineation of questions; (2) establishment of a framework; (3) selection of an…

This collection of five documents presents data provided by approximately 200 different students in 26 2- and 4-year institutions who, during the fall of 1984, were enrolled in one of five Annenberg/CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) telecourses: The Brain, Mind and Behavior; The Write Course; The Constitution: That Delicate Balance; The…

An empirical comparison of the validity of three Likert-type attitude scales measuring fourth to sixth grade students' attitudes toward school integration was conducted. The content-parallel forms differed only in terms of item phrasing and were composed of either all positive, all negative or a mix of items. Different factor solutions underlying…

Sixty high school juniors and seniors participated in an experiment testing the effects of learning strategies on performance. The experiment was run in two identical sessions except for the type of test administered. Information on classifying six types of sailboats was presented through slides and an oral explanation. Subjects were then given a…

This report summarizes and compares four studies of reader response reported between 1975 and 1978. The studies include (1) "Five Readers Reading," by Norman Holland; (2) "Individual and Group Responses of Fourteen- and Fifteen-Year Olds," by Anthony Petrosky; (3) "Describing Responses to Works of Fiction," by Lee…

A sensitivity to both a story's content and art form can bring children to the understandings and feelings that are basic to the humane encounter that is education. Two approaches seem to dominate the use of stories in schools today. The first is the placement of literary selections in basal readers. However, the ways in which teachers are…

Examines the pupils' reactions to a teacher's absence and discusses the relationship between regular and substitute teachers. Includes suggestions for change. (Author/SDH)

The University of Wisconsin offers a course in adult basic education through University Extension's Educational Telephone Network (ETN). Technical and teaching problems as well as student reactions to the instructional system are discussed. (MW)

Article described and then commented on a project and its effects on children and teachers after it was implemented. The project was a social studies course aimed at students aged 9 to 13. (Author/RK)