Explores the relationship between experimental design method and teacher-rated acceptability of two analog approaches for assessing academic skills problems. Comparisons indicate that curriculum-based assessment was consistently rated as a more acceptable method of assessment than published, norm-referenced tests. Results are discussed in relation…

Examines the extent to which flow experiences account for differences in the amount of time young musicians spend practicing and their levels of performance achievement. Suggests that the moderate achievers' musical experiences at the specialist music school may not be conducive to sustaining long-term interest and progress in music. (CMK)

Examines whether teaching candidates who passed a basic competency screening test also possessed a level of general academic aptitude significantly higher than those who did not pass. Findings from 293 teachers who took the California Basic Educational Skills Test and had Scholastic Aptitude Test scores available show that requiring minimum…

The third edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) is reviewed. A comparison of the WISC-III with the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) is included. Discusses shortcomings of the WISC-III while noting that overall, there are substantial improvements in the WISC-III over the WISC-R. (KW)

Discusses research into the effect of background knowledge on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) tests and discusses EAP tests in which the content of at least some of the test components is related to students' fields of academic study. Suggests that for international EAP tests, English for specific academic purposes testing be abandoned.…

Third graders with low compositional fluency were randomly assigned to four time-equated treatments in an instructional experiment: spelling, composing, combined spelling plus composing, and treated control. All treatments increased compositional fluency. Results are related to the simple view of writing that integrates diverse theoretical…

This article proposes a two-factor theory of mathematics disabilities based on the premise that weak cognitive representations lead to poorer retrieval of information from long term memory. Comparison of children with math disabilities alone (MD) and those with both math and reading disabilities (MD/RD) suggests that weak phonological processing…

The task was to survey an area of a planet's surface to identify the presence of various geological features such as a trench, ridge, or basin. Students who received prior pictorial representations of features performed more accurately than students who did not, but there was no significant effect for including verbal statements about strategies…

Within-class experimental designs are subject to diffusion effects whereby both experimental and control students benefit from the intervention, thereby contaminating the control group and biasing evaluations of intervention effects. In support of diffusion effects, this study showed that a classroom intervention resulted in higher academic…

Reviews notable education books: "The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager" (Thomas Hine); "The Big Test" (Nicholas Lemann); "The Educated Child" (William Bennett); "Lost Boys" (James Garbarino); "The Schools Our Children Deserve" (Alfie Kohn); "Ready or Not" (Kay Hymowitz); "High…

Examined the learning strategies of two children at the extremes of mathematical achievement to determine how those strategies facilitated or hindered their understanding of mathematics. Examined findings in relation to curriculums that often dictate the sequence of learning through which all children will pass without taking into consideration…

This study investigates the oral language skills of 8-year-old children with impaired reading comprehension. Despite fluent and accurate reading and normal nonverbal ability, these children are poor at understanding what they have read. Tasks tapping 3 domains of oral language, namely phonology, semantics, and morphosyntax, were administered,…

Earlier research has shown that prior knowledge of psychology is positively associated with course achievement. But are these effects attributable to preexisting differences in general ability or aptitude? The authors administered 2 pretests to 353 students early in an introductory psychology course and obtained measures of general student…

Society knows well that males outperform females on mathematics portions of college entrance examinations. In 2003, for example, males scored an average 537 points on the mathematics section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, while females averaged 503. Less well known is that males also show a slight advantage on the verbal portion. These gaps…

Two studies explore the relationship between foreign language teachers' perceptions of their students' academic skills and affective characteristics and their native language skills, foreign language aptitude, and oral and written foreign language proficiency. In Study I (replication), students who scored significantly lower on native language and…