Presents a generalization and improvement for the definition proposed by E. Dzhafarov (2001) for selectiveness in the dependence of several random variables on several (sets of) external factors. This generalization links the notion of selective influence with that of conditional independence. (SLD)

Discusses issues in structural-equation-model selection that pertain to the general utility of the principle of parsimony. Provides an example using data generated by the relatively nonparsimonious simplex model and fitted rather well by a parsimonious growth-curve model belonging to a different class of models. (Author/SLD)

School districts currently spend $2.6 billion annually on maintaining a system of recruiting and hiring teachers who quit or fail. The 120 major urban districts are the primary locus of this teacher churn. The causes include the negative conditions of work in these districts, the impersonal hiring procedures which recruit and hire the wrong people…

The purpose of this study is to examine the appointment procedure of the teachers employed in public schools in Turkey. Specifically, this study explores the correlation between the pre-service teachers' Civil Servant Selection Examination (KPSS) performance and their "cognitive ability" represented by Student Selection Examination (OSS)…

As the definition of teacher quality changes with time, the selection mechanism of students into teacher education programmes may also change accordingly. In Taiwan, before the 1994 teacher education reform, selection of pre-service students was based solely on academic achievement. Afterwards, the selection was delegated to individual teacher…

This article examines a qualitative study carried out at a middle school in North Carolina, the United States of America. The main purpose of the study was to find effective strategies that teachers can use to help ESL students improve their speaking skills and class participation. Results indicated that both communicative and social strategies as…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine (a) the role of the cooperating teacher in relationship to his or her assigned student teachers, (b) the cooperating teachers' training and preparation for those roles, and (c) the cooperating teachers' perceived needs regarding training and support. Ten cooperating teachers from different…

Staffing each classroom with an effective teacher is the most important function of a school district. Doing so requires strategic personnel policies and smart practices. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), working with its local partner, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, undertook an analysis of the Boston Public…

The purpose of this study was to explore how junior level students at a Georgia postsecondary institution perceived their college experiences were impacted by the meritbased aid they received. The study employed a phenomenological method and was based on Tinto's psycho-social-economic-organizational model, from "Theories of college student…

This study examined the effects on academic achievement of offering students enrollment in the Promise Academy charter middle school. The school is sponsored by the Harlem Children's Zone[R], which combines reform-minded charter schools with a web of community services designed to provide a positive and supportive social environment outside of…

Charter middle schools popular enough to hold admissions lotteries are, on average, no more successful than nearby traditional public schools in boosting student achievement, behavior, and attendance. However, charter schools vary widely; some are more effective and some are less effective than nearby traditional public schools. Those located in…

The tools and resources in this book help school leaders seamlessly incorporate minority teacher recruitment and retention programs into current human-resources activities. With details about exemplary minority teacher recruitment and retention programs, this book also showcases strategies for how to replicate such programs in your own school or…

The problem: It is important to examine how U.S. born ESL teacher's of colors' ethnicity affects White colleagues and administrators, and their own teaching practice in order to eradicate the preconceived notions that a suitable language teacher should be one that is only recognized by the majority on the basis of race. Method: A qualitative…

The purpose of this study was to fit theoretical models of prediction to students' decisions to enroll and persist in urban middle school band programs using independent variables of academic achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), family structure, mobility, ethnicity, and gender. Two models were fitted to the data using logistic regression…

This paper investigates the enrolment trends and the critical factors that impinge on students' choice of physics as major field of study. The data were generated from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was acquired based on a semi-structured interview with 14 sophomore and 11 senior students and five instructors of the department of…