Attempts, most unsuccessful, to reform India's university examination system are chronicled, including curriculum reform, increased frequency of public examinations, introduction of internal assessment, development of item banks, changeover to a grading system, shift to semesters, improved administration, and creation of autonomous colleges. The…

Criticizes the use of blame analysis rather than scientific analysis in sociological studies. Defines blame analysis as an approach to social science that (1) evaluates theories according to the extent that they blame protected groups; (2) equates cause with blame; (3) and rejects theoretical arguments that posit any causal role for the protected…

Investigation of relations among children's perceptions of their parents, motivation, and school performance for 456 children in grades 3 through 6 suggests that perceived maternal support and involvement are associated with perceived competence, control understanding, and perceptions of autonomy, whereas paternal support is related to perceived…

Describes a University of Texas project for increasing the pool of future minority teachers. Academically knowledgeable secondary students who lacked skills for coping with minimum competency testing were given "The Effective Test Performance Study Guide" to help prepare for standardized testing. Results indicate the guide contributed to…

This study of 28 girls (ages 2-19) with Rett Syndrome found profound handicaps in the intellectual and adaptive areas, according to standardized tests. Subjects seemed capable of learning some self-help skills at a basic level. The Cattell Mental Age was significantly negatively correlated with chronological age. (JDD)

Six articles analyze 1989 data from the Computers in Education Study of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), a cross-national elementary and secondary education assessment. A seventh paper describes the rationale and procedures for construction of tests used in the study's second stage in 1992. (SLD)

Suggestions on providing home-based support in student development and study skills focus on study skills inventories, time management, reference materials, reading rate, oral reports, test taking, note taking/outlining, listening, visual material, writing reports, and library usage. (DB)

D. M. Stewart draws no implications for connecting African history and culture to academic achievement. Racism continues to exist; and only education that leads to cultural liberation, political solidarity, and economic strengths will prevail against it. Howard University must see itself as a center for academic and cultural excellence. (SLD)

Experience with student outcomes assessment in the Florida state university system suggests that precollegiate interventions, including raising admission and retention standards, can improve minority success in college. The more demanding policies have focused on the skill levels needed for academic success and on the need for college-preparatory…

A total of 318 students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade used the Primary Grade Pupil Report to report on their teachers. Preschool students' reports on teachers were more negative than those of kindergarten and first grade students. Factor analysis identified different significant factors for the two groups. (Author/BB)

Inferences that spending money (high average per pupil expenditure) does not improve education are questioned because of obvious differences in cost of living; in-state differences; differences in costs and demographic differences; and comparing average measures with measures from a nonrandom sample (Scholastic Aptitude Test scores). (SLD)

Examined whether there are differences between low-achieving students referred and those not referred for special education. Found that differences reflected factors external to the child: the propensity of his or her teacher to refer, family mobility, and tardiness. (Author/LPP)

In an interview, former Georgetown University (District of Columbia) basketball coach John Thompson offers comments on the debate over the use of standardized test scores to determine college athlete eligibility, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and its regulations, academic standards and graduation for college athletes, and the nature…

Discusses barriers to African-American student progress, persistence, and achievement in science and engineering graduate study, including lack of encouragement, bias in graduate school admission criteria, lower faculty expectations of black students, financial support and fellowship structures, lack of opportunity to become professionally…

Reviews the results of a longitudinal study examining the development of drawing skills of six children with Williams Syndrome. Presents quantitative and qualitative data regarding recognizability, organization, and developmental progress. Reveals that, although extremely delayed, the children made consistent progress in a manner similar to normal…