The relationship among writing assessment strategies which may be applicable to competency based testing was examined in a study involving 128 high school students in six English classes in grades 11 and 12. Each student wrote two essays of at least 200 words on topics designed to test expository, or explanatory writing, and completed an objective…

The possibility that certain features of items on a reading comprehension test may lead to biased estimates of the reading achievement of particular subgroups of students was investigated. Item response data on the reading comprehension section of a frequently used achievement test were obtained from the Anchor Test Study data files. Eight…

The learning module described is designed to provide teachers with guidelines for selecting reading materials for Chicano and other Spanish-surnamed children. The rationale, goals, and objectives of the module are outlined. The table of contents of the text used in the module is reproduced. Activities and resources involved in the use of the…

This publication, designed for educators, researchers, and university students, includes articles of theory, opinions, research and practical application pertaining to all levels of educational practice. The first two articles define the place of science in the curriculum, first as a basic study and then as a holistic study. The next three…

This study examines the manner in which a group of kindergarten children viewed their kindergarten experience, how those views changed over time, and the extent to which those views were affected by background variables and preschool experiences. Eighty-three randomly selected urban kindergarten children were interviewed three times over a 7-month…

This unit for grade 12 is intended to provide an introduction to the criticism of persuasive discourse. After a brief discussion of the definition of criticism, the unit proceeds to the establishment of standards for evaluating persuasive discourse, standards involving Kenneth Burke's pentad: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. The unit then…

Since structural dimensions of knowledge and learner contribute to preferred message structure, an understanding of structural relationships can aid in the more effective design of instructional messages. Five studies were conducted to explore these relationships. Knowledge structure was defined as the iconic representation of the body of…

The purpose of this study was to apply a theory of latent culture to describe the role of middle class black parents and students in effecting change in an elite educational organization and to use Schein's conceptual model of the Kurk Lewin paradigm of the change process (Unfreezing--Changing--Refreezing) to analyze this process over a three year…

Twenty primary grade teachers of inner-city, lower class, Afro-American students and 20 primary grade teachers of suburban middle class white students were interviewed using George A. Kelly's 'Rep Test' technique, in order to elicit the categories or constructs through which they customarily perceived their students. Two judges applied content…

The principal purpose of this study was to investigate methods of teaching dramatic literature; additional information was obtained on the practical problems involved in educational research and the utilization of some basic aspects of fractional factorial design. Disagreement between English teachers and professional theatre personnel about the…

This book explores the workings of language, explains the operation of language as a coherent system, and examines instances of effective as well as ineffective communication. Chapters deal with (1) a "meaning" approach to language and the relation of semantics to the communicator, (2) how language works and what makes it work, (3) how language…

The longrange goal of the Instructional Tasks Project is to determine the requirements for an effective community-school communication model and its implementation. In the project's first year, the critical incident technique was used to identify the specific behavioral concerns of the community served by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District,…

This study was designed to determine if the regional educational laboratories funded under Title IV of Public Law 89-10 had accepted the charge to become educational change agents. Thirteen critical variables that describe essential change-agent functions were extracted from pertinent literature to provide the framework for a content analysis of…

Compared to regular freshman composition textbooks, materials for advanced instruction in English as a foreign language are unsubstantial. An examination of EFL tests reveals the triviality of much of the content, particularly in comparison with the sophistication and significance of literature taught to native speakers. In addition, some EFL…

Discussions and studies carried out by students enrolled in a year-long economics curriculum seminar are reported. The seminar was organized to study and make recommendations to an economics department about changing the content and teaching of principles of economics courses at a State university. Thirteen students, masters candidates-teaching…