The Reading Assistance Tutorial (R.A.T.) Pack is a systematic, multidisciplinary remedial reading program incorporating listening, speaking, seeing, writing, thinking, and comprehension skills. The sequenced activities demand a high percentage of on-task behavior and train phonological processing strategies and functional language use. Research…

Three highly distractible female students, aged 9 through 11, with mild to moderate mental handicaps completed a 5-step training process followed by student self-monitoring with no tangible extrinsic reinforcement for improved performance. Results found increased on-task behavior in all subjects and increased academic productivity in two.…

An independent activity engagement program, developed for institutionalized people with mental handicaps, included an adapted watch to provide auditory or visual cues at preset times, a box with pictorial cards representing familiar activities, and reinforcement. The program was suitable for the two adult participants but they continued to rely on…

Discusses productive use of time and its effects on academic success, reviewing research on how students spend their time, describing relationships between allocated, engaged, and productive time and exploring psychological perspectives related to time and curriculum. Curricular and instructional modifications to increase productive time and…

Describes a study of undergraduates completing electronic mail and word processing tasks that investigated the effects of experience on attitudes toward computers and judgment of confidence, or self-efficacy. Use of the Computer Technologies Survey is discussed, and treatment of experimental and control groups is described. Survey instrument and…

Two students (ages 10-11) with learning disabilities exhibited improved on-task behavior and academic performance during self-monitoring procedures, with additional increases resulting from self-graphing procedures. However, little improvement in on-task behavior and academic productivity was noted with the introduction of self-reinforcement and…

Compares school, classroom, and student level data for matched pairs of high- and low-achieving rural schools and matched pairs of urban schools. Finds that organizational and interpersonal processes sustaining effective schools vary by rural/urban context. Includes three longitudinal case studies of rural schools. Contains 26 references. (SV)

The Carolina Longitudinal Learning Disabilities Project identified 42 first- and second-grade students with learning disabilities (LD) and compared their development over 5 years with that of randomly selected peers. Different variables were predictive for the two groups. Teacher perceptions of intelligence, measured intelligence quotient, grade…

A graduated guidance procedure was used to teach 4 boys (ages 9-14) with autism to follow photographic activity schedules to increase on-task and on-schedule behavior. Use of the schedules produced sustained engagement which generalized to a new schedule with a new sequence of photographs. Subjects were able to independently change activities in…

Maintains that small-group games increase student time on task over whole-class games. Provides guidelines for designing small-group games as well as large-group games. Points out that games provide leadership opportunities, review material presented in class, and develop cognitive and social skills. Provides a list of teaching resources for using…

Discusses trade-offs and ramifications of technology use in schools. Cutbacks in proven staples of mental development (arts, music, drama, and physical education) are used to finance technology programs. Youngsters often use educational software for mindless fun. Few advocates consider how extended computer usage affects children's developing…

Explores two contrasting educational perspectives of high school students with significant disabilities and mental retardation, providing examples from qualitative data on educators' competence- and deficit-oriented perspectives and on students' academic engagement. Competence-oriented teachers believed in and expected more from the students.…

Discusses integrated learning systems (ILSs) and describes a study that considered the degree of linear relationship between time spent on the ILS and outcome achievement on ninth-grade algebra students. The effects of previous math and verbal achievement and sex differences are explored, and measurement instruments are described. (Contains 14…

During the 2004-2005 school year, Maya Kadakia conducted a pilot study of her master's project which focuses on how student engagement is affected by a curriculum that incorporates popular culture. She created a Language Arts unit which incorporates the video game Morrowhid. Maya teaches seventh grade Language Arts and Social Studies at a diverse…

This study examined the use of a palmtop computer running a software program by transition-age students with cognitive disabilities to increase independence on vocational and independent living tasks. The purpose of this research was to test the hypotheses that a palmtop computer utilizing a Windows CE platform with touch screen capabilities and…