Discusses court litigation resulting from a class action suit filed on behalf of all limited-English-proficient (LEP) students against the Seattle Public Schools regarding their English-as-a-Second-Language needs, lack of adequate educational materials, need for teachers trained in bilingual instruction methodology, and other related issues. (34…

Describes a mispronunciation detection task, in which listeners' sensitivity to deviations in speech is measured by their pressing a button upon hearing a mispronounced word in lists or sentences. Notes that reaction times and miss rates indicate the effects of position of a misplaced phoneme in a word, the size of the phonemic deviation, lexical…

Presents a case for teaching the discourse-based features of English intonation to improve cross-cultural communication at receptive and productive stages. A systematic approach is suggested for teaching the pragmatic and discourse functions of English intonation through a consciousness-raising methodology that utilizes authentic oral texts. (34…

Presents a structural supply/demand model for enrollment places in parochial schools and uses it to evaluate alternative voucher policy designs. Uses the model's estimated parameters to simulate effects of differently sized and targeted vouchers on public and private school attendance, districts' fiscal status, and public educational costs.…

Describes a South Carolina middle school's efforts to improve student behavior and decrease suspension rates by using a focus-group approach with underachieving seventh graders with behavior problems. Students participated in daily focus-group experiences in which they learned strategies for changing their behavior and improving study skills.…

Analyzes ethnolinguistic vitality of the French community in Louisiana in terms of its demographic, economic, political and cultural capitals. Results suggest that the present generation of youth of Cajun and French descent will not be able to transmit the French language to its children. (75 references) (Author/CK)

Analyzes 15 ongoing foreign language program articulation projects that demonstrate what can be accomplished toward establishing coherent sequences, goals, and assessments. (51 references) (CK)

Introduces the field of intelligent computer assisted language learning (ICALL) and relates them to current practice in computer assisted language learning (CALL) and second language learning. Points out that ICALL applies expertise from artificial intelligence and the computer and cognitive sciences to the development of language learning…

Structural equation models reanalyzed data from the 1969 Westinghouse Head Start evaluation and extended the analysis to blacks and full-year programs. Results showed that the selection bias for summer program whites was absent for blacks and full-year program whites, and that Head Start helped the most disadvantaged children. (SLD)

A model professional development school (PDS) serves Celebration, Florida, a planned community built by the Disney Corporation. The K-12 Celebration School resulted from cooperation among the Osceola County School District, Stetson University, and Disney. In this PDS, featuring multiage groupings and individualized instruction, students, staff,…

Discusses teaching the use of reading strategies to students to improve understanding of their reading processes. The article points out that the speed with which a teacher introduces new strategies depends on whether the students identify strategies easily and articulate strategy use as they read. This approach has potential for students at all…

The New American College is a model of higher education and adult learning which stresses an integrated academic culture, connecting general education with specialized education, including professional education, and theoretical learning with practical application. It provides a highly intentional learning environment and individual attention,…

Examined the nature and stability of teacher ratings of early learning-related social skills in 72 preschoolers (3 to 4 years old) and again 1 year later. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that a construct labeled "learning-related social skills," tapping self-control, cooperation, assertion, and…

Compared traditional parent-teacher conferences with an alternative collaborative model that includes students (family-school conferences) in a suburban elementary school. Found that teachers and parents valued traditional conferences as opportunities for information exchange, but both groups reported anxiety that may interfere with communication.…

Presents an application of a model of user evaluation of four major Web search engines (Alta Vista, Excite, Infoseek, and Lycos) by undergraduates. Evaluation was based on 16 performance measures representing five evaluation criteria-relevance, efficiency, utility, user satisfaction, and connectivity. Content analysis of verbal data identified a…