A study was conducted to determine if the structure and administration of the manufacturing internship of the Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MET) program at Ferris State University (FSU) was congruent with commonly accepted practice. It examined whether the current internship design was satisfactory in terms of the perspective of industry…

Nongraded primary education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together, without dividing them or the curriculum into steps labeled by "grade" designations. Changing from graded to nongraded structure requires a major investment of time, energy, and commitment on the part of teachers and…

This monograph presents a brief review of the literature on integrating students with disabilities into mainstream educational programs. It begins by clarifying such terms as normalization, least restrictive environment, mainstreaming, and integration. It offers a historical perspective with a Canadian emphasis. The research on efficacy of…

An innovative instructional intervention model is presented that represents a promising approach to the education of language minority students. One of the four handbooks produced to document and disseminate the findings of the Innovative Approaches Research Project (IARP), this handbook describes the IARP model for providing science and…

The main purposes of this study were to determine: (1) how high school students represent the physical phenomena of phase changes; (2) how they modify their representation of these physical phenomena to accommodate new observation; (3) what factors lead to student difficulty in modifying representations; and (4) how the…

This bulletin provides descriptions of two of the most widely used business and industry quality models--the British Standards Institution system (BS5750) and Total Quality Management (TQM). The focus is on applications of the models in further education colleges. The first section clarifies what the term "quality" means, in general and…

The Joint Task Force on Implementing Occupational Options in Wisconsin undertook a 6-month study to identify issues related to occupational preparation, including the state's proposed tech prep and apprenticeship programs, successful policies and practices of tech prep and apprenticeship models to be modified to meet the state's needs, and…

This study evaluated an instructional model entitled "Integrating Computer Software into the Functional Mathematics Curriculum: A Diagnostic Approach," which was intended to prepare middle-school special education students for the Maryland Functional Mathematics Test. The model consisted of eight major components: pretests/posttests, diagnostic…

This 2-year longitudinal study is being conducted better to understand the lives of secondary school students as they move from one social setting to another and to draw implications for learning as teachers are provided with a more holistic picture. The study describes students' interrelationships with family, school, and peers; perceptions of…

Cognitively-based writing instruction for educationally disadvantaged students is examined, focusing on epistemic writing. The object of epistemic writing is to inquire into a particular topic and to familiarize/persuade the reader with the fruits of the investigation. In reviewing the distinctions between novice and expert writers, two models of…

This study examined whether an expert system approach involving intelligent selection of items (EXSPRT-I) is as efficient as item response theory (IRT) based three-parameter adaptive mastery testing (AMT) when there are enough subjects to estimate the three IRT item parameters for all items in the test and when subjects in the item parameter…

This compilation presents background information and a resource directory concerning the growing dilemma of crack-exposed infants. Information on the incidence of crack use among women of child-bearing age is reviewed. The effects of crack on young children are outlined, and ways in which parents, educators, and other professionals can help these…

The use of log-linear models for investigating differential item functioning (DIF) associated with examinee/respondent background characteristics was examined. The Likert-type items used in this study were drawn from a 36-item self-report measure--the Suicide Probability Scale. Specifically, log-linear models were used to investigate whether…

This report presents the findings of a Harris survey of high school students' attitudes on human rights and racial relations, with special emphasis on minority group athletes. The following findings are included: (1) a majority have seen or heard about violent racial confrontations; (2) 30 percent would intervene to stop or condemn the incident;…

This audiovisual instructional package is designed for use with special needs students enrolled in vocational office education courses. Discussed first are steps that teachers should take first to prepare to teach the package and then actually to present the materials provided in it. The next few sections of the guide consist of lists of student…