Referral, placement, and retention decisions were analyzed using item response theory (IRT) to study whether classification decisions could be placed on the latent continuum of ability normally associated with test items and to study the existence of classification differential item functioning. Results with 352 kindergarten children demonstrate…

Discusses bibliographic instruction in libraries. Topics include a history of bibliographic instruction; the Internet and electronic searching; librarians' use of technology; defining information needs; locating and accessing information, including classification systems and Boolean searching; evaluating information; using and communication…

A study compared children with autism or Asperger syndrome with speech delays (n=23) with those without speech delays (n=24). No significant differences were found on any of the 71 variables analyzed, including autistic symptoms and expressive language. Results suggest that early speech delay may be irrelevant to later functioning. (Contains…

Provides a review of 20 digital libraries from around the world. Examines library objectives; funding, including the role of government and private sector organizations; subject coverage; collections; information storage and retrieval; search features; access to the collections; output formats; and sorting search output. (LRW)

Explores the future of reference librarianship within the context of the enabling technologies that will chart library development in the 21st century. The article types libraries into categories of "traditional,""automated,""hybrid," and "digital." The typology delineates shifts in human/machine…

Examines data collected by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on the identification and classification of special education students. Analysis suggests that the OSEP count data, by themselves, do not indicate how many children have disabilities or what types of disabilities they have, and the data cannot by used to evaluate…

Presents a review of empirical studies on the classification of attempted suicide over the period 1963-93. Investigated whether there is research evidence for a valid classification of homogeneous subgroups of suicide attempts. Found two clearly distinguished subgroups (characterized by mild and severe suicide attempts) which constitute the…

Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CCBQ) scores from 240 children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), 95 with high-functioning autism, 181 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 400 with psychiatric problems, and 234 controls, indicated significant group differences on all scales and good test…

A study used the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) with 129 students (ages 7-18) with learning disabilities (LD), 145 with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and 144 typical students. BERS discriminated among students with LD and EBD and controls and was able to classify students with EBD and controls. (Contains references.)…

Presents criteria for evaluating and comparing Web search tools designed for children. Highlights include database size; accountability; categorization; search access methods; help files; spell check; URL searching; links to alternative search services; advertising; privacy policy; and layout and design. (LRW)

Two experiments explored the nature of perceptual development in 5- and 10-year olds and adults. The primary finding was that preassessed salience significantly influenced 5-year olds' ability to discriminate two objects, while salience did not affect 10-year olds' or adults' response times. Results showed that salience effects in perceptual…

A study involving 1,123 children investigated the relationship between naming speed and phonological awareness skills and the implications for the classification of children at risk of reading disability. Results found a positive correlation between naming speed and phonological awareness and indicate this relationship will affect any comparison…

A study involving 4,141 schools investigated gender and race/ethnicity disproportionality among students identified as having learning disabilities. There was a clear association between ethnicity and gender and the odds of being identified as a student with learning disabilities. School sociodemographic factors also associated with the proportion…

The rapid development of special education for the gifted in Taiwan from 1962 until the present is summarized. The comprehensive system of gifted education, using either the special class or the pull-out is described, along with identification procedures that are based on multi-assessment and use a step-by-step screening process. (Contains…

Compares the effects of explicit training in classical and romantic styles, the relevance of four musical dimensions, and the congruence of categorizations with predictions of exemplar- or prototype-theories of concept formation. Explains that subjects in both the exemplar and prototype groups relied on independently abstracted cues rather than…