A study at the Licenciate in Medicine in Spain showed the best predictors of first-year medical school grades to be science course grades, the overall admission test score, and the test score average. Implications for admissions and counseling are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Examined the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) with regard to its effectiveness in predicting school success as determined by subjects' (N=245) first-grade performance on the California Achievement Test (CAT). Found the DIAL concepts subtest to be the most valid single predictor. (Author/ABB)

A study examined whether students beginning a cell biology course with prior knowledge of its three areas (genetics, histology, and biochemistry) would retain that advantage throughout the course and whether achievement was influenced by the order of questions in a test. (MSE)

Two experiments examined the role that college students' verbal aptitude and evaluation anxiety play in the production of persuasive letters. Results showed that verbal aptitude should be considered when predicting the quality of students writing. Taking writing anxiety into account did not increase the predictive power of verbal aptitude scores.…

Discusses the relationship between English language proficiency and academic success of English as a second language (ESL) students in universities and colleges where English is the language of instruction. The study points out difficulties associated with determining this relationship and makes suggestions for establishing guidelines to determine…

Twenty-six suicide attempters (ages 9-18) were compared with 725 nonattempters on measures of school achievement, educational goals, socioeconomic status (SES) and depression. Among reported results were significantly lower school achievement by suicide attempters, attributed to the effects of depression. Lower-SES youth were more likely to…

Simultaneous communication used by four teachers in formal lessons was investigated, to determine the extent to which signs and speech matched and to delineate factors predicting communication behavior. Simultaneous communication was found to be sign-driven or speech-driven depending on factors such as student comprehension, teacher's expertise,…

A study examined social and personal factors affecting the decision process of Australian secondary school students choosing university study and the effects of student background factors in higher education participation generally. The complex patterns of factors operating differentially in the high school years are interpreted through…

There is not much evidence that supports the notion of the self-fulfilling prophecy as applied to teachers' expectations of students. The "Pygmalion" study is often cited by courts and in the media; but it is highly criticized in scholarly circles, and its findings could not be replicated. (VM)

Interviewed 92 elderly residents of area targeted for massive redevelopment. Findings revealed that each health, control, and support emerged as independent predictors of affect and life satisfaction, and that affect was significantly lower for those with no close support figure than for those with one close relationship. (Author/NB)

Discusses the relationship between demographic/institutional variables and collective bargaining outcomes as measured by the strength of contractual clauses concerning long-range planning, retrenchment, appointment, promotion, nonrenewal, and tenure. Finds unions' ability to represent membership strongly related to region, institutional size, age…

Reading comprehension scores, course examination scores, grade point average (GPA), and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the comprehension of reading materials could be used to predict learning performance. Results showed that course-relevant reading comprehension was a predictor of course performance but…

A study at one university found that traditional admission criteria for a graduate microbiology program, undergraduate grade point average, and Graduate Record Examination scores, were not good predictors of student potential as a researcher, as measured by faculty ratings. (MSE)

Among college students, significant differences were found on all three dimensions (wife, mother, and father roles) of sex role attitudes between men and women but not between Blacks and Whites. The interaction of race and sex in conditioning effect of background variables on sex role attitudes varied among the four sex-race subsamples. (Author/GC)

A study was conducted to establish an equation for predicting group embedded figures test (GEFT) scores using Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) scores for reading and social studies, grade point averages, socioeconomic status, and student attitudes as predictor variables, and to determine correlation between these variables and the GEFT.…