A meta-analysis of 30 studies found the following learner characteristics influenced the treatment responsiveness of early literacy interventions: rapid naming; problem behavior; phonological awareness; alphabetic principle; memory; IQ; and demographics. With the exception of the demographic category, the obtained effect sizes for the primary…

Three experiments obtained same-different judgments from children and adults to trace normal development of local and global processing of hierarchical visual forms. Findings indicated that reaction time was faster on global trials than local trials; bias was stronger in children and diminished to adult levels between ages 10 and 14. Reaction time…

This study examined the relationship of school-level changes in the reading performance of students in general and special education to school environmental variables associated with "effective schools" reforms in 56 California schools. Results indicated inverse relationships between changes in general and special education students'…

Guidelines for assessing the classroom environment for optimal student performance cover physical environment, time/instructional management, behavior management, and teacher effectiveness. Vignettes illustrate classroom problems and suggest management solutions. A checklist identifies instructional methods and conditions that positively affect…

This article presents conceptual models of relationships between print size and reading speed and preferred viewing distances. These models illustrate how various factors can influence reading behaviors and influence decisions about the optimal angular size of print and resolution reserve. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article analyzes policy and legislation pertaining to special needs education in South Africa. It examines South African research and projects aimed at developing sustainable inclusive education policy and practice and concludes that sustainable inclusive education programs must be linked to programs for social and economic growth and…

This book focuses on topics germane to cognitive abilities viewed from a "minority psychology" perspective. The most contentious chapters concern test bias and heredity, with culture, socioeconomic status, and case viewed as the chief explanations for test score differences between social classes and racial and ethnic groups. The reviewer…

A study investigated relationships among 59 elementary teachers' reading-related content knowledge, their philosophical orientation toward reading instruction, their classroom practice, and their students' learning. Relationships emerged between content knowledge and instruction and between kindergarten teachers' phonological knowledge and their…

This article examines the possible meaning of the construct "emotional intelligence". Two case studies of adolescent males are presented and indicate that emotional intelligence has a significant impact not only on the qualitative level of intelligence actualization but also on the quantitative level of intelligence measurement and…

Argues that television, when used as a secondary activity, interferes with performance on otherwise intellectually demanding tasks. Examines performance on seven different cognitive processing tests for respondents in four television-viewing conditions and a no-TV control group. Finds significant performance decrements for measures of reading…

The long-term employment of 51 moderately mentally retarded clients who were placed into 64 supported employment positions was evaluated relative to 10 training and post-training components in a supported employment training package. Three components differentiated successful from unsuccessful employment: client advocate, collateral behavior, and…

The Connecticut Teacher Assessment Center Project has, since 1986, been developing a semistructured interview in the area of mathematics to evaluate beginning teacher competence. The strategy for validation of the project's performance tests, Connecticut's reform initiatives, and implications of systematic validity for traditional psychometric…

The hypothesis that student groups working under conditions of intergroup competition will adopt different motivational orientation than will groups not in competition was studied using 89 Israeli fourth graders (50 males and 39 females). The impact of prior socialization on group behaviors and implications for cooperative learning are discussed.…

Forty-nine day care center teachers rated the importance of certain behaviors/skills in the successful performance of handicapped young children in day care. Communication skills were rated as the most important, followed in order by independence, social interaction, compliance to rules/routines, and preacademic skills. (JDD)

Describes a performance engineering model used to design an effective implementation system for a supervisory training program. Highlights include a discussion of management participation, an implementation planning matrix, a flow chart of the implementation process, and a form for field trainer follow-up. (LRW)