Describes an investigation of whether grades in an intensive French course could be predicted by combining information obtained in a brief interview conducted by the teacher with information from academic records. Results showed that overall grade point average is the best single predictor of performance in foreign language courses. (SED)

Survey of Ohio State University faculty members and administrators examines their attitudes and perceptions regarding need for, and potential use of, a computerized database to increase efficiency of graduate school administration, and to collect and generate data for academic departments' use in improving programs. Proposed database design is…

Variables which affect students' academic motivation, and thus, school learning, are discussed. Recent research has built on the model presented by Carroll in 1963. Research on the following concepts is reviewed: active learning time; academic motivation, significant others; sex of student; context of learning; and affective factors. (GDC)

This study explored some factors associated with learning disabled high school students who passed the North Carolina Minimum Competency Test on the second administration. Factors examined include reading score on the first competency test, intelligence quotient, locus of control, mother's education, teacher support, student/teacher ratio, and…

Explores the association of district enrollment, minority enrollment, wealth, poverty level, fiscal capacity, and tax effort with changes in the distribution of Pennsylvania's federal aid due to implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Examines the law's effect on paperwork, local control, and encouragement…

Data on the early prediction of learning problems was summarized by a meta analysis of 58 studies reporting correlations between measures administered in kindergarten or first grade and later reading achievement. The best single predictors of achievement were attention-distractibility, internalizing behavior problems, and language variables.…

This study's findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom. Consonant with previous research, they indicate that both engagement in school and students' perception of their own academic competence influence achievement in mathematics for high school students. But the study departs from earlier work…

Approximately ten percent of the population suffers from a depressive illness each year. Although the economic cost is high, the cost in human suffering is immeasurable. To help educate the population about this disorder, this paper presents a definition of depression and its common manifestations. The symptoms that people often experience are…

This executive summary discusses our current understanding of the difficulties that children with reading/learning disabilities encounter as they start down the road to reading and summarizes research on early identification and intervention. The focus is on children in kindergarten through second grade. Findings from the analysis indicate: (1)…

This study examined the effects of course level, class size, and instructor gender on student ratings of teacher performance at the National Hualien Teachers College in Taiwan. A total of 9,843 usable evaluation forms were completed for 440 courses (96 freshmen-level, 142 sophomore-level, 119 junior-level, and 83 senior-level) taught by 132…

Parent and friend support, family stress, and economic hardship are examined as mediators of well-being for 782 African-American, European-American, and Hispanic-American 4th and 6th graders from middle and low income schools. Of these, 172 were immigrants. Well-being indices included loneliness, self-concept, depression, and teacher-rated…

This study examined the personality types of emergency certification teachers as predictors of classroom management and self-efficacy beliefs. Participants were 120 teachers pursuing teacher certification through an emergency permit teacher education program at a mid-sized Texas university. They all held at least a Bachelor's degree, were in their…

This brief explores the challenges of documenting dropout rates and ways to support students with disabilities so that they meet academic standards and graduate. It begins by discussing the high dropout rate for students with disabilities and the rise of standards-based reform and high-stakes tests. Characteristics of high-risk students are…

This 7-year study examined the consequences of early pregnancy and parenting for girls with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and risk factors identified with teenage pregnancy. Risk factors that were examined included sociodemographic characteristics, psychological characteristics, and psychopathology. The 109 participants in the study were…

Through interviews and classroom observations, this study investigated the academic help-seeking and interactions of high school girls with their computer science classmates in both a private school and a public school setting. The study explored five aspects of this help-seeking interaction: (1) females as a gender minority in computer science;…