A new calculation and reporting method designed to improve accuracy in arriving at dropout figures was tested last year by 288 school systems. The study, called the Dropout Statistics Field Test, is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (MLF)

Argues that use of intelligence as an aptitude benchmark in the definition of dyslexia conceals illogical assumptions about the concept of potential. Concludes that the validity of a severe discrepancy between aptitude and achievement as the defining feature of dyslexia has yet to be established sufficiently to justify differential educational…

This article explores issues related to the use of supported employment and time-related transitional employment for blind and visually impaired persons. It defines the concepts; describes the characteristics that distinguish these services from others; and discusses the need for these services from ecological, philosophical, fiscal, and learning…

This article considers problems in the federal definition of seriously emotionally disturbed, authority (state or federal) in determining program eligibility, the legislative history of exclusionary rules, and legal options available to those seeking access to special education for behavior-disordered students. (DB)

This article reviews the efforts made since 1962 to define learning disabilities, discusses 11 prominent definitions, identifies important conceptual elements on which the definitions differ, and calls for a consensual acceptance of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities definition. (PB)

Presents views on how to define "family" theoretically as well as data from quantitative and qualitative studies. Finds that both researchers and members of the general population differ greatly on the concept of family. Shows that such concepts include not only persons from the immediate "nuclear" family but also kin of…

Explores how individuals' conceptions of their family vary across stages of family development. Compares several hypotheses of how key interpersonal relationships shape individuals' intrapsychic experience of their family. Finds scant support for socialization theory but considerable support for social transaction theory. (SR)

A definition of "activities of daily living" is offered to more specifically describe the abilities of handicapped individuals. The definition covers: operations needed for daily living, activities of daily living which use basic mental or physical functions, and ideas of daily living (pursuits with a shared value or common social…

This paper focuses on definitions, incidence, and characteristics of the multihandicapping condition known as "learning disabled, hearing impaired," in order to provide a means of identifying these children and determining whether or not they require different teaching strategies. (JDD)

Presents several stories about literate women from classical Greece through the Renaissance, focusing on the literacy experiences of women in the dominant class. Observes that literacy acquisition was no guarantee of power, personal advancement, critical thought, or cultural modernization. Urges teachers to create a classroom environment conducive…

Time-budget and interview study with 60 married couples analyzed household labor activities in terms of whether they were experienced as work or leisure, and in terms of their perceptual dimensions and objective situational contexts. Found women defined their household labor activities more often as work than did males, and that situational…

Explores the meanings that have been attached to the term "archival" and concludes that librarians participating in the national preservation effort use this term to mean permanent. Permanence is practically defined as storage for upwards of 100 years. Given this definition, the merits of microforms and optical disks as archival storage materials…

School choice should be promoted only under conditions guaranteeing that costs will be outweighed by benefits. Implementing choice means developing an effective assignment policy, conducting parent surveys, providing for adequate staff involvement, committing to parent outreach, managing effects on individual schools, and setting up a…

The paper addresses the need to define terms used in vision training before successful programs can be formulated. Critical behaviors in three categories (visual attending, visual examining, and visually guided motor) are considered as are program alternatives focusing on visual environment management, visual skills training, and visually…

Argues that science must not describe behavior by reporting feelings. Gives examples of words that describe the feelings that accompany the following behavior: (1) doing; (2) sensing; (3) changing; (4) wanting; (5) waiting; (6) thinking; and (7) several other attributes of mind. (FMW)