As part of a sabbatical leave for professional development, a faculty member from Missouri's St. Louis Community College (SLCC) undertook a survey to determine principles and instructional practices in community college writing programs. A literature review was conducted of theories related to writing instruction. In addition, questionnaires were…

This study examined teachers' perceptions of the nature and extent of behavior problems exhibited by children in nursery classes. A total of 154 teachers from public and private schools in rural, small town, and urban areas in Greece completed a self-reporting questionnaire and an evaluation of their students' behavior. The results showed…

Although many sources have discounted the likelihood of grade inflation resulting from instructors trying to "buy" better student ratings of instruction, many faculty members still believe that there is widespread manipulation of grades. This study involving 28,629 undergraduates over a 6-year period found no relationship between…

Many recent authors have examined the new role that Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) programs are playing in the rethinking of academic culture and discourse at contemporary universities. In this essay, the author argues that the WAC movement is centered on an understanding of knowledge as being intertextual, interdisciplinary, dialogical,…

This report profiles the utilization of funding by sites implementing Chapter 1/ Pupils with Compensatory Education Needs (PCEN) programs in English as a Second Language (ESL) in New York City schools, based on funding data and a district survey. Data for 83 high schools show that 23% of total allocations for ESL teachers were Chapter 1, 32% were…

This paper offers a summary analysis of 4 years of interviews with 1,003 kindergarten and first through third grade teachers regarding their experience in teaching either a small class, a regular size class, or a regular size class with a full-time teacher's aide. The paper uses teachers' descriptions of their experience to explore the effect of…

In this study relationships between class size and 688 first grade students' academic achievement in reading, listening, and mathematics were examined in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 school years. Achievement test scores of 338 children in classes of 20 children each in l987-88 were compared with test data of 350 first grade children in classes of 27…

This survey gathered data from 36 state directors of special education as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs and American-controlled principalities regarding their area's regulations (or lack thereof) for reduction of class sizes in regular education classes when disabled students are mainstreamed into those classes. Only Massachusetts and…

This is the second of 12 research reports on the phenomenon of language instruction within a large class environment. The report is written in five sections. The second section (following the introductory first section) discusses the reasons for studying large classes in language instruction, including the facts that teachers find large classes…

Social validity data on different student-teacher ratios were collected from 28 administrators, 31 special education teachers, and 50 parents of students in special education programs. Respondents indicated their opinions about optimal student-teacher ratios for student learning and teacher instruction, with administrators generally expressing…

The study examined the impact of varying student-teacher ratios on task completion and success, student instructional time, and quality of instruction in special education classes for mildly handicapped students. Subjects were 139 mainstreamed elementary students (grades 1-6), most of whom were categorically labeled as learning disabled (n=114).…

The Alaska School Effectiveness Project produced several reports in a series of reviews of research literature on such topics as class size. Using an ERIC search and conventional library methods, the question raised was "Do small classes have a positive effect on the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students?" Of the 35…

This pamphlet, provided in both English and Spanish, presents a brief overview of Situational Reinforcement (SR), a teaching methodology used in the materials published by the Institute of Modern Languages. Explanations are given concerning its theoretical basis, its practical applications, the history of its development, and the support it finds…

This paper examines strategies for urban school improvement within the realm of preschool, elementary, and secondary level programs, and systemwide programs. Examples of programs in each grade level area which are operating in different parts of the country are given. The following elements are identified as common to all successful programs: (1)…