The "fourth grade slump" in reading comprehension still exists. Among poor children, low comprehension ruins their chances for academic success. Among all children, comprehension scores are stagnant. Research indicates that key to both problems is systematically building children's vocabulary, fluency, and domain knowledge. To improve reading,…

Reports a study of the effectiveness of a third grade sexual abuse prevention program. Students who did and who did not receive the intervention completed a pre- and postprogram questionnaire. Results indicated that those completing the intervention significantly increased their sexual abuse knowledge scores and their behavioral intention scores.…

Assessed the degree of orthographic learning in homophonic choice, spelling, and target naming tasks with second graders. Found that processing of target homophones was superior to that of their homophonic controls and found a substantial correlation between orthographic learning and number of target homophones correctly decoded during story…

Focuses on the importance of background or schemata in learning to read and discusses how to help students use their background knowledge for reading. Suggests teachers need to activate students' prior knowledge of a topic before they begin to read. (VWL)

Explores the trends in the basic education of Bangladeshi children (ages 11 and 12) using data generated through two nationally representative sample surveys. Reports that the level of basic education rose slowly (26.7 percent in 1993 to 29.6 percent in 1998) while improvement was found in life skills knowledge and writing skills. Includes…

Discusses how to teach improvisation, creativity, and movement to beginning music classroom students. Includes background information on teaching each concept and lesson plans to be used with beginning string students. Provides rhythm patterns, exercises, and an assignment used in the lessons. (CMK)

Examined the relationship between self-esteem and sexual behavior and intended sexual behavior among Hispanic middle school students. Student surveys indicated that higher home self-esteem significantly related to reduced likelihood of participation in sexual intercourse (ever) and reduced intent to participate. Higher school self-esteem related…

Administered an intelligence test to blacks and whites in 2 studies involving 254 community college students and 2 more studies involving 115 community college students. Results show that differences in knowledge between blacks and whites for items on an intelligence test, the meanings of words, can be eliminated when equal opportunities for…

Describes a support program, the DATA project of Queen's University in Belfast, which was devised to develop student teachers' abilities to teach astronomy with emphasis on the promotion of student teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. (Author/KHR)

Summarizes the report of Lynne Cheney, chairperson of the National Endowment of the Arts, titled, "Tyrannical Machines: A Report on Educational Practices Gone Wrong and Our Best Hope for Setting Them Right." Noted are gaps in general knowledge, weaknesses of teacher education courses, and university tendencies to value research over teaching. (DB)

A comparative analysis of some science concepts held by preservice primary teachers in Britain and Spain indicates that many students lack understanding of and ability to apply these concepts. Results are analyzed in terms of national curricula and previous science background. Implications for teacher education are discussed. (IAH)

The validity of a dynamic assessment interview approach to the measurement of metacomponential (executive level) cognitive processing in 48 children aged 8 to 9 years was studied. The interview instrument apparently measured both content knowledge and metacomponential processing. Implications for study of young children's cognition are discussed.…

The relationship of knowledge, attitudes, and prevalence of steroid use among college athletes and nonathletes was investigated. Results indicated that the more individuals knew about steroids, the more favorable was their attitude toward use. Powerlifters and bodybuilders were found most likely to use steroids. (JD)

Explains the "value-added" approach to measuring educational quality and institutional effectiveness in higher education. Presents a case study of Piedmont Virginia Community College's (PVCC's) efforts to measure the value which is added to transfer students by their PVCC experience, and discusses the implications of the PVCC study for…

A model is presented for the growth of knowledge reflected by 24 progress tests completed by approximately 600 students at the University of Limburg (Netherlands) Medical School. Based on the Rasch model, this model treats both the person's ability and the difficulty of the question as random variables. (SLD)