Normative data for 198 urban children (four to eight years old) who speak Black American English (BAE) were obtained on the Test of Language Development. Results revealed speakers of BAE differed significantly in performance from children on whom test was standardized. Difference in performance was reflected in overall test scores and in…

The development, administration, and scoring of a communicative test and its validation with tests of linguistic and sociolinguistic competence in English and Spanish are reported. Correlation with measures of home language use and school achievement are also presented, and issues of test validation for bilingual programs are discussed. (MSE)

Provides an overview of the personnel status of academic librarians in the institutions surveyed, including types of final appointments accorded, ranks assigned, benefits and privileges, criteria used to evaluate performances, and any plans to effect significant changes in librarian personnel status. References and responses by individual…

Since school dropouts who receive the General Education Diploma are discriminated against because they do not possess a standard high school diploma, a plan is presented that recognizes such discrimination and provides a process for making standard diplomas available to dropouts in special education and general categories of intelligence. (MH)

Reviews the questions and issues which must be addressed as libraries enter an age in which the development of online catalogs for library users is becoming more feasible. Viability of online catalogs, current activities in catalog development, variables involved in catalog design, and the potential of online systems are discussed. (JL)

Discusses reasons why standardized tests and their use are important topics of discussion. Testing is: widely used in schools and supported by the public; criticized by both educational and noneducational groups; only minimally a part of teachers'/administrators' training; constantly being changed and developed. (LC)

This article reports on a study of kindergarten through fifth grade students' perceptions of the student teaching experience. It is concluded that, if pupils are provided with clear and accurate information on the purposes and processes of the student teaching experience, they can become partners in preparing future teachers. (CJ)

One hundred and two third graders were tested on match-to-sample, cognitive style tasks in the visual and auditory modalities as well as a visual-auditory cross-modal task. The results lend support to the relationship between cognitive style and reading performance. (Author/NQA)

College students (N=192) and teachers (N=23) responses to a 28-item questionnaire were analyzed to determine the five items most and five items least important in learning. Results suggest that students are practical, goal- or job-oriented, and willing to look to faculty for, or actually demand from the faculty, rather strict guidance. (Author/JN)

Multitrait-multimethod analysis was performed on instructors' ratings from behaviorally anchored rating scales, graphic rating scales, and mixed standard scales. Two samples of 100 undergraduate students were distinguished on the basis of whether the statements on the mixed-standard scale were behaviorally specific or more generic descriptions of…

Discusses a mathematical model for mastery learning. The model includes measures of a motivational factor and the specific ability of a learner with respect to content being learned. The model also contains a variable reflecting prior learning. Assumptions/limitations are discussed, and research questions raised. (Author/JN)

The conditions that lead teachers to be more controlling versus more autonomy-oriented with students were examined. When responsibility for their students' performance was impressed upon teachers, they became more controlling. They talked more, were more critical, gave more commands and allowed less choice and autonomy. (Author/CM)

The Berkeley student evaluation questionnaire by Hildebrand, Wilson, and Dienst was modified to reflect the Whitely-Doyle factorial structure of implicit theories students hold about teaching characteristics of their instructors. Student ratings appear to be valid indicators of teaching competency, admissable as evidence to be used for faculty…

Reviews a selection of the staff evaluation literature that appeared during the 1970s, covering problems in faculty evaluation; the student role; evaluation criteria, programs, and systems; and administrator evaluation. Includes a 47-item bibliography of ERIC documents and journal articles. (DMM)

Illustrates advantages of research on practical factors in reasoning. Discusses role of factual knowledge and diagnosis of specific task-based errors in reasoning, influence of individual aptitudes on reasoning, and effect of educational interventions designed to change reasoning. Presents Piagetian position for each position, discusses evidence…