A minimally trained paraprofessional made 6 visits to the homes of mildly mentally retarded and behaviorally disordered rural primary students to teach their parents basic instructional methods in mathematics. After 12 weeks of parent tutoring, the mathematical performance of experimental subjects improved significantly compared to that of matched…

Develops the two-level small-group model based on cooperative learning seminars for inservice science teachers. Describes procedures to construct materials for the two-level group and suggests a teaching sequence. Summarizes research results about the two-level model and suggests implications of the model. (YP)

The Texas Academic Skills Program, a basic-skills test that all entering freshmen must pass before they can enroll in upper-level courses, is discussed. Those who fail it will be required to take non-credit remedial courses and to retake the test until they pass it. (MLW)

Reports on increased amounts of financial assistance given to Laboratory Cooperative Science Centers, Energy Manpower Development Programs for teacher and student research, and minority institutions. Includes a table indicating programs mandated by Congress and the amount of support funds given. (RT)

Provides a first experiment for college chemistry that provides insights into scientific procedures without presupposing any detailed knowledge of chemistry on the part of the student. Requires the student to measure successive masses and volumes and use these values to determine the density from the slope of the graph. (MVL)

Three studies involving 44 learning-disabled junior high students assessed the impact of strategy instruction in individual, small group, and whole class instruction in one knowledge domain: algebra. The three studies are contrasted, outcome data are compared, and the issue of generality-specificity in strategy instruction is examined. (JDD)

Three methods of estimating tobacco products experimentation were examined in 13 junior high and 6 high schools. The methods were aggregated students' self-reports of tobacco experimentation, school personnel prevalence estimates of student tobacco experimentation, and school outdoor refuse evidence. The school personnel method proved the most…

Presented is an analysis of published research on students' conceptual development in the life sciences with the intent of providing information on the trends and content of those studies. A list of 128 references is appended. (CW)

Results are reported from a study which examined how achievement-related beliefs (e.g., academic self-concept, causal attributions, perceptions of teacher feedback) of fifth graders (N=192) vary as a joint function of sex, achievement level, and academic area. (IAH)

A longitudinal study of 1,329 students and the 141 mathematics teachers they had before and after transfer to junior high examined the relationship between students' beliefs in mathematics and their teachers' sense of efficacy. Teacher efficacy beliefs had a stronger impact on low-achieving than high-achieving students. (SLD)

Presents comments by classroom teachers on courseware for teaching science. Materials include forests, heart anatomy and physiology, balancing a series of numbers on a lever, the scientific method, ecology, and fire prevention. Availability, suggested grade level, and costs are provided. (RT)

Described is a study which was conducted as an exploratory assessment of science reviewers' perceptions for the future of science education. Arrives at interpretations for identified categories of computers and high technology, science curriculum, teacher education, training, certification, standards, teaching methods, and materials. (RT)

Describes activities which demonstrate the abundance of organisms living underground. Provides outlined directions, lists of materials, and a soil ecosystem transparency for delving into the properties of soil. (RT)

Collaborative efforts between businesses and schools to improve schooling are increasingly hampered by budgetary constraints. Despite the success of such consortia as the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), there is clear need for increased commitment on the Federal, state, and municipal levels for cooperative…

The outcome interpretations, attributions for the outcome, expectancies of future test outcomes, and perceptions concerning instrumental actions of four Finnish elementary school teachers and their 84 sixth-grade students were compared after a math exam. Disagreements between teachers and students on these points reflect biases on the part of…