The use of Bayesian decision theory to solve problems in test-based decision making is discussed. Four basic decision problems are distinguished: (1) selection; (2) mastery; (3) placement; and (4) classification, the situation where each treatment has its own criterion. Each type of decision can be identified as a specific configuration of one or…

This guidebook provides information to help local communities plan and carry out National Community Education Day, a day that has been promoted since 1982. The guide is organized in six sections. The first section contains a message for local sponsors and an overview of early childhood and family education. The second section provides ideas for…

The National Science Foundation Summer Institute in Mathematics and Computer Science for Pre-College Teachers of Hearing Impaired Students at Gallaudet College is described in this report. The institute was designed to provide math and computer literacy instruction to such teachers in a 6-week summer program recruiting participants from around the…

The Wright State University International Student Exchange Program is described. This school's approach to student exchange programs immerses students in the daily life of countries in Asia and South America at minimal cost to the participating institutions. Through exchange agreements with universities in Japan, Brazil, and China, students get 4…

The way in which the University of South Florida (USF) developed its Open University is discussed in this report. Implemented in 1972, the Open University meets the needs of working students, many of whom live a considerable distance from one of the campuses. Annual enrollment today exceeds 7,000, and the pattern of growth indicates a need for…

Empire State College's alternative approaches to higher education are described in this report. The college is a nontraditional institution emphasizing the following innovative elements: (1) individualized education, carried out through learning contracts; (2) an open format for easy access, placing minimal constraints on time, place, residence…

The Massachusetts College of Art Data Expansion Program described in this report was developed to increase the representation of the art of non-white people in the fine arts curriculum. The project involved the location and purchase of appropriate books, slides and films; the development of a resource manual for faculty, listing such materials and…

The portfolio assessment process at Thomas A. Edison State College is described in this report. Through portfolio assessment, the school helps students identify and gain credit for college-level skills and knowledge acquired through work, volunteer activities, independent reading, military or corporate training, and life experiences that may be…

Discussed in this report is a geriatric clinical training model for social workers and students dealing with Alzheimer patients and family caregivers. The project was conceived to develop student interest and competence to work in this specialized area. One goal was to incorporate relevant components in the social work curriculum in both classroom…

The West Virginia Consortium for Faculty and Course Development in International Studies (FACDIS) is described in this report. FACDIS, a consortium of 21 West Virginia institutions of higher education, assists in international studies course development, revision, and enrichment. It also helps faculty remain current in their fields and in new…

The first report of an ongoing case study examining the impact of using a laboratory of microcomputers as a tool for teaching science and social science courses in a high school, this paper reports on a sociological investigation of the organizational change in the structure and functioning of the school brought about by the introduction of the…

Based on the expertise generated by years of work in minority engineering program development, this handbook consolidates the experiences of program directors, industry sponsors, and school system collaborators. Its purpose is to provide quidelines for setting up a comprehensive precollege engineering program. Discussions include: (1) history; (2)…

Seven representative elementary school textbooks used in the United States were examined, as part of an international study of sex-stereotyping in textbooks, to determine whether the depiction of males and females was qualitatively and quantitatively sex-equitable. The analysis used a gender models checklist developed by M. Gonzalez-Suarez (1986)…

A preliminary model was developed for predicting mail survey response rates of college bound high school students using student demographic and academic ability data. Two samples of high school juniors and seniors who took the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment between October 1987 and February 1988 were selected. One sample (n=810)…

The report of the National Longitudinal Transition Study presents initial findings on individual characteristics which relate to postsecondary education participation since 1985-86 among more than 8,000 youth (ages 13 to 23) with disabilities. A series of logistic regression models examines such factors as youth's background characteristics,…