A dual screening device for teacher preparation programs was mandated by the Texas legislature in 1981. The two requirements included passing an entrance examination upon application to a teacher education program, and passing a proficiency examination upon completion of the program. The state must produce competent, well-prepared teachers; train…

Graduate programs were developed cooperatively by several U.S. universities and the Iranian Ministry of Education in response to the critical shortage of Iranian teachers and educational administrators. A variety of administrative, logistical, academic, and cultural problems were encountered in bringing mid-career educators to the United States to…

A model for improving school and classroom effectiveness must pay attention to: (1) leadership; (2) school climate; (3) supervision; (4) teacher behaviors; (5) student behaviors; and (6) student achievement. Chapter 1 of this book on effective schools and classrooms introduces these important issues and describes a model incorporating these…

This book examines the qualities of schools that successfully deal with the developmental diversity of young adolescents (10 to 14 years old). In part I, the author reviews literature on school effectiveness and develops a framework for evaluating schools that are not simply "effective," but are "successful." Seven criteria are outlined: (1)…

Although experts overwhelmingly support the idea of using assessment to improve college instruction, most testing programs call for summative evaluation or accountability rather than formative evaluation. In using assessment to improve instruction it is essential to examine what decisions should be made in order to improve instruction.…

The revised Refugee Education and Employment Program (REEP) curriculum, which integrates the original 1982 REEP curriculum and the federal Mainstream English Language Training (MELT) project guidelines, provides instructional direction to teachers of adult refugees and immigrants in immediate need of basic survival and social language skills. The…

Surveys of admitted students (N=309) at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) were conducted in order to obtain admitted applicants' views of the functioning of the Admission Office and to assess differences in responses of certain subgroups of applicants. The four classification variables defining the subgroups were: acceptance status…

This paper discusses ways that institutions can change the higher education system and environment to accommodate more minority students. The first section, "Institutional Climate and Minority Achievement," presents an overview of the problems facing colleges and universities with respect to recruiting and retaining minority students. In the…

The effectiveness of a state-mandated set of evaluation criteria to identify potential dropouts is evaluated in this study. The selection criteria, based on unsatisfactory academic performance, excluded special education and limited language proficient students. Data analysis of school records and various test scores of 55,666 students in grades…

Based on information obtained from the California State University (CSU) system, and the California Postsecondary Education Commission, this report examines Riverside Community College (RCC) students who transferred to CSU, focusing on the period between 1985 and 1989. The study presents data on the total numbers of California Community Colleges…

Evaluation of bilingual education programs is limited by the absence of appropriate standards against which program success may be gauged. Normative and criterion models have been used, inadequately. The current paper revisits the normative model, and examines the relative advantages of using norms based on the performances of…

Intended to help junior high school teachers make the best possible decisions about how to meet the needs of students with reading difficulties, this guide describes instructional strategies and explains how they may be used with students of varying abilities. The introductory section of the guide sets forth its purposes and organization, while…

Three articles discuss aspects of current foreign language instruction in Hungary. "Foreign Languages in Hungarian Schools Today" (Karoly Fulop) surveys the current status of second language instruction, the developments made since reforms were recommended in 1972 and 1979, and possible directions for further development. It looks first…

The 137 books, audiovisual materials/sources, resource people and places, teacher resources, and bibliographies in this annotated bibliography for elementary and secondary school use were selected by members of the Connecticut Indian Education Council, the majority of whom are Native Americans. The Council attempted to include items describing…

Reading evaluation should (1) be a continuous process using many samples of a learner's work, (2) allow students to engage in uninterrupted reading, (3) constitute a learning situation, and (4) indicate new directions for improvement in an open-ended manner. Current practices for evaluating children's reading processes are usually based on samples…