Differences in selected characteristics of black and white freshman applicants to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a predominantly white university, were examined using data from the Student Descriptive Questionnaire developed by the College Entrance Examination Board. Background characteristics, special needs, extracurricular…

As part of a Student Outcomes Model, a study was conducted of attrition in the 1975 freshman class at the University of Colorado using longitudinal survey data from nonreturning students and those currently enrolled. Discriminant analysis was employed to identify factors that distinguished persisters, academic dismissals, stopouts, and transfers.…

Past research on the effects of ability grouping on students' self-esteem have produced mixed results. This may be due to the fact that at least three distinct processes are involved: across-group comparisons, within-group comparisons, and the perceived evaluations of teachers. The extent to which the group structure is visible is likely to…

This discussion of methods, experiences, and theory provides educators and parents with an approach to learning to read that emphasizes learning to think and becoming a functional reader who can enjoy using this skill throughout life. Included are simple, inexpensive suggestions for improving reading, such as more attention to regular school…

The reading abilities of low achieving high school students at two schools were compared to the readability levels of the magazines in which they showed interest. The median tested reading ability of these students was reported as third/fourth grade by their reading teachers. The reading specialist at one high school reported that boys had an…

A variety of fluency materials--inexpensive games and exercises designed to offer learners practice in the component skills necessary for literacy--are discussed in this report. Various sections contain discussions of the materials within the context of a broader literacy project, the materials and the levels of organization of written language,…

The purpose of this research was to identify and analyze student writing strategies and procedures. Six male college students, three high scorers and three low scorers on the Differential Aptitude Test, were videotaped while they wrote their regular English class assignments, two summaries and two essays. For each writing session, the students…

To evaluate the usefulness of standardized achievement tests in assessing pre-university academic achievement and aptitude, the Council of Ontario Universities administered tests to incoming freshmen at four Ontario universities, and also examined their high school and subsequent university performance. The tests were designed to measure…

A 64-item analogy test was developed and administered to 55 college students enrolled in a noncredit reading improvement course to assess the effects of an instructional unit in taking analogy tests. The instructional unit was a 35-page self-instructional booklet that described the most common formats of analogy testing, defined eight types of…

EMPHASIS IN THIS CONFERENCE WAS ON THE MARGINAL OR LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS ADMITTED TO OPEN-DOOR COLLEGES. THE FIRST SPEAKER DISCUSSED THE ACHIEVEMENT POTENTIAL OF THE MARGINALLY PREPARED, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, WITH STRESS ON THE EFFECTS OF SOCIOECONOMIC AND FAMILY FACTORS ON THE MOTIVATION OF SUCH STUDENTS. PROBLEMS OF REMEDIAL AND…

SIX ACHIEVEMENT TESTS IN DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS THAT WERE ADMINISTERED TO COLLEGE FRESHMEN RESULTED IN BETTER PERFORMANCES BY STUDENTS WITH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE BACKGROUND. DESPITE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS OFFERED (INTELLIGENCE, MOTIVATION), THE SUPERIORITY PERSISTS WHEN COMPARISON IS MADE WITH CITY HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTS, GRADE POINT AVERAGE, OR HONOR…

On the basis of the grammatical theory developed by Noam Chomsky, it is reasonable to presume that the different parts of a sentence may not all be understood with equal facility and speed. One purpose of this study was to determine whether some of the grammatical relations within a sentence were understood more readily than others. Sentences of…

Investigated were factors influencing science achievement at the college level of 1,191 students who graduated from 12 midwestern high schools in 1963. Factors investigated included interest, intelligence, high school achievement, and family background. Data sources included secondary school standardized tests, college transcripts, Kuder…

THIS STUDY SOUGHT (1) TO CLARIFY THE TERM "LANGUAGE APTITUDE," (2) TO BETTER DEFINE ITS RELATIONSHIP TO INTELLIGENCE, AND (3) TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL IN THIS RELATIONSHIP. SUBJECTS WERE SIXTH-GRADE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, 93 OF WHOM WERE MIDDLE CLASS AND 39 LOWER CLASS. SOCIAL CLASS WAS DETERMINED BY THE OTIS DUDLEY…

IN THREE SUCCESSIVE SEMESTERS (SPRING 1965, FALL 1965, AND SPRING 1966) MERRITT COLLEGE ENTERING FRESHMEN WHOSE LOW TEST SCORES INDICATED PROBABLE LACK OF SUCCESS IN COLLEGE WORK WERE OFFERED BLOCK PROGRAMS OF CLASSES DESIGNED TO HELP THEM GAIN INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE REGARDING THEIR SELF IMAGE, THEIR VALUES, AND THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.…