This report summarizes a doctoral thesis defended and published in Swedish in 1991 at the Malmo School of Education, University of Lund. The thesis examined the preconditions necessary for the development of a new profession in Sweden for the education and care of young children in the 19th century. These preconditions led to the creation, in the…

The subject of this dissertation is the examination of differential item functioning (DIF) through the use of loglinear Rasch models with latent classes. DIF refers to the probability that a correct response among equally able test takers is different for various racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Because usual methods of detecting DIF give little…

Communication courses have a unique role to play in the education of the adult or nontraditional student in a community college. Because these classes are often one of the introductory courses and academic success may, to a large extent depend on the ability to use oral communication skills in the classroom. Communication courses provide an…

Using two large national survey databases, a study was done of trends in degrees conferred by colleges and universities. The data were gathered from: (1) the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 1986-87 through 1990-91 "Completions" surveys, and the 1990 and 1991 "Consolidated" surveys; and (2) the Higher…

As the third part of the 1991 secondary-schools student survey of the Toronto (Ontario, Canada), this report focuses on students' program-enrollment patterns and their school achievement. In the first section, students' demographic and school-related characteristics at advanced, general, and basic program levels are contrasted and compared with…

This biography chronicles the life and career of Annie Webb Blanton (1870-1945), who was the first woman state superintendent of public instruction in Texas. She was elected to this post in 1918, 2 years before women were allowed to vote in general elections. Like many other young women during the 19th century, Blanton began her teaching career as…

This document consists of a compilation of 12 brief articles prepared as "fillers" for rural newsweeklies. Six of the briefs (the first six listed below) are provided in both English and Spanish language versions. These camera-ready slicks inform readers about current educational research and practice. "Starve an Addict, Feed a…

This publication contains recommended guidelines for developing an AIDS curriculum that will meet the needs of Arizona school districts and recognize local sensitivities. It is emphasized that parental involvement and community support are the key elements for successful AIDS education. These guidelines suggest appropriate background materials…

This report provides statistical data related to headcount enrollment, degrees awarded, institutional finance, and faculty salaries at Nebraska's 13 public and 17 independent colleges and universities through fall, 1991. The data were taken directly from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System survey forms submitted annually by the…

Occupational stress is specific to the workplace and tends to be a global term used to describe stressors, the occupational conditions that cause difficulties for an individual, and strains, the conditions resulting from experiencing work stressors. While the effects of occupational stress on employees are well documented, this study further…

This guide outlines a 3-day program for principals that sensitizes them to equity issues so they can create an educational environment true to the principles of equal education. Objectives are the following: (1) provide participants with an overview of equity concepts and effective schooling research; (2) increase awareness of classroom disparity;…

This study analyzed children's picture books in order to determine the extent to which they reflect the changing roles of fathers in the family. Thirty books with a father as a main character and a publication date between 1980 and 1990 were randomly selected. Six possible father roles were determined. These were housekeeper, caregiver, companion,…

This study of the school-related factors that influence the persistence or withdrawal of Hispanic American high school students did not validate Tinto's model of dropout behavior. Tinto's model (1975) is based on a sequence of the following variable clusters: (1) background characteristics; (2) external factors; (3) academic integration; (4)…

The eight digests and nine FAST (Focused Access to Selected Topics) annotated bibliographies included in this special collection focus on family involvement--parents and their children working together to learn. The material in the special collection is designed for use by teachers, students, administrators, researchers, policy makers, and…

Differences between school reading and mathematics means, rank orderings, and change scores obtained from total-group and sex-dependent norms were examined for students in grades 2 through 9 in a Florida school district. A preliminary study investigated sex-related differences between verbal and quantitative performance of boys and girls on seven…