This report examines the limitations of research that has been conducted on the effects of retention and social promotion. It reexamines seven research studies that provide strong evidence based on strong methodology that includes the following three characteristics: (1) the studies identify the basis of comparison, that is, whether they are…

Democratization of education refers to a process that allows decision-making based on alternatives, guided by the conviction that equity, equality, solidarity, freedom and justice are the essential universal values of mankind. This study examines these criteria in the context of reform strategies in the areas of educational planning and practice.…

A study of the cost of distance education institutes in India with different size classes involved nine institutions. The sample included 47 percent of total enrollment in distance education institutions in India. The study was restricted to recurring costs and examined the shares of different components of costs and the sources of funding. It…

Although there is much scientific research available to guide educational decision making, decision making based on prevailing conventional wisdom continues. Five areas are conspicuous for relying on this type of decision making. First, grade retention has been shown in over 600 studies to be detrimental to the child, yet the conviction persists…

The experience of the speaker is applied to the changes he has seen in the field of testing over his career. Many of the concepts, issues, and controversies engaging the educational research community today had already been identified at the beginning of the speaker's career in the 1930s. A review of the literature of the past 50 years reveals one…

Currently available measures of self-efficacy described in educational and psychological research literature were cataloged and reviewed after a literature search. To identify and locate these measures, searches of "Psychological Abstracts" and the ERIC system were conducted using self-efficacy and related keywords. Results of the…

A quality control review of Connecticut's Sustained Effects studies was undertaken by the Chapter 1 Evaluation Technical Assistance Center (TAC) operated by RMC Research Corporation. Nineteen Connecticut school districts had selected from among four basic evaluation designs in implementing the Chapter 1 Sustained Effects requirement during 1982 to…

Few studies have been conducted on nontraditional student attrition in postsecondary vocational educational programs. This lack of attention is due to methodological limitations, lack of priority on data collection in vocational education, and lack of perceived need for research. The conceptual model of student attrition in postsecondary…

Influences upon trends in literacy research include national and international agendas, active networks, and public images of literacy. Five trends in literacy research can be discerned. The first trend is research that tries to determine the extent of difficulties with literacy and its causes. Another trend is a shift in views and definitions of…

A study visit was made to four adult education and community work projects in the London area. The agencies visited provided the opportunity to view outreach activities in a wide variety of organizational settings, varying from statutory educational work provided by local authorities under legal requirements to voluntary community work agencies…

This article focuses on an educational versus psychological definition of learning styles and offers a rationale for matching student and teacher style based upon this definition. A survey of various matching approaches is provided along with a classification chart that visually differentiates among alternative matching strategies. The Learning…

This manual provides a step by step guide, delineating the process by which an external agency can work with State Education Agencies (SEAs) to help increase the participation of ethnic minorities and women in educational research and development and management. Based on a model program designed and implemented by Research for Better Schools…

This report describes efforts of a technical assistance team under the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project of the Center for New Schools (Chicago, Illinois) to link research and practice for school improvement in Chicago Public School District 21. Section I discusses some characteristics and educational needs of urban areas, generally,…

Since World War II the United States has become the leader among Western industrial countries in attempting to export its own educational values to developing nations. United States policies, however, have not been based on careful consideration of the specific political, economic, and social realities of these nations. As a result, the…

The rural special education context is unique because of the distinct environment and the variety of rural school subcultures. However, little information about rural special education is available prior to the late 1970's, partially because federal agencies lacked a working definition of "rural." Although rural and urban special…