This working paper considers ways to tackle the critical issue of early drop-out and under-achievement of children at school. It draws on evidence of the benefits of early childhood programmes to children's learning and success in school. It particularly examines how well-designed early childhood programmes can effectively address poverty and…

In order for schools to help students with learning difficulties and disabilities improve their achievement in mathematics, educators, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers need a better understanding of the evidence based on what is behind these students' difficulties in learning math. That is just what they will get with this landmark…

This study investigated the relationship between classroom student diversity (how students differ in their attributes, educational requirements, learning styles) and teacher capacity (skills, abilities, knowledge) to student performance in Texas public schools. Teacher ethnicity and gender, class size, and classroom per pupil expenditure were…

This newsletter issue provides stories of leaders who have developmental disabilities, descriptions of program initiatives and models promoting leadership opportunities for individuals who are disabled, and an historical overview of leadership issues. Major articles include: "Leadership: Where We've Been, Where We Are, Where We're Going" (Hank…

This performance report for program year 1994 outlines the accomplishments and benefits to individuals in North Dakota as a result of programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990, PL 101-392. The report records enrollment information, projects conducted, accomplishments, and future needs for the…

This performance report for program year 1994 outlines the accomplishments and benefits to individuals in Washington State as a result of programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990, PL 101-392. The report records enrollment information, projects conducted, accomplishments, and future needs for…

This study examined college students' views of their "academic possible selves," how these possible selves vary by social group, and how students view the chance of becoming that possible self and the importance of and their power to attain that possible self. Participants were 126 college students enrolled in an introductory educational…

The Multilevel Assessment Program tests for urban schools are conducted annually across Australia's Northern Territory in reading and mathematics. The program allows performance to be monitored at the system level for Years 5 and 7. Results show that, in terms of system performance on the link questions, there was no difference between 1992 and…

When students enter the classroom they are confronted with a wide variety of goals to strive for, activities to engage in, and challenges to face, across a number of domains: academic, artistic, sporting and social. Recently, there has been a growing recognition of this complexity of goals among researchers interested in student's motivational…

This study investigated construct validity and factorial invariance of a performance assessment of reading comprehension and writing proficiency through a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) structure using confirmatory factor analysis. The performance assessment was administered to 1,023 fifth and sixth graders. Interrater reliability was examined for…

Asian-Americans' exceptional academic achievement has generated a great deal of interest on the part of educators in search of explanations for the phenomenon. In particular, Asian-Americans' mathematics achievement has been remarkable and many studies have found these students outperforming students from other ethnic groups. A study was conducted…

This report examines how much undergraduates work while enrolled in postsecondary education for the academic year 1989-90. It specifically addresses types of institutions they attended, educational experiences, and the relationship of their education cost and financial aid to the amount of time they worked while enrolled. The report presents data…

This paper addresses some of the challenges and dilemmas faced by two instructional designers as they incorporated visual imagery and audio components into the design of two distinct interactive multimedia products. Each instructional product was designed as a professional development seminar or series of instructional seminars for two distinctly…

This newsletter feature issue focuses on services for persons with developmental disabilities that support the whole person by acknowledging, respecting, and incorporating aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, and class. Articles include: (1) "Serving the Whole Person: The Journey to Embracing…

This study investigated the degree to which it was possible to identify students who were likely to fail the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test (ONGPT) from data contained in their academic records. The criterion measure was student scores on the Trial Test of the ONGPT, a measure selected because it provided scores that could be correlated, as…