A model of student progress and drop-out from postsecondary distance education courses includes components of background characteristics; motivation; academic environment; and the family, work, and social environment. The author recommends ways in which distance education courses might be formatted so as to reduce student drop-out. (Author/MLW)

Identified are three obstacles which students must overcome when examining and interpreting diagrams. The resources of the Geometric Supposer, a set of microcomputer tools designed to aid students, are outlined. The advantages of the use of this software are emphasized. (CW)

This article organizes what is known about teacher staff development into five models currently being espoused and used. Supporting theory and research on these models are reviewed, and a description is given of what is currently known about the organizational context that is required to support successful staff development efforts. (Author/IAH)

Examined relation between adolescent separation-individuation, family cohesion, and college adjustment in college students (N=240). First group was used to explore individuation measures. Theoretical model specifying that college adjustment would be predicted by family cohesion, positive separation feelings, and independence from parents, was…

The first section of this essay reviews forces that led to the Regular Education Initiative (REI). Findings from research on effective instruction, innovation and staff development are synthesized. A conceptual framework is offered to explain factors necessary to create meaningful, sustained changes in classroom practices as required by the REI.…

Research pointing to the need for routine support and followup for families with infants leaving Neonatal Intensive Care Units is described. A discharge planning process is then recommended, involving assessing the infant's needs, family functioning, family needs, and cultural considerations and linking families with community services. (JDD)

A resource components cost model was used to establish accurate benchmark cost and resource use estimates from two special schools for youth with moderate and severe mental retardation located within metropolitan area school districts. An accounting framework is presented that can be replicated for assessing service costs and for decision making.…

Presents a detailed description of an instructional design model called ADAPT (Apply Delayed Automatization for Positive Transfer), which offers guidelines for the development of instructional systems that offer transfer of learned skills. The cognitive architecture is described, the process of skill acquisition is discussed, and two illustrative…

Discusses the importance of education research for practitioners and presents a theory-practice research model. Research reports and developments in information technology are described, including (1) ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) services; (2) school library media research reports; (3) articles on online searching in schools;…

Describes a study of electronic support of face-to-face group meetings that was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students. Strategies used by groups to distribute control, determinants of which members took control, and the consequences of control strategies were examined. (Contains 38 references.) (LRW)

Presents ideas developed by library school students at Emporia State University for planning and implementing a library orientation to meet the information needs of academic support personnel. Library services, information materials, and library personnel are considered; and two methods for evaluating the success of the orientation program are…

In contextual supervision (CS) (an adaptation of situational leadership), the student teacher's (supervisee's) level of confidence and competence determines level of supervisory support and task orientation. CS also encourages a global view of all contextual variables. Observation of 49 untrained pairs of practicum students and cooperating…

Biomedical, logistic, economic, social, and psychosocial issues related to the successful distribution and use of a vaccine for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are reviewed. A mathematical model is introduced as an aid in conceptualizing these issues. The HIV vaccine should be seen as an adjunct to behavioral modification. (SLD)

Extensions of the confirmatory factor analysis approach to multitrait-multimethod data are demonstrated, and self-other agreement on multiple dimensions of self-concept are evaluated in 2 studies investigating the ability of significant others to infer multiple dimensions of self-concept for 151 Australian and 941 Canadian college students. (SLD)

Three models reflecting stages of substance abuse were tested using path analysis with subsamples of 626 to 850 subjects. Models indicate that measures of religiosity and religious conservatism help explain substance use. Results suggest that explanations of substance abuse can be enhanced through models using stage of drug involvement. (SLD)