Intended for teachers, this book on beginning literacy examines questions and solutions concerning literacy theories and practices. Chapter 1, "An Open Approach to Literacy," explores some assumptions about literacy and characteristics of a model for language learning. Chapter 2 presents historical viewpoints and current practices,…

Key points of presentations are captured in this report of a conference which addressed issues of concern to educators in Alaska's small schools and provided an opportunity for educators to share classroom approaches that work for them. A total of 77 presentations are briefly summarized. Contents are organized under the following headings: (1)…

A self-study of Findlay College, Ohio, which was prepared for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for reaccreditation purposes, is presented. After a preliminary chapter outlining the mission and goals of the college, attention is directed to: instructional programs, community programs and resources, students and student…

Based on a comprehensive review of the existing research reinforced by consultation with a panel of experts, this report documents the impact of computers on many aspects of elementary and secondary school operation--e.g., uses to which computers are put, student performance and attitudes, and teacher atttiudes--and also on postsecondary…

Reflective thinking is important to young adolescents as they develop their thinking skills. Various instructional methods have been recommended to support reflective thinking, yet the nature of the underlying factors in these methods is unclear. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the factors prompting reflective thinking. Results…

This module is designed to introduce educational leaders to an organizational assessment tool called a "culture audit." Literature on organizational cultural competence suggests that culture audits are a valuable tool for determining how well school policies, programs, and practices respond to the needs of diverse groups and prepare…

Increasingly college students are expected to use computers and technology in their studies. This study estimated the relationship between students' use of technology and self-reported educational gains. These gains range from general learning outcomes to specific outcomes related to computers and technology. Results suggest a modest, but…

Florida's Statewide Assessment Program of the State Department of Education has been involved in a major effort to develop adequate strategies for releasing and publishing assessment scores for schools. One dimension of this effort has been the development of predicted or "adjusted" scores. These scores compare a school to other similar…

A study was conducted to determine whether or not the Personalized, Individualized, Vocational Occupations Training (PIVOT) materials developed by the School District of Philadelphia were capable of developing entry-level competency in secondary school students in a variety of educational settings (comprehensive high schools, an occupational…

The paper discusses an experiment in which regression analysis was used to examine predictors of information retention following a college economics course. It was hypothesized that students taught in small classes with self-instructional materials would place a higher value on basic economic concepts and retain these concepts longer than students…

In 1973, compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. Mandated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1976, this study by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Student Achievement (MACOSA) surveyed education professionals,…

The Minnesota Gifted Education Master's Program (MGEMP), a project of the Minnesota State Department of Education, is designed to train elementary and secondary teachers for gifted education. The MGEMP had three specific objectives: (1) to teach candidates techniques for educating both achieving and underachieving gifted students; (2) to give…

A third-party evaluation was conducted of the first year of the Building Experience-Based Career Education project (BEBCE). BEBCE is a planned adaptation of the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory model (NWREL) to meet the needs of students in Philadelphia and to assist high school students in successful transition to adulthood. Career…

A third-party evaluation was conducted of the first year of the Exploring Careers through Experiential Learning project (ExCEL). ExCEL is a planned adaptation of the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory model (NWREL) to meet the needs of students in Prince William County, Virginia, and to assist high school students in successful transition to…

Data from Project Talent and the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 provided comparable data on changes between 1960 to 1972 in reading ability and other characteristics of high school seniors, college entrants, and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) takers. Each group showed a decline in reading ability, but the drop for SAT…