Project RETAIN (Retention in Education Technical Assistance and Information Network) is a Florida project to assist school districts through identification and dissemination of effective practices that keep students with mild disabilities in school. One part of the project attempted to establish a consensus among experts in the fields of…

This paper provides recommendations for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a demonstration program designed to assess direct lending as a replacement for the current federal student loan program. It offers a list of principles which the demonstration project should address. Recommendations include: (1) maintenance of student…

A practicum was conducted to determine the feasibility of developing an elderhostel program involving older Indian and Metis adults in Saskatchewan, Canada. A preprogram study of elderhostels and a literature review were conducted. Approximately 30 face-to-face interviews with both Indian and Metis persons in and around Regina, Saskatchewan, were…

A study examined the acceptability of distance education as a means of staff development for literacy and adult basic education (ABE) providers in rural Pennsylvania and the perceived need and available resources for such a program. The major project activities were a review of the literature on literacy staff development by distance education in…

This study on early intervention gathered information about the needs of families in San Diego, California, and the impact of services provided by local agencies and schools. Units involved in the study were the city and county of San Diego, the San Diego Community College District, and San Diego City Schools. The study was conducted at Hamilton…

In 1988, whether the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)--the "Nation's Report Card"--could become a report card for the states was studied. A trial assessment program was authorized to determine whether state assessments following the NAEP format could produce reliable and useful estimates of educational progress. This…

A study examined the feasibility of requiring and delivering certification for adult basic education (ABE) teachers in Pennsylvania. During the project, researchers mailed survey instruments to state directors of adult education, presidents of American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) affiliate organizations, past presidents…

A latent trait model is described that is appropriate for use with tests that measure more than one dimension, and its application to both real and simulated test data is demonstrated. Procedures for estimating the parameters of the model are presented. The research objectives are to determine whether the two-parameter logistic model more…

This report summarizes the results of a 22-month proof-of-concept demonstration of a class of interactive videodisc systems, which involved the use of an intelligent videodisc in developmental biology instruction at the undergraduate level. The study involved the development of hardware, software, courseware, and instructional strategies for…

Researchers conducted individual and group interviews with 76 individuals in Dinar, Turkey, from August 14 to 21, 1990. They also observed numerous expressions of local economic activity. Findings indicated the population appeared ample to support increased economic activities despite some danger of a brain drain. The natural resources and the…

A brief description of computer managed instruction (CMI), including its applications and capabilities, introduces case studies of schools in the United States that are using three different CMI systems. The first system discussed is the Comprehensive Achievement Monitoring (CAM) Program, which was developed by a small school district (Hopkins,…

This paper explores the feasibility of developing a single-user microcomputer-based testing system. Testing literature was surveyed to discover types of test items that might be used in the system and to compile a list of strategies that such a system might use. Potential users were surveyed. Several were interviewed, and a questionnaire was…

The report describes activities conducted during a 12-month baseline period preceding a series of longitudinal studies of the costs and effects of various types of early intervention with handicapped children conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University. A systems theory perspective forms the theoretical base for…

A convening process was used to study the feasibility of a career ladder program for public school teachers in the District of Columbia. Eight educators from outside the system met on July 13-15, 1987, to analyze problems in the current system concerning: (1) the need to compete for quality teachers; (2) making career opportunities available; (3)…

This report provides a comparative cost analysis of three different methods of developing final examinations for secondary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland. Based on expenditure reports and interviews with central and school-based staff, cost estimates were developed for three kinds of exams: (1) the county-wide final…