Teacher-made mastery tests were administered in a classroom-sized sample to study their decision consistency. Decision-consistency of criterion-referenced tests is usually defined in terms of the proportion of examinees who are classified in the same way after two test administrations. Single-administration estimates of decision consistency were…

Since the mean score for a sample composed of several subgroups can be viewed as the sum of the mean of each subgroup weighted by the proportional size of the subgroup, then the mean change in a time period--in this case, from 1972 to 1980--is the sum of the differences between the means for each subgroup, with each mean weighted by its…

To support a comprehensive look at the problem of increasing minority student achievement in the Montgomery County Schools (Maryland), this report reviews the literature to identify factors affecting minority achievement and to learn from 20 years of programs aimed at low achievers. Section I describes three types of intervention programs: (1)…

The research on effective schools has identified the superintendent's role as critical in the success of school improvement efforts. The New Brunswick school improvement program is featured as an example of a successful program. In 1980 the New Brunswick school system selected a new superintendent who faced a district with myriad problems…

As part of a 45-state study, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed during the 1982-83 school year to 70 of Oklahoma's 237 public K-12 school districts enrolling fewer than 1,000 students; the questionnaire requested information about rural districts, teachers, students, and school programs. For the 45 responding districts, average student…

A study examined the influence of such variables as aptitude, interest, personality traits, attitudes and aspirations, school achievement, and background on the post-high school training and career choices of secondary school students in South Africa. Data from various sources, including the Project Talent Survey begun in 1965 and continued with…

A bibliography of books, articles, texts, teaching guides, research reports, and other materials on intercultural communication contains mostly primary source materials of interest to Japanese teachers of English, and is in two parts. The items in the first part are divided into fourteen categories: general, theory, nonverbal communication, area…

Recommendations of the George Washington University Commission for the Year 2000 are presented, along with a description of the mission of the university. The Commission studied the missions and programs of the university and made 18 major recommendations concerning: building a university of quality and distinctive aspirations concerning…

Self-regulation within higher education is discussed in 10 chapters. Topics include: self-regulation and institutional relations, academic inquiry and integrity, the American Council on Education's Office on Self-Regulation Initiatives, the relationship between the public and private educational sectors, equity and quality issues, and the…

The U.S. Air Force attempts to minimize racial and sexual discrimination by incorporating federal laws into its infrastructure and by exercising consistent enforcement of these laws. This leads to a development of cross-cultural communication among various subcultures within a multi-ethnic environment. The Social Actions Office at each Air Force…

Intended for teachers of composition courses, this book provides twelve bibliographic essays covering various aspects of composition studies. The list of essays are as follows: (1) "Recent Developments in Rhetorical Invention" (Richard Young); (2) "Structure and Form in Non-Narrative Prose" (Richard L. Larson); (3)…

Papers on contrastive linguistics in this volume include: "Contrastive Discourse Analysis in Language Usage" (Juliane House); "Typology and Contrastive Analysis" (Vlasta Strakova); "On the Tenability of the Notion 'Pragmatic Equivalence' in Contrastive Analysis" (Karol Janicki); "On the Relevance of Phonetic,…

The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…

Intended for teachers and encompassing all aspects of teaching writing, this book applies the process paradigm to junior and senior high writing instruction. Part 1, "Process and Paradigm," outlines challenges faced by junior and senior high school writing instructors, defines the process paradigm, and presents a sample integrated…

Canadian research relevant to French immersion program development in Ontario is reviewed and summarized. The review includes studies on six program or instructional aspects: (1) attitudes and motivation of immersion students and parents; (2) achievement of immersion students in English language arts and other subjects; (3) French proficiency and…