Selecting elite students out of a huge collective is a difficult task. The main problem is to provide automated processes to reduce human work. ECMS (Educational Contest Management System) is an online tool approach to help--fully or partly automated--with the task of selecting such elite students out of a mass of candidates. International tests…

The correlative features of assigned reading and in-class performance were evaluated for 75 students enrolled in psychology classes in two community colleges in Maryland. Four tests and a final examination were used to measure in-class performance as a function of rates of reading and times of attendance. Control for content was attempted by…

The Second International Mathematics Study compared 13-year-old students from 20 countries in five mathematics content areas. Japanese students ranked first in all five areas. This report compares Japan and the United States on three factors potentially related to student performance on mathematics tests. These include: (1) time spent on…

The quantity and type of writing demands in the undergraduate curriculum, as reported by students enrolled at the Bloomington campus of Indiana University in fall semester of 1977, are investigated. The study is based on reports of students enrolled in 27 class sections of two freshman English courses, Elementary Composition I and Introduction to…

This report, prepared by two students, deals with student and teacher reactions to a recently instituted program of flexible scheduling and independent study time at South Hills High School, Covina, California. Questionnaires were distributed to teachers and students during the first and second years of the program. Interpretation of the…

Prepared in cooperation with superintendents of a number of city school systems, the first edition of An Educational Platform for the Public Schools was produced in 1957 by G. H. Reavis as a summary statement of acceptable educational policy. Each section of the earlier version is presented in its original form, followed by an updated supplement…

This paper examines racial and ethnic achievement disparities in places where schools are reputedly excellent, reporting on the 2000-2001 Ed-Excel Assessment of Secondary School Culture, which collected data on black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and mixed race students. Questions covered family characteristics, opinions about instructional quality,…

This book demonstrates how high achievement can exist in high-poverty, high-minority schools. By drawing on the best practices of 13 exemplary schools, the book highlights the specific means by which ethnically diverse (namely, African American and Latino) students can attain educational success. The book offers seven strategies for principals to…

This Spanish-language booklet is designed to provide parents of elementary and junior high school students with an understanding of the purpose and nature of homework along with suggestions for helping their children complete homework assignments successfully. Following a discussion of why teachers assign homework, how homework can help children…

This report discusses the activities and outcomes of an applied dissertation designed to improve gifted middle school students' participation in Quest class activities and academic achievement in Quest class. Students in the target group (n=36) were not achieving at expected levels academically, were not completing in-class assignments or homework…

This guide is intended for school leaders acting to involve families in the education of their children. A common concern is the amount and kinds of family involvement that lead to a positive school climate and higher student achievement. To address this concern, strategies are outlined to help school leaders in deciding upon the kinds of family…

Recognizing the relationship between homework completion and academic achievement, this action research project targeted eighth graders in all subject areas who failed to complete homework assignments and provided them with creative strategies to improve homework completion. Participating in the project were eighth graders from a small, suburban,…

Common faculty concerns about implementing student-centered learning are discussed, and useful techniques for addressing them are offered. Issues include budgeting in-class activity time, losing control of the class, uncompleted assignments, student understanding of open-ended problems, student dislike or abuse of group work, and helping at-risk…

Presented are assessment techniques to help improve instruction. Included are the formative assessment techniques observation and questioning, diagnostic interviews, and problem-solving-based investigations and the summative assessment technique of performance-based tasks. Examples of these methods are provided together with at-home activities…

Uses panel estimation techniques to estimate econometric models of mathematics achievement determinants for a nationally representative sample of high-school students. Extra time spent on math homework increases test scores; an extra hour of TV viewing negatively affects scores. Longer math periods also help. (Contains 56 references.) (MLH)