Describes a study that employed a focus sample, cross-sectional design to explore the types of preschool experience available (preschool activities equating broadly to curriculum approaches) and whether variation in preschool experience affects core curriculum (English, science, mathematics) performance and classroom behaviors throughout primary…

Forty-seven children (ages 6 to 14) with mild mental retardation, of whom 27 also had an articulation disorder, were evaluated to identify distinguishing characteristics. Task performance results successfully discriminated 89.3 percent of the children with articulation disorders and 80 percent of the children with normal articulation. Fine motor…

Current state policies and practices regarding the evaluation of professional support personnel in education were studied through a 1993 national survey. Many school systems are beginning to recognize the need for defined evaluation processes for professional support personnel, but there is significant variation in the levels of state support.…

This survey of 510 special education teachers found that most teachers collect, record, and use data on student performance to determine instructional effectiveness, appropriate time to move students to the next skill, and which objectives have been met. Only one-third of teachers used graphs for displaying and interpreting data. (Author/JDD)

Performance assessment, a method that makes possible the assessment of multiple dimensions of students' progress, including dispositions, is described. Criteria for good performance tasks are given, and their structure is illustrated through an example. A list of 10 dispositions toward mathematics and a self-evaluation group-performance rating…

Objectives of this study were to create a prototype of an interactive hypermedia textbook and to explore the relationships between learners' performance and use of available learning tools (i.e., textbook glossary and navigation map). The effects of prior knowledge on textbook use and performance were also investigated. (11 references) (EA)

Reports a study of classroom environmental variables related to students' views about science. Environmental and attitude scales indicated a wide variety of science classroom environments, teaching philosophies, and teaching expertise. In classrooms with significant student involvement, teacher support, group affiliation, organization, and teacher…

This study of 181 special education teachers found that job burnout levels were related to special education category, training background, and teachers' age. The typical special educator "at risk" is a younger teacher with undergraduate training who teaches in a resource room or classroom for students with behavior disorders. (Author/JDD)

Discussion of computer anxiety focuses on a study of undergraduates in an introductory psychology course that assessed the effects of relaxation and coping skills training on their anxiety and performance as they learned to use a spreadsheet program. The influence of the computer's user friendliness was examined, and treatments for the…

Data for third, sixth, eighth, and twelfth graders from the 1983-84 California Assessment Program are presented to support a new theory on the relationship between the size and performance of school systems. Size appears to be related to the socioeconomic status and performance of schools and school districts. (TJH)

Examines the adaptation of a set of library performance measures derived from a UNESCO manual to Swedish libraries. The basic principles of the measurement process and general library objectives are identified, and the difficulties encountered during the study are explained. The Swedish results are compared to the ideal measures presented in the…

Reports survey results of 126 students enrolled in first- or second-year biology courses concerning the effectiveness of different teaching methods within the lecture format. Indicates that the traditional, didactic lecture, although perceived as least effective, was regarded as highly effective when enhanced by active student involvement.…

Four groups' ratings of students on 15 attributes seen as key to performance on the job and in higher education indicate a wide gap between what students and their parents think of students' preparedness for jobs and college versus what their employers, college professors, and admissions officers think. (RLC)

Background characteristics (grade point average, degree level, college quality, major, work experience, and recruitment source) were correlated with performance appraisal scores of 564 entry-level public employees. Although most agency managers surveyed believed performance was linked to those characteristics, grade point average was the only…

This study examined the relationship between selected secondary characteristics of students and teachers and their perceptions of teacher communication style. It also examined the relationship between students' perceptions of student teachers' and cooperating teachers' communication styles. Surveys indicated a discrepancy between teacher and…