This report synthesizes the findings of seven studies of instructional services provided in the State of Washington to at-risk students and describes the current state of the art in the education of those special needs children. The report answers the following five questions: (1) Who are the special needs children in Washington's schools? (2)…

The Measure of Academic Talent (MAT) is a standardized measure of academic development that controls for socioeconomic status-related background characteristics (e.g., income, language in the home, etc.) for different race and sex groups. In this study, the MAT was derived from American College Testing (ACT) program assessment data, using a sample…

A meta-analysis of studies that have explored the effect of financial aid to undergraduates on persistence was undertaken. In addition to identifying such studies, research objectives were: to determine the magnitude of the effect of financial aid on student persistence in each study; and to compare the financial aid effect sizes in relation to…

Recent developments in science and technology challenge educators to develop career education approaches that promote interest in scientific and technological career options among students. One way to meet this challenge is for educators to understand variables that may influence the career development of students with focused or developed…

This study describes the changes in demographic characteristics of beginning teachers who entered the profession between 1956-57 and 1976. Existing literature on beginning teachers is examined to construct an image of the changes that have occurred among those choosing teaching careers. National and statewide samples are reviewed; however,…

A discussion of foreign language immersion instruction in elementary schools begins with a definition of immersion instruction and its goals. The history of the establishment of such programs in the United States and Canada is briefly described. A variety of program options available within the immersion approach are outlined, including early…

As part of the TV Ontario Telidon and Education Field Trials, a study was made of the application of the Telidon videotex systems to computer-assisted learning (CAL), including the future directions of these applications and differences in achievement between advanced and general-level students. Subjects were 129 middle- to upper-middle,…

The influence of academic ability, training, and personal characteristics on postdegree careers and attainments of recent Ph.D.s were analyzed in two studies. Publication rates and income were used as indicators of attainments. The path model employed viewed the employment setting as well as the kind of employment activity as influences on the…

Recent studies of the self-concept of academic ability, described by W. B. Brookover in 1959, are reviewed. The self-concept of academic ability is defined as the individual's assessment of his or her ability to learn in the school context in comparison to relevant others in the school. A scale--the Self-Concept of Academic Ability Scale--was…

A newspaper produced by students of English as a second language (ESL) is an old idea rarely put into practice. However, word processing and simple desktop publishing technology can help realize several often elusive goals of ESL: creation of an authentic information vehicle providing contact with a genuine audience (other students); involvement…

The effect of increased writing or planning time on a test of basic college level writing ability was studied. The essay portion of the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Test was given to students in nine New Jersey public colleges and three New Jersey public high schools. Each student wrote two essays on two different topics. The first…

During the 1978-1979 school year an early identification program for pupils in kindergarten and grade 1 was designed to select those students who would have difficulty with the London, Canada, mathematics or language arts curriculum. The identification program, based primarily on teachers' judgments, was extended in the two subsequent years to…

This study was designed, using a path analytic model, to assess the relative impact of different factors on science concentration decisions made by grade 10 high school students (N=237). Included in the model were selected demographic and socioeconomic factors, academic abilities factors (including logical thinking), indicators of home and school…

Thirty-two reports and publications pertaining to national declines in abilities and in test scores are cited, and most are annotated. These publications were issued between 1961 and 1976 and provided evidence considered by the Advisory Panel on the Scholastic Aptitude Test Score Decline. (Author/EVH)

In a study of the grading practices at Bridgewater State College, three research projects were conducted: (1) a questionnaire that compared faculty perception of grading in 1976 with their perceptions in a similar questionnaire in 1972; (2) a questionnaire for students adapted from the faculty questionnaire; and (3) a survey of the academic…