Findings are presented from a two-year examination of educational tracking decisions at three comprehensive urban high schools. It is suggested that high school tracking decisions result from the synergy of differentiated, hierarchical curriculum structure; school cultures committed alternately to common schooling and accommodating differences;…

Examined the extent of extra-year programs for kindergarten students in Texas school districts; identified procedures and curricular interventions; and established the growth trend of these classes statewide. Found that 39% of the 285 school districts responding had transition classes, and the trend for the state at-large appeared to be one of…

Mainstreaming deaf children may not adequately meet their educational, cultural, or social needs. Those advocating full inclusion have mistakenly pursued equal treatment rather than equal opportunity. The answer lies in approaching the problem from a cultural-pluralism perspective. (133 references) (MLF)

Three analysis procedures were used to study the dependability and validity of ESLPE, a criterion-referenced English-as-a-Second-Language placement test developed at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1989. Findings led to the suggestion that some students might have been differently placed if subtest scores were used for placement.(38…

Examined influence of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, father absence, and family size on special education eligibility for 300 students. Results indicated that only socioeconomic status and ethnicity made significant contribution to prediction of special education eligibility, suggesting that legislative mandates to control for sociocultural…

This article attempts to refocus special education upon the child and away from the "least restrictive alternative" continuum, through proposing the adoption of an array of equally acceptable educational options which might include mainstreaming for part of the day, resource room instruction, and outreach teacher consultation and summer programs…

Presents research that validates and refines a computerized system for grading placement exams. Compares computerized ratings to holistic scores, grades earned in courses, and other measures. Calls for additional research on larger populations and greater numbers of textual traits. (HB)

This study examined self-esteem at 13 and 18 years of age among 340 gifted students. Results found no differential change in self-esteem according to whether or not students experienced academic acceleration. Analysis of students' self-perceptions of other personality characteristics also yielded no differential correlation to acceleration status.…

This pair of rejoinders to Rainforth (EC 609 966) by the original authors stresses that commitment to an educational philosophy (such as the inclusion philosophy) should not override the educational needs of individual students with mental retardation. The lack of empirical support for many such educational philosophies is also noted. (DB)

The Writing Assessment Test (WAT), the City University of New York's instrument for evaluating college-level writing, has been a subject of controversy since its evolution from an exit exam to a placement exam. Bronx Community College's success in having both faculty and students pay less attention to the WAT in its English-as-a-Second-Language…

Study of the use of a Portuguese speaking test to evaluate placement and gains in oral proficiency during a six-week summer study abroad program indicated that the test results augmented existing information for appropriate placement and had limited ability to measure language gains made during the summer study program. (11 references) (CB)

This article describes the Early Childhood Developmental Portfolios developed in Project Synergy at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. The portfolios document the growth of young children with reference to developmental theory in specific domains and are used to identify, place, and develop curriculum for potentially gifted,…

A kindergarten screening battery of 4 well-validated commercial instruments was used to predict educational placement of 519 white and 183 American Indian children. The battery predicted educational placement equally for both groups, but it correctly identified only 39% of the special education students. (Author/JDD)

This paper discusses the needs of urban students highly heterogeneous in terms of language, culture, and disability characteristics. Implications are drawn for instruction, for prevention of inappropriate placement in special education, and for teacher preparation. (Author/DB)

A survey of 50 doctoral programs in pharmacy investigated contractual arrangements between pharmacy colleges and clerkship sites, program characteristics, fee structures, rotations available, required/elective status, types of nonmonetary support provided to clerkship sites, and recruitment strategies. Results are presented in tabular and narrated…