This study was conducted to pre-validate the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI), and the Test of Reactions and Adaptations to College (TRAC) on a sample of students (N=103) from the population of psychology majors at Champlain Regional College, Saint Lawrence campus. The purpose…

The purpose of this study was to present a detailed description of Mexican-American bilingual kindergartners' discussions of stories read aloud by their teacher in the students' second language, which was English. Eighteen Mexican-American kindergartners with limited English proficiency were observed for 12 weeks during storytime, and their…

While admissions at the undergraduate level are experiencing a surge of students over 30 years of age, the pool of traditionally aged students is declining. These phenomena indicate that older (over age 30) students will also be enrolling in graduate programs in increasing numbers. This paper addresses the issue of retention as it pertains to…

At Virginia Union University, an historically black institution in Richmond, Virginia, assessment, testing, and faculty development are connected in a systematic approach designed to determine what students need to know, demonstrate how much students know, and decide what needs to be done to enhance student learning through teaching effectiveness.…

During the past 10 years, the community college student population and its needs have changed, calling for community college professors to develop a better understanding of their students and to provide the appropriate classroom environment and content for this population. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, postsecondary…

Student involvement theory defines student involvement as the amount of physical and psychological energy that a student devotes to the academic experience. Research on student involvement conducted at community colleges and universities has shown that the quality of time spent was a more important factor in explaining student achievement than…

The five issues in volume 21 of this newsletter report on issues and happenings in the education of handicapped students. Feature articles include: "Facilitating Consultation through Peer Collaboration" (Marleen C. Pugach and Lawrence J. Johnson); "Homeless Children: Educational Strategies for School Personnel" (Michelle F. Linehan); "Curriculum…

The development of an evaluation schema for school personnel must be based on the following stipulations: time, adequate financing, and external validation of techniques and methodologies. In planning an evaluation program, three questions dominate the scene throughout the literature. First, what shall be evaluated? Possible variables which can be…

Five articles on research and development in higher education and three review articles are presented. Titles and authors are as follows: "Students' Assessments of Instruction as a Basis for Teaching Improvement and Promotions Decisions: A Case-Study" (John Jones); "The Making of Academic Promotion Decisions: Criteria and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of urban students regarding their teachers who were of different races/ethnicities. The participants in this study were twelve students (African-American, Caucasian, and Bi-Racial) in an urban elementary school. The twelve students were in a special education self-contained classroom and…

While conventional schooling may be successful for many youth, it is problematic for those who are at risk. Conventional schooling assumes the following: (1) all students can derive meaning from a complex and fragmented array of academic courses; (2) all students recognize or can construct a congruence between schooling and their lives; (3)…

Intended for use in preservice or inservice training of regular secondary educators, the module examines principles of communication, assessment, teaching methods, and classroom management through text, an annotated bibliography, and overhead masters. The first section covers communicating with handicapped students, their parents, and other…

The process developed at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) for evaluating adjunct faculty in the English Department parallels the one developed by full-time faculty for their own evaluation. The process, which is overseen by the Program Head for English Adjunct Faculty (PHEAF), involves student evaluations, grade analyses, classroom…

Twenty third-grade teachers and their low ability reading group students participated in a naturalistic study to test how teachers' explanations during a year of reading instruction affected either metacognitive awareness or student use of strategies while reading. The 10 teachers in the treatment group were trained to be explicit when teaching…

On September 30, 1986, 22 educators met in a forum on the Quality of Teaching in Puerto Rico to examine the problem of declining quality in the teaching force. Specifically, participants were concerned about working conditions, preparation, and professional development of teachers. After identifying the causes for the decline of teacher quality in…