Examines the relationship between recall and precision in information retrieval performance and explains why a trade-off between them is unavoidable under certain conditions. Topics discussed include the theoretical behavior of precision and recall; mathematics of the recall curve; an example using a test document collection; and two-stage…

An assessment of preferences between task variation and task repetition with four adults with profound developmental disabilities was implemented. After participants were exposed to both conditions, they were allowed to chose between them. Results showed all participants had strong preferences; three preferred task variation and one task…

Examined sex differences in 4- to 6-year olds' spatial skill. Found that performance on spatial transformation task showed a substantial male advantage by age 4 years 6 months, with the advantage no more robust for rotation than for translation items. Comparable vocabulary task performance indicated that male advantage on spatial tasks was not…

Diversity is a multidimensional construct that affects all members of an organization. The relationship between diversity and organizational performance is not automatic. Diversity must be promoted, supported, and managed effectively to reap its benefits. (SK)

Examines teacher factors in determining school-based treatment-outcome research for students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Discusses potential teacher factors that might be important to consider in compatibility equations, along with implications of variables for school-based assessment, intervention processes, and future…

Two experiments involving two sets of actions using two stimuli sets examined deferred imitation to trace changes in memory retrieval by 18- to 30-month-olds. Results indicated that target action recall with different stimuli increased as a function of age, particularly after a delay. A unique verbal label facilitated 24-month-olds' performance…

Investigated children's representational ability as a cognitive factor underlying the suggestibility of their eyewitness memory. Found that the eyewitness memory of children lacking multirepresentational abilities or sufficient general memory abilities (most 3- and 4-year-olds) was less accurate than eyewitness memory of those with…

The Illinois Performance Management Information System is an application of existing data that provides definition of performance measures, a continuous improvement model, and individual measurement. It offers information that can be used for setting standards, targeting resources, looking at performance across time and comparing programs. (JOW)

Uses two classroom examples to develop a conceptualization of ritual as formulated, symbolic performance that may be seen as an aspect of action rather than a type of action. Ritual, found in nearly all classroom activities, helps explain how the most mundane and ordinary activities carry powerful cultural messages. (Author/SLD)

Compared perceptual and conceptual implicit and explicit memory performance of preschool, elementary, and college students. Found that conceptual explicit memory improved with age. Perceptual explicit memory and implicit memory showed no developmental change. Perceptual processing during study led to better performance than conceptual processing…

Two experiments examined 4- to 5-year-olds' acquisition of family-resemblance categories for fictitious animals. Results showed that children who performed theory-guided learning were more successful at making feature/category associations than children who performed similarity-guided learning and categorized attributes significantly better than…

Presents definitions and purposes of delegation, accountability, and empowerment as parts of a system aimed at high performance. It explores how advanced program evaluation methods can make delegation and accountability more effective and empowerment less risky. (SLD)

Four experiments investigated 3-year-olds' understanding of the differential importance of shape for categorizing solid objects. Found that they categorized rigid and deformable objects differently in a non-naming task and knew that material was important for deformable items and shape for rigid items. In two naming tasks, they generalized names…

Investigated whether Brazilian 4-year-olds held essentialist beliefs about animal categories. Found that middle class and poor children were equally likely to interpret labels as referring to mutually exclusive animal categories, and more likely to accept a common label for animals sharing internal properties than superficial properties,…

Tested the hypothesis that focusing on details of studying (a low-action identity) would enhance performance and persistence. Data for 35 Belgian college students supported this hypothesis for academic nonprocrastinators, but for procrastinators, a low identity was found to enhance only task persistence and performance on a creative response…