The Massachusetts Basic Skills Testing Program, mandated by Chapter 188 of the Acts of 1985, seeks to identify students who have not mastered basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Because the Massachusetts Department of Education does not mandate any post-test action, it has not been possible to prescribe any method of providing help…

The possibility of using portfolios as a placement tool for freshman English at the University of Nevada (Reno) was studied. Three university instructors who, among them, taught all 3 levels of freshman English, from remedial (English 001) to accelerated (English 102), read portfolios assembled for 58 students in 3 college-bound high school senior…

This report presents the results of the third national survey of state activities in the assessment of educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The report does not contain actual outcomes data on students with disabilities. Twenty-three tables present data on: number of students in general education and special education in each state;…

This booklet on the rights of New Jersey's special needs students and their parents begins with general suggestions on learning about the child's condition and working with school personnel. The booklet outlines conditions that are defined as handicapping and then discusses such rights as the right to a free and appropriate public education,…

Compiled to assist advisors at Vincennes University (VU), a two-year college in Indiana, as well as high school counselors and prospective students, this book provides information on placement at VU and entry-level skills needed for success in specific programs, majors, or courses. A brief introduction describes the objectives of the skills guide…

A resource is presented for those who work in bilingual education and who are involved in test selection. Initial information is provided regarding tests that might be used for student identification, placement and diagnosis, progress monitoring, exiting decisions, and program evaluation purposes. No endorsement or recommendation is implied and no…

An evaluation examined how the Career Skills Enhancement Program identified and met the workplace literacy and basic skill needs of employees of the Santa Clara County (California) Office of Education. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, program records, participant evaluations of workshops, evaluator observations, and skill level…

This study sought to examine American College Test (ACT) and basic skills placement test score patterns; the use of these test scores in academic advising; student performance in freshman level reading, English, and mathematics courses; relationships among these factors and their power to predict or account for placement and performance; and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' behaviors in search and choice during university placement, and also to examine how students' choice process affects their persistence decisions. Participants in the study were 51 second year students studying in the Department of Chemistry Education of Kazim Karabekir Education Faculty, in…

The rules and regulations governing Texas schools' treatment of the language and academic needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) public school students are reviewed. First, a historical overview of the state's laws and regulations governing programs for the LEP population is presented. Second, the state's language and academic assessment…

This study was conducted to develop an anthropological understanding of the interactions between the special education system and such "Third World" peoples as Hispanics. An intensive 2-year ethnographic study followed the families of nine preschool Hispanic hearing-impaired children through the intake process at a special school for the deaf in…

A discussion of the use of standardized tests in second language assessment focuses on the usefulness of program-based language tests aligned with specific curricula and capable of motivating students to participate in classroom activities that are a preparation both for the test and for life after the test. The purpose of this paper is to show…

Development of the Welcome Center for immigrants and refugees in the School District of Philadelphia is chronicled. The program emerged from dialogue between the Task Force for the Education of Asian Immigrants and Refugee Students and the Philadelphia School District, and began operation under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Language…

In case studies of four upstate New York counties, school districts were ranked according to their implementation of state-mandated educational regulations, including the percentage of handicapped students receiving their education in districtwide programs. Findings reveal that officials from all districts perceived state official communications…

Intended for parents of Head Start children with special needs, this manual explains parental rights and the White Mountain Apache (Arizona) Head Start program for special needs children. Sections discuss and define: mainstreaming; special education; screening, testing, and diagnosis; the role of specialists (pediatrician, speech-language…