Using Piagetian tasks designed to assess specific mental structures, researchers investigate the relationship between logical thinking structures and the ability of students to construct and interpret line graphs. Results revealed that a significant correlation exists between the aforementioned variables. Suggests and cautions that only at certain…

Presents four sets of activities to develop the concepts of data analysis and graphing. Students estimate sample populations using beans, examine graphs from newspapers and magazines, predict the most popular color of cars, and simulate quality control in a manufacturing process. (MDH)

Describes a technique for demonstrating personality scale validation techniques to introductory psychology students. Claims that the technique promotes a better grasp of the principles of test validation. Results include better class discussion, written reports, and examination grades. Suggests that introducing practical applications before…

A former editor of this journal, 1985-88, selects an outstanding article from his tenure that addresses the pervasive influence of perceptions on educational practice and research. The article selected examines the influence of perceptions on behavior, accuracy of perceptions, capacity of individuals to express perceptions, perception processes,…

How portfolio-based conclusions about student learning might be used to communicate with audiences outside the classroom is explored. Procedures and criteria for investigating validity in portfolio use are discussed. Ten portfolios from an eighth grade language arts class are used as an example. (SLD)

Describes an exercise, step-by-step, for developing critical thinking while exposing students to electronic-data skills. Argues that the exercise enhances critical thinking by forcing students to deal with issues of data definition, collection, and interpretation, and by providing an active learning experience with real-world data. (DSK)

This study evaluated a positive peer-reporting procedure on positive and negative peer interactions, peer acceptance ratings, and the daily problem behaviors of a 15-year-old boy with multiple behavior and social problems. Results suggested the procedure was effective in all three domains. Data collection and use is discussed in terms of a Level…

Recent research in science education has recognized the importance of history and philosophy of science. The objective of this study is to evaluate the presentation of the Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr models of the atom in general physics textbooks based on criteria derived from history and philosophy of science. Forty-one general physics…

The boot camp model became a correctional panacea for juvenile offenders during the early 1990s, promising the best of both worlds--less recidivism and lower operating costs. Although there have been numerous studies of boot camp programs since that time, most have relied on nonrandomized comparison groups. The California Youth Authority's (CYA's)…

The authors analyzed student data from the U.S. Department of Education's "Annual Reports to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" to asses patterns and trends in the educational placement of students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD), as well as their means of school exit and the…

Accreditation, budget, and accountability pressures at the institution and program levels lead to the involvement of faculty in assessment-based activities. Increasingly, programs are being expected to document student learning beyond traditional course grades. The use of outcomes as a tool to improve learning relies heavily on the active…

Concern about the effects of counseling on ethnic minority clients has been repeatedly raised. Before embarking on a formal course of multicultural counseling sensitivity for counseling center staff, baseline client outcome data were sought as a method for evaluating the effects of this intervention. Archival data from a university counseling…

This article uses census data, information collected by health and police departments, and GIS mapping software to analyze the neighborhood contexts surrounding schools in one Southern school district. When courts lifted Nashville's desegregation order in 1999, the district agreed to implement a new student assignment plan geared toward…

This report summarizes results from research aimed at improving the quality of information collected about school curriculum. The research sought to design and pilot a model for collecting benchmark data on school coursework. These more indepth data, such as course textbooks, assignments, exams, and teacher logs, can serve as anchors against which…

This report summarizes proceedings and conclusions of a two-day national planning workshop to further the assessment of national postsecondary outcomes, as suggested by Goal 6.5 of the National Education Goals, and to determine how the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the states might work more effectively to develop…