This study analyzes the components of a proposed definition of independent living, in order to derive scales to be used to differentiate between groups with specific disabilities and between those with and without disabilities. The study was designed to facilitate identification of those areas of special needs that can be best addressed within the…

This study examined the effects of increased computing experience on the computer anxiety of 101 first year preservice teacher education students at a regional university in Australia. Three instruments measuring computer anxiety and attitudes--the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS), Attitudes Towards Computers Scale (ATCS), and Computer…

Community college education can be seen as a racist institution to the extent that it does not ensure access to services, access to learning and, ultimately, the completion of a degree program for students of color. Racism and intolerance for diversity restrict democracy in American society. Faculty and administrators at community colleges,…

This study was conducted to gather more definitive information about aliens who were newly legalized under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Two groups of eligible legal aliens were interviewed in Florida: those residing in the United States before 1982 (PRE-82s) and special agricultural workers (SAWs). The 1,300 subjects were asked…

The launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957 initiated a series of reform movements in mathematics education. These reform movements provide a framework from which to chronicle the development of interest into gender differences in mathematics learning. The paper examines these issues and is presented in six sections. The first section…

This research brief looks at trends and issues in part-time undergraduate enrollment by summarizing the data available and comparing them to data on full-time students. Highlighted findings indicate that from 1970 to 1990 the number of part-time undergraduate students more than doubled and that most of this growth occurred during the 1970s. A…

Work on the development of history performance assessments is described. So far, six complete sets of assessments in United States history have been developed as part of this project. Students are first assessed on their historical knowledge of the period through a short-answer test. They are then asked to write an essay explaining the positions…

Disparities between Whites and African Americans exist in many areas in U.S. society. These disparities are exacerbated by social ills, including the Persian Gulf conflict. Positive change on the part of African American educators is required to combat these problems. The following four postulates for teaching African American youth are provided:…

A study was done of student achievement and its relation to family and community poverty in light of 20 years of education reform and Chapter 1 funding since 1966. The study used the following three long-term studies of American high school students, in which measures of achievement and socioeconomic standing are meant to be comparable among…

In response to a gap in the literature on student development with respect to the role of the family, and anecdotal evidence that the family's influence on the college student's development is profound, a review of the relevant literature on higher education, social psychology, psychiatry, sociology of the family, and family therapy was…

This handbook is for administrators of programs in higher education settings which deal with alcohol and other drug (AOD) related problems. Chapter 1, "Defining the Problem, Issues, and Trends" examines the problem from various perspectives and presents the latest statistics on the extent of AOD use on campuses, specific problems…

This annual publication contains 43 research papers on a variety of issues related to science education. Topics include the following: mature-age students; teacher professional development; spreadsheets and science instruction; the Learning in Science Project and putting it into practice; science discipline knowledge in primary teacher education;…

This report provides results of a Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR wanted input for their decision-making process on possible modifications to their biennial survey of a national sample of public school districts (PSDs). The survey, the…

Fourteen papers are provided from a symposium to provide general input into the 1990 Unesco International Literacy Year by reviewing and documenting existing knowledge and current issues in the field of women and literacy with special emphasis on developing countries. Specific topics are as follows: the definition of literacy; review of methods;…

Reasons why African American and Hispanic American students tend to have lower scores than do White students on standardized mathematics and reading tests are examined, focusing on a study from Texas. Results of the Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teachers (TECAT) for approximately 900 school districts show that where the…