Investigates effects of type of kindergarten schedule (full day, half day, or alternate day) on teachers' ability to assess children's end-of-year achievement. (BB)

Proposition 48 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics, discriminates against Black athletes and historically Black colleges and universities. Furthermore, the best athletes are not always the best students; the bill limits the…

Traces the entry and exit criteria of transitional bilingual education programs through federal court decisions, laws, and regulations over the past decade. Examines the validity of the rules used to decide who needs transitional bilingual education. (MLF)

The emergence of the America 2000 campaign has redefined the phrase national education agenda. More than at any time in history, the national agenda has become the federal agenda. Nevertheless, as this discussion reveals, the problems of urban schools remain largely ignored. (SLD)

Reviewing evidence from high school completion and dropout rates, college attendance, test scores, and international comparisons leads to the conclusion that U.S. schools do a pretty good job of teaching students who are ready to learn. Given what schools have to contend with, their performance is indeed impressive. (SLD)

Uses 11 data sets from 6 local British education authorities to examine the relationship between student performance on fifth-form examinations and school effectiveness. Presents hierarchical linear modeling to account for differences in prior attainment, gender, and social background. Finds few differences in school impact on performance. Urges…

The six articles of this special issue focus on minority issues in program evaluation. The aim is to begin a discussion of minority concerns about the impact of cultural dominance on definitions of social goals, the measurement of outcomes, and the political consequences of the selection of evaluation methods. (SLD)

A survey of 180 dental students in 3 classes assessed student knowledge of computer-related topics and perceptions of the usefulness of computers in different areas of practice management. Computer ownership and use, computer-related courses taken, software types used, and student characteristics (age, sex, academic achievement, undergraduate…

A 1990 survey of 102 directors of internal medical residencies with the largest numbers of foreign-born foreign medical graduates revealed the most important performance predictors were performance on the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination or National Board of Medical Examiners test, interviews, and U.S. postgraduate clinical experience.…

A study was conducted to identify appropriate standardized tests of English second-language proficiency among foreign high school students after a three-month stay, for use in a battery of tests to determine achievement gains. Identification of three potential tests and further considerations in selecting the appropriate test are reported here.…

Focusing on educational measurement that suggests an action and has an outcome, 16 problem areas are defined and grouped into the following classes: (1) validity; (2) issues of statistical adjustment; (3) data insufficiencies; (4) other issues related to standardized testing and constructed responses; and (5) technical issues of psychometrics.…

Reviews the history and uses of standardized testing, and suggests alternative methods of assessment. States the belief that testing exerts undue pressure on children, provides no useful information on individual children, and limits educational possibilities. Discusses the Association for Childhood Education International position paper which…

This article compares measures of abstract thinking preference and divergent thinking to standard mathematics ability measures such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). In this study involving gifted tenth graders, mathematical creativity was found to be a special kind of creativity not necessarily related to divergent thinking ability. (PB)

Examines reasons why African-American and Hispanic-American students tend to have lower average scores than do white students on standardized mathematics and reading examinations, using data from a study of teachers' basic skills in Texas involving almost 900 school districts. Teacher-related factors that improve student performance are discussed.…

Examines relationship between admission criteria and academic performance among 654 master's in social-work (MSW) students in one state university, 1985-1992. Test scores on a pre-graduation comprehensive exam measured academic achievement. Results indicate two admissions criteria, undergraduate grade point average and Graduate Record Examination…