A study was initiated at University College of the University of Cincinnati to test the effect of composing and revising at a computer on the writing performance of developmental English students. Students enrolled in English for Effective Communication (EEC I) were divided into three groups: a control group that did not use the computer at all; a…

This paper considers the problem of validating placement procedures or, more precisely, of determining their educational appropriateness. At issue is determining whether a test score serves the particular educational function it was designed to serve (for example, course placement), and whether it does so in an economical way. These determinations…

The State of New Jersey has proposed moving its competency test of basic skills from the 9th to the 11th grade, in order to allow for more content learning, more maturity, and more test-taking skills on the part of students. Since vocational students are more likely than other students to score low on the basic skills competency test, having the…

Described in this paper is a proposal concerning the responsibility of the California community colleges in providing remediation services and programs. The first part of the paper concerns the proposal itself. After a brief statement of the major issues under consideration, the conditions under which student success can be ensured in open access…

The central aspect of Connecticut's agenda for educational equity and excellence is the implementation of statewide mastery testing in mathematics and language arts. The program, designed for grades four, six, and eight, assesses the skill levels of students by measuring their performance on learning objectives they should have mastered in lower…

Noting that the program is primarily a reading and verbal skills program for adult learners, this paper describes the Academic Remedial Training (ART) Program of the U.S. Navy. The first section of the paper discusses the historical background of the program. The second section describes the reading skills component and the verbal skills component…

The consequences of the minimum competency testing movement may bring into question the basic assumptions, goals, and expectations of our school system. The intended use of these tests is the assessment of students; the unintended consequence may be the assessment of the school system. There are two ways in which schools may fail in the context of…

This report evaluates the Chapter 1 Program in Community High School District #218 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It covers the following four areas: description of the program, comparison between sites, program conformity with stated goals, and assessment of impact on students. The evaluators found much variation between sites. The mathematics program is…

The disabled reader's measurably low success in processing print creates tension, stress, and increasingly negative perceptions of the reading act and of the reader's own beliefs about his or her personal competencies. The task of the reading specialist might be facilitated by conscious and increasingly skilled application of psychotherapeutic…

This report discusses trends and issues related to developmental/remedial education in the United States; examines developmental/remedial education efforts in Nevada's public colleges and universities; and presents the results of a study of developmental programs in the two universities and four community colleges in the University of Nevada…

A study was conducted to determine the current status of and trends in writing instruction in the Illinois public community colleges. A survey sent to the colleges sought information on admissions, writing courses, course placement, graduation/completion requirements, in-service training for instructors, technical assistance, public service, and…

How seven pivotal skills in elementary school mathematics are treated in five current (1981-1983) textbook series for grades 2-4 is described. The report considers the amount of instruction and practice provided, where it is located in the textbook's year-long sequence of lessons, and the extent to which practice is concentrated in one place or…

The nineteenth annual summary of activities provided through Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act and its Title I predecessor, this report includes statistics for fiscal 1984, participation trends, instructional impact, expenditure and staffing patterns, parent involvement, and five-year trends. After a brief discussion of…

Provided for teachers of learning disabled elementary school students are 14 questions to be considered for selection of the best remedial technique for a diagnosed learning problem, and given to illustrate technique modification are three case studies. (MC)