Traces the history of secondary school science in Mauritius to identify factors that may have influenced its link to technology of local significance. Reports that while there are many educational and vocational opportunities, the education system is founded on literary lines with examinations. Subsequent selection at different levels has become…

Evaluates situational bias that could be associated with curriculum-based measurement (CBM). During CBM, students are timed while responding. Results showed that students' accuracy levels increased under the conspicuous timing conditions, but there was no interaction between timing condition and ethnicity for digits correct per minute, digits…

Examines relationship between higher course requirements for high school graduation and adult employability. Findings suggest positive correlation. But also finds reductions in educational attainment, especially among blacks. (PKP)

An extensive adaptation exercise was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) when it was decided to modify the 1998 version of the American "SIGI Plus" (System for Interactive Guidance, plus more) for Australian conditions. Although the same language was involved, there are substantial differences in…

Proposes that the American educational system's penchant for testing may be likened to an educational flu. Notes that teachers feel increasing pressure to abandon techniques that are engaging if they are not specifically aimed at performance on test day. Contends that the American educational system needs to keep pace with international…

Discusses the usefulness of psychoeducational evaluation in providing career counseling for students with learning disabilities. Describes processes for psychological testing and diagnosis of learning disabilities and the use of results in career planning. (JOW)

Describes scope and policy implications of new education requirements for states and school districts in the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) called the No Child Left Behind Act. Includes critical and supportive comments by educational leaders. (PKP)

Investigates whether aspects of phonological encoding processes and representations are shared between languages in bilingual speakers. Participants were Dutch-English bilinguals. Results suggest that both first- and second-language words are phonologically planned through the same serial order mechanism and that the representations of segments…

Shortcomings in the measurement of cultural competence of health care and social service providers include the following: (1) failure to define individual and organizational cultural competence; (2) failure to include client/patient perspectives in design; and (3) failure to test reliability, validity, and psychometric properties of instruments.…

Previous research has shown that compared with their American counterparts, Chinese students' artwork is perceived as less creative by both Chinese and American judges. Three different factors are posited to be responsible for the discrepancy in rated creativity between Chinese and American students, namely, social values, school pedagogic…

Describes eight suggestions for implementing a drug-testing program based on study of nine successful programs: Stress student health and safety, make it part of comprehensive education and prevention program, get it in writing, protect student privacy, focus on prevention, not punishment, involve parents and community from the start, evaluate and…

Investigates Korean and U.S. college students' scientific reasoning skills involving hypothesis-testing skills and tests the hypothesis that hypothesis-testing skills are more advanced than other scientific reasoning skills. The study involves (n=774) Korean and (n=568) U.S. students and uses the Test of Scientific Reasoning (TSR). (Contains 24…

The authors developed a method to identify students in a large-scale assessment program who have not taken the assessment seriously. Instead of responding according to their ability, students may respond using some pattern (e.g., ABCDABCDABCD) to a series of items. This method is compared with model-based methods of identifying such response…

A paper by Gow and Kember suggesting that higher education does not promote independent learning and that students' use of deeper cognitive processes diminishes during higher education is criticized for not considering the method, frequency, and perceived importance of evaluation and grading practices more thoroughly. Authors of the original paper…

Outlines the series of decisions involved in selecting and then using sample papers in holistic evaluation. Attempts to make test-developers aware that they have choices to make and that their choices will have serious consequences for student and evaluator alike. (RS)