Since the mean score for a sample composed of several subgroups can be viewed as the sum of the mean of each subgroup weighted by the proportional size of the subgroup, then the mean change in a time period--in this case, from 1972 to 1980--is the sum of the differences between the means for each subgroup, with each mean weighted by its…

The use of nontraditional college admission variables in the prediction of academic success was assessed with 444 freshmen entering the University of California, Davis, under the Special Action process (wavering of admission requirements). For fall 1978, 1979, 1980 special entrants, attention was directed to college applications, including high…

Canadian research relevant to French immersion program development in Ontario is reviewed and summarized. The review includes studies on six program or instructional aspects: (1) attitudes and motivation of immersion students and parents; (2) achievement of immersion students in English language arts and other subjects; (3) French proficiency and…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 17 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the effects of metacognitive comprehension monitoring strategies on fourth grade students' reading comprehension and recall performance; (2) elementary school…

Reasons for the lack of agreement among studies of persistence are considered, using a simplified causal model. Two major theoretical perspectives used in studying the educational careers of college entrants are summarized: (1) the Tinto or institutional persistence theory, which draws mainly on the discipline of education and applied…

This study investigated the use of teacher perceptions of school effectiveness variables as part of the Pennsylvania state assessment program and briefly reviewed the teacher survey instrument development. Data were available for 155 of the 500 school districts from the 1985 Educational Quality Assessment administration. A norm sample included 111…

Individual pupils were observed in junior high school science classes to characterize and record their classroom behaviors. The sample (N=80), drawn from five urban schools, was evenly divided by race (black and white). Instruction in class was based on laboratory work or other activities requiring active pupil participation. Systematic…

The development of selected science process skills in required and elective science classes in three high schools of a suburban Oregon school district was investigated. Science process skill knowledge in the areas of classifying, observing, interpreting data, identifying variables, modeling, and measuring was assessed by administration of an…

A model for estimating the effect of public policies on the demand for higher education is presented, with attention focused on the influences of public policy and the economic environment, and the interaction of these factors with student ability and parental income. Policy instruments are tuition, admissions requirements, location of different…

A project was conducted to develop an assessment instrument for use in identifying welfare recipients who are potentially employable and to evaluate the effectiveness of Florida's three existing pilot employment assistance planning programs (termed PAPAs after the Public Assistance Productivity Act). Data on the employment status of 98 individuals…

The development of the error prone model (EPM) for the 1984-1985 student financial aid validation criteria for Pell Grant recipient selection is discussed, based on a comparison of the 1983-1984 EPM criteria and a newly estimated EPM. Procedures/assumptions on which the new EPM was based include: a sample of 1982-1983 Pell Grant recipients…

The effectiveness of grade point average (GPA) as a predictor of elementary school teaching performance during student teaching and after graduation was examined. Measures of student achievement, attitudes, and teaching ability, as reported by student teaching supervisors and by school principals where the graduates are employed, were compared for…

A study was done to investigate the relationship between a selected set of personality dimensions and the propensities of supervisors to use varying levels of both positive and negative reinforcements. Data were collected during exercises involving 129 male undergraduate business students carried out in a behavioral laboratory wherein a…

Debate on criteria for assessing sex fairness in occupational interest inventories has centered on four issues: (1) whether interpretational material should stress the prospect of social change or the reality of present occupational segregation by sex; (2) the appropriate form for reporting scores (raw, pooled sex norms, or separate sex norms);…

This study was conducted to determine the usefulness of a general global reading test, a cloze test, and a vocabulary test as predictors of success, as well as the effects of an extended required study skills program on success and achievement, for students in mechanics programs at Keewatin Community College in Manitoba, Canada. The three criteria…