The use of mathematical models in the experimental analysis of behavior has increased over the years, and they offer several advantages. Mathematical models require theorists to be precise and unambiguous, often allowing comparisons of competing theories that sound similar when stated in words. Sometimes different mathematical models may make…

A joint research project between an office of institutional research and the education department at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is described. The study focuses on factors that might affect the scores of NCCU students on the National Teacher's Examination (NTE). The project enabled the education department to begin counseling NCCU…

Discusses the structure and results of a university physics entry examination that measures students' expertise with mathematical tools and formal logic operations required for the study of college physics. Indicates that the examination adequately serves incoming students: to evaluate academic potential; to emphasize specific deficiencies; and to…

The field trialling of inventory scales reflecting variation in students' mathematics study and learning processes is described. These scales predict learning outcomes (final marks), but with differentiated patterns of relationship to those outcomes. In combination, the scales also detect cohorts of students at risk of study failure. The work…

Data on child poverty from the past 30 years are used to project future trends. A national-level analysis of child poverty over the past 3 decades for all children under 18 years old shows that the number of U.S. children in poverty increased by approximately 1 million from 1980 to 1988; and approximately 2.2 million more U.S. children fell into…

The McCarron-Dial System is useful for both vocational and clinical evaluation of neuropsychologically disabled adults. Five factors (verbal-cognitive, sensory, motor, emotional, and integration coping) are used to predict vocational competency, which is measured by work samples and behavior scales, during the first twelve months of a client's…

This annual Student Outcome and Achievement Report (SOAR) report presents information about how well Maryland high school graduates have done in the initial year of college. The SOAR system collects information about the college performance of new high school graduates, including remedial work needed, grades in English and mathematics courses, and…

Alternatives for testing the achievement of college students in Maryland are reviewed by committee members appointed by the State Board for Higher Education and Maryland's public institutions of higher education. The achievement testing alternatives would be a means of assessing institutional effectiveness; all entail the use of tests currently in…

During the last two decades of work in predicting and explaining school achievement, much research has emphasized the identification and measurement of student cognitive and affective processes which predict and also promise to help explain and facilitate school achievement. This review focuses on modifiable cognitive and affective processes, as…

The process, outcomes, and recommendations resulting from a project to develop a statewide nursing resource planning system are examined. Phase 1 of the project investigated nursing manpower demands for 1984 and 1986, while phase 2 studied the current scope of nursing practice. In addition to summarizing the findings of these investigations,…

The Pre-Reading Assessment Inventory (PRAI) was designed to fill a need for a wide-range, individually administered diagnostic test of a child's prereading skills (especially auditory blending and segmenting), knowledge, encoding and decoding strategies, and understandings about the reading task. The test development was based upon the research…

Background information is provided on the development and activities of Project Cooperation, a demonstration project to help institutions improve educational effectiveness by employing outcomes measures and assessment strategies. After highlighting the various activities of the project (e.g., a national survey, research on different plans and…

The Leadership Assessment Center process of selecting students for the Educational Administration Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin is described in this report. The process, involving an oral presentation, interview, standardized test of logical thinking, writing analysis, knowledge assessment, and leadership style…

This ninth annual Student Outcome and Achievement Report (SOAR) presents information about how well Maryland high school graduates have done in the initial year in college. The SOAR system collects information about the college performance of new high school graduates in Maryland, including remedial work needed in mathematics, English, and…

The paper describes Colorado's needs-based special education programs and investigates the most useful predictive performance measures for 100 students enrolled in a teacher education preservice program, analyzing such factors as the relationship between admission criteria and student teaching performance. Recommendations for revisions in…