Selected findings from a number of communication research projects conducted by, or in collaboration with, the Economic Studies and Research Institute (IEPE), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are reported. Communication research in IEPE during the past 4 years has concentrated on mass media performance and use, because extension…

To examine the differences between mother-child interaction in middle class and in isolated rural poor families, a sample of 24 rural poor and 12 middle class mothers were videotaped as they interacted with their preschool children in structured situations. (Rural poor mothers were found to initiate verbal interaction with a question, a situation…

Education in America is of vital importance, but has declined. It can be improved through empowering the individual, empowering the economy, and empowering the nation, according to this campaign speech presented here. (BJV)

The Skills Reinforcement Project was designed to increase basic mathematics and language arts skills of disadvantaged and minority youth. Forty-five minority and economically disadvantaged sixth graders who participated in a 110-hour program made statistically greater gains in mathematics than 45 comparison sixth graders and nonsignificant gains…

This document consists of the project reports for the first two program years of Project LEEWAY: Steps to Success, a program at Lee College (Baytown, Texas) designed to promote and facilitate access to vocational-technical education and training, especially for women in nontraditional careers. The 1993-94 report discusses the development of this…

The place for standardized testing in Chapter 1 evaluation is discussed. There is substantial evidence available on the negative effects of high-stakes standardized testing, and there is a clear link between Chapter 1 requirements and the amount of testing in most school districts. Standardized testing is usually used to identify eligible…

Utilizing data from comprehensive surveys of vocational education students' needs and on-site investigations, this handbook was developed to provide a systematic approach to link student services, job placement, and vocational education for special population students in the California Community Colleges (CCC). The first section describes the…

This paper studies pretest-to-posttest, posttest-to-sustained effect, and pretest-to-sustained effect changes for 3,775 students in grades 2 through 8 who participated in Chapter 1 reading/mathematics programs in Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools during the 1989-90 school year. Data for 16 analysis groups were collected in spring of 1989, 1990, and…

Student services and special programs within the California Community Colleges (CCC) are designed to enhance student equity, access, retention, persistence toward goal completion, and successful educational outcomes. The special programs and services within the CCC which serve targeted and diverse student populations are Extended Opportunity…

Intended as a marketplace for the ideas and creativity of California community college faculty, this issue of "The Forum" contains not only articles on educational issues, but also short stories, poetry, and musical compositions. Included in this issue are the following: (1) "A Poet's Journey," by Nancy Edwards (poem); (2) "Toward an Effective…

Recent research shows no significant educational benefits from providing summer schools, extended school years, or year-round schooling to disadvantaged students. However, the severe educational difficulties faced by these students, combined with the many practical reasons for deviating from the traditional school year, are strong reasons why…

Characteristics of 521 Mansfield State College students participating in Pennsylvania's Equal Education Opportunity Program were studied during 1978-1982. The program, which was enacted by Act 101 in 1971, is designed to provide opportunities to educationally and economically disadvantaged populations. Findings include the following: 79 percent of…

In its fifth annual report for 1979, the National Commission for Employment Policy recommended that the nation make a new commitment to improving the employment prospects of disadvantaged youth. In preparing its findings and recommendations on youth unemployment, the commission received information from the Youth Task Force; academic consultants;…

Drawing from the experiences of Oglala Lakota College (OLC) in South Dakota, this paper points to the philosophical and operational changes colleges and universities must make if they truly desire to recruit and retain significant numbers of minority students. The first section discusses the philosophical bases of tribal colleges, arguing that one…

The federally funded Special Services for Disadvantaged Students (SSDS) program is examined for the 1979-80 academic year in 58 institutions; the program's short-term impact on participating freshmen is summarized. Up to 200 students at each site were studied to determine whether program participation levels correlated with outcomes and whether…