Empirical Education Inc. is the independent evaluator of WestEd's 2012 i3 Development grant for Internet-based Reading Apprenticeship Improving Science Education (iRAISE). This interim report provides an update on the progress of the randomized control trial (RCT) during the 2014-2015 school year. The RCT measures the impact of iRAISE on student…

In 1996, faculty at Sitting Bull College (SBC, Fort Yates, North Dakota) developed its Environmental Science (ENS) Program, basing it on the scientific method and techniques students would need for employment in environmental technician positions with local and tribal agencies. Over the course of 15 years, this employment-based training evolved…

An experimental study was conducted to determine whether the kind of homework a teacher gave made a difference in academic achievement in elementary school children and whether homework such as collecting, observing, listening, and constructing models improved reading ability. Subjects were nearly 700 students in grades 4 through 6 in two schools…

Discusses how three basic management tools combine for effective performance improvement. (Author)

In this article, the authors describe an interdisciplinary doctoral course via a seminar (one semester, one-and-a-half hours weekly), that students found to be a major awakening and an important part of their professional development. Addressed were separate disciplines, via an experimental "How to be a Professor" course, and…

Student learning of macroeconomic principles by computer assisted instruction is compared to student performance by conventional methods. (KM)

A discussion of student learning and reactions to PSI, its effects on performance in higher level economics, its impact on student proctors in terms of their learning of economics, and costs of establishing and maintaining a PSI course. (AV)

This article outlines a study conducted in Finland and Portugal into the reasons why International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) students choose particular Experimental Science (Group 4) subjects. Its findings suggest that interest, enjoyment, university course and career requirements have most influence on students' choices.…

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES FOR RATING PERSONNEL WERE INVESTIGATED AS USED IN RESEARCH GENERALLY AND FOR USE IN THE EVALUATION OF TEACHERS. HISTORICAL PROBLEMS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN RATING TECHNIQUES WERE PRESENTED AND COMPARED WITH RANKING TECHNIQUES. STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSIS OF RATINGS WERE DETAILED AND RELATED TO VARIOUS TYPES OF RATING…

A procedural variable, the use of computers to score the students' assignments, is being studied as it affects performance on correspondence courses. The format used is known as CALS-Computer Assisted Lesson Service. Courses were converted to an objective type lesson format which the student responded to using an electronically read answer sheet.…

THE IMPACT OF TWO TREATMENTS OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES ON THE ABILITIES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WERE STUDIED. THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES INVOLVED PRINCIPLES OF HAPTIC (TACTUAL) PERCEPTION IN THE PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS TASKS. CHILDREN, AGES 3 THROUGH 5, FROM HIGH AND LOW ECONOMIC LEVELS WERE SELECTED AS SUBJECTS. AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF THEIR HAPTIC…

This paper addresses the question: How does implementation influence the effectiveness of mandatory welfare-to-work programs? Data from three large-scale, multi-site random assignment experiments were pooled; quantitative measures of program implementation were constructed; and multilevel statistical modeling was used to examine the relationship…

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a reading and study skills program for students taking a great number of courses that require quantitative reasoning, as well as other skills. Subjects were 53 freshmen enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. All of the subjects had failed one or more courses. A…

A TWO-PHASE STUDY WAS REPORTED ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHER PREPARATION BY USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. THE FIRST PHASE INVOLVED FOUR PATTERNS OF INSTRUCTION--A SEPARATE COURSE, INTEGRATED COURSES, SELF STUDY, AND STUDENT TEACHING. PHASE TWO INCLUDED FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM. A TOTAL…

This article outlines the experiences of educators in three teacher education institutes in the USA, Australia and the UK as they experiment with carrying out programmes based on ideas of action research. The emphasis is on experiences with programmes of initial education for secondary school teachers. A descriptive case study aimed to find out…