The authors argue that continuing medical education (CME) research fails to prove its effectiveness in patient outcomes, that there is no theory from which to generate measurable hypotheses and that questionable methodology, dubious applicability, and misleading conclusions pervade CME research. (SK)

A study of education students at University of Ife, Nigeria, indicated that (1) the subjects did not bring a "tabula rasa" knowledge of the course content into the study and (2) the course led to knowledge gain even after the effect of preentry knowledge was "partialed out" from end-of-course knowledge. (Author/BW)

Taking issue with the preceding article by Caruso and Detterman, the author contends that research can be one of many respected voices in the political process. According to him, recent research on the effects of early education has played a crucial role in policy decisions about Project Head Start. (Author/WD)

Two rebuttals to William Cooley's criticisms of Title I programs in the January 1981 issue of "Educational Leadership" claim he incorrectly interpreted the data on the effectiveness of the programs. Cooley responds. (MLF)

The estimation of the "size of effect" of educational programs is a difficult problem in program evaluation. It is argued that the intentions of the program and the nature of the measures must be known in order to estimate program effects. (JKS)

The major theme is that better and more productive studies could emerge if media research would move out of its traditional either-internal- or-external validity conflict. (Author/MV)

Critiques research findings on the effectiveness of the Early Intervention Project (EIP) for children with autism. The review finds sufficient threats to the experimental validity of the EIP to prevent unqualified endorsement of it as a validated treatment for children with autism. The review found in particular there were threats to external…

This editorial describes the role of early intervention programs in helping children with disabilities, focusing on parents' and infants' needs, the Family Service Plan, and the role of case managers. The editorial cautions that: early intervention's effectiveness is unproven, early is not always better, and more is not always better. (JDD)

School leaders must make good decisions about sex education based on valid information. This article presents 17 arguments most frequently advanced by groups opposing comprehensive sexuality education and examines the scientific literature to determine those arguments' validity. Topics include abstinence instruction, intimate sexual behavior…

Defining hunger on the basis of poverty or other nonphysiological criteria is misleading. With nutritional data used by human-service agencies, suggests programs with such conception of hunger hurt the efforts at nutritional change. Uses central Mississippi as an example to propose objective nutritional definition and assessment. (TES)

Refutes Gilliam et al.'s critique regarding the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) evaluation, including issues related to randomization, dropout rates, timing of evaluation, and services for control families. Discusses the broader issues regarding the appropriate interpretation of results of large-scale randomized trials of complex…

This concluding chapter reviews some of the methodological issues that analysts need to consider when evaluating the success of character-development programs.

A study addressed the general issue of whether or not a touring college drama production would somehow stimulate greater interest, on the part of elementary teachers and students, in the use of drama as a classroom learning medium. Specifically addressed were whether (1) educational gains would be realized; (2) data would show measurable gains in…

Intended primarily for researchers and prevention program personnel, this booklet provides current background information on the continuing problem of smoking among children and adolescents. In the first brief section, research findings concerning American youth's current smoking patterns and beliefs are described. The second section considers…

To compare the effectiveness of the traditional and the experimental approaches to Head Start classrooms, 68 children and six teachers in San Francisco participated in an educational experiment. The traditional approach emphasizes the children's internal motivation resulting from spontaneous free play and warm, accepting teachers, while the…