This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated whether the Accelerated Reader program meets its claim to motivate and improve reading achievement for all students, including those with special needs. The Accelerated Reader program is a computer-based reading management system that includes a database of thousands of books ranging…

The effectiveness of two weight loss programs with 71 overweight junior high school students is compared. One program featured multicomponent behavior modification techniques and significant professional input, and the other emphasized self regulation in a simpler exercise and nutrition education format. The two programs attained comparable…

Most of the 84 schools responding to the survey offered multicultural education. Programs were similar in content and objectives, but predominantly Black or Hispanic schools typically offered courses on their cultures alone. Few supported their claims of success with formal evaluation. (CP)

Discusses careful planning, enlightened leadership, informed and enthusiastic teachers, and continuous evaluation as prerequisites for successful interdisciplinary teamwork. Suggests that interdisciplinary teaming allows better use of faculty members' skills, and provides better strategies for dealing with diversified populations, better…

Results of a survey requested by the International Council for Educational Media (ICEM) measuring the extent that video technology is used in Hungarian elementary and secondary schools show that it is a positive and complex element. (AEF)

Reports the results of a summer institute for secondary science teachers involved in teaching evolutionary biology. Discusses changes in teacher conceptual understanding, anxiety, the adoption of peer discussion on evolution within their instruction, and the influence of peer or mentor teachers on the decision to include peer discussion. (LZ)

Describes the content and instructional techniques used in a college course on program evaluation. Discusses the use of cooperative learning methods and fieldwork as instructional strategies. Maintains that student evaluations indicate the course achieved its objectives. (CFR)

This study of interactions between three severely withdrawn, autistic preschool children and six nonhandicapped peers found that peers can be effectively taught strategies to increase appropriate social behaviors of autistic classmates, and a group-oriented reinforcement contingency is an effective complement to teacher-prompted interventions and…

The "Thinking Actively in a Social Context" (TASC) project, currently underway with African-American high school pupils and teachers in KwaZulu/Natal schools (South Africa), stresses the systematic development of thinking and problem-solving skills. The program has been very successful with relatively high achieving students but requires…

A survey evaluation of special classes for the gifted in 35 Indiana school districts was carried out among 173 teachers, administrators, and program coordinators. Results indicated that the curriculum and teaching methods were clearly differentiated for the gifted and were effective in meeting their needs. (Author/PB)

This study followed up teachers two years after they had attended a summer institute on gifted education to identify changes teachers made in their classrooms. It identified factors that either supported (student success, personal challenge, and increasing self confidence) or impeded (feelings of isolation, school bureaucracy, large class size,…

Analyzes the outcomes of a learning assessment approach used at a Midwest community college. Reports that data were obtained from students' scores on prompts and the college's student information management system. Finds that: (1) 76% of prompts were scored at a level that indicated students met general education achievement levels; and (2) 55% of…

The decline in the number of women in computing disciplines has been attributed to different causes, and research on the decline continues to grow. While there are numerous reasons suggested for the imbalance in these disciplines, the perceptions that women hold about their computing capabilities continue to be of interest. The current study…

Education research over the last few decades has focused on the debate over which classroom pedagogies best encourage learning: teacher-centred or student-centred. Although research appears to support the philosophy that student-centred teaching provides for better learning, the supporting research is frequently limited to observational studies or…

This study investigated the efficacy of a method of parent training and parent reading tutoring that built on past research. Parents of five first-grade children who were reading below grade level participated. Parents were trained to implement a tutoring procedure that included modeling, practice, phonics, fluency building, accuracy building,…