The purpose of this study was to examine how young children's homes and preschool programs influence kindergarten achievement by being "ready environments." Ready environments provide opportunities for cognitive and social growth through culturally and developmentally appropriate activities, interactions, and materials. This study used…

A longitudinal investigation determined the growth of reading comprehension from third to fifth grades in a cohort of students who received Language Enrichment (LE), an Orton-Gillingham-based literacy program, during first and second grades. The LE instruction was provided by regular education teachers who received comprehensive training in…

Teacher shortage in rural localities is a long-standing issue in New Zealand. This paper reports on an attempt to reduce the impact of shortages by redesigning the way pre-service teacher education was delivered. Called the Mixed Media Programme (MMP), this is a primary (elementary) teacher education programme that was established in 1997 in New…

This report describes the activities and accomplishments of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory's (SEDL) Multifunctional Resource Center (MRC) during 1993-94. The mission of the MRC, under contract with the United States Department of Education, is to provide training and technical assistance to educators and parents of limited…

A 2-year study was conducted to determine whether service delivery variables in Head Start programs have a direct, positive effect on child performance and home environment. The study sample of 402 four-year-old children was drawn from 12 Head Start programs in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The centers represented three types of models:…

American children do not bring uniform characteristics to the school setting. The at-risk student actually learns, behaves, and thinks differently from the student considered ideally suited to traditional programming. The poor "fit" between the at-risk students' natural characteristics and the expectations of the traditional school…

These proceedings contain the following 14 papers: "Relationship between the Training Needs of Sales/Marketing Trainers and Their Career Stages" (Isaac B. Owolabi); "A Report of a Marketing Education Professional Development Activity to Provide Training for Teachers in the Use of the Nominal Group Technique" (Stephen R. Lucas, Benton E. Miles);…

A project was conducted to identify software suitable for use in home economics classes and to train home economics teachers to use that software with an Apple II Plus microcomputer. During the project, home economics software was identified, evaluated, and catalogued. Teaching strategies were adapted to include using the computer in the…

A study compared the achievement of students in three Ottawa French programs: early French immersion (EFI), begun in kindergarten; middle French immersion (MFI), begun in fourth grade; and late French immersion (LFI), begun in sixth grade, with students in core French instruction since kindergarten. Extensive testing and data-collection…

Faculty from the Department of Speech at Mexico State University set out to design a course in interpersonal and public communication for lifelong learners that would be relevant and appeal to both older adults and younger traditional-aged students working toward certification as a gerontological care provider. The course was designed to teach…

During the past decade, many departments of agricultural education have used microteaching in the preparation of teachers. Research has found that microteaching has a positive effect on students' views of themselves as teachers and their attitudes toward and perceptions of teaching. Microteaching also allows a student to view his or her strengths…

The effectiveness of the simulation-gaming method of instruction as opposed to the lecture-discussion method in teaching a college introductory economics course is examined. One hundred and twenty Ashland College freshmen were tested to determine their knowledge, interest, and training in economics; retention of knowledge seven weeks after the…

A study assessed the operation of the Adult Education Act State Grant Program to provide an analytic description of the state-administered program with emphasis on program participants, and to identify a set of impact measures that can be studied in a longitudinal design. A core study was conducted based on data from site visits, and seven survey…

In 1961 a three year study was inaugurated in Hampshire County, England, to investigate the possible applications of closed-circuit television in secondary schools. The study included investigations of new teaching methods and of the technical, financial, and administrative arrangements prerequisite to the use of television on a large scale. The…

The general objective of this project is to enhance the educational and psycho-social development of seventh and eighth grade students who are experiencing learning or psycho-social deficits. This is accomplished through a meaningful tutorial relationship with a senior citizen aide. Together, the adolescent student and tutor create educational…