This study compared fitness outcomes of regular physical education (PE) programs to special PE programs that implemented a curricular module. Fifth and seventh graders who were exposed to the fitness module did not make significantly greater gains in selected fitness scores than students who participated in regular PE programs. (SM)

High-risk college freshmen (n=72), most African-Americans, who participated in a deliberate psychological education-based orientation course that addressed minority student needs and incorporated principles of student development, achieved significant increases in cognitive development, study skills, and course satisfaction. However, achievements…

Compares the following World Wide Web-based periodical databases, focusing on their usefulness in K-12 school libraries: EBSCO, Electric Library, Facts on File, SIRS, Wilson, and UMI. Search interfaces, display options, help screens, printing, home access, copyright restrictions, database administration, and making a decision are discussed. A…

A national survey of 277,850 college freshmen examined attitudes toward affirmative action in college admissions for four racial/ethnic groups: Whites, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Mexican-Americans. The study analyzed the extent to which student opposition to affirmative action is driven by factors such as self-interest, political…

Although women's enrollment at leading institutions of science and engineering have risen significantly in recent years, they still frequently make up less than one-third of the student population, despite women's high academic qualifications. Many institutions admit more women than men, but women are choosing other colleges and careers. Women…

Study investigated effectiveness of two techniques in second-language vocabulary development: spacing of first-language (FL) and second-language (SL) words and reversal of the conventional FL/SL order in paired associate learning. Subjects were 16 English-speaking grade-seven students of French. Results showed superior performance in both spacing…

A study examined disparity and resulting conflict in learning and teaching styles of high school teachers (n=29) and students (n=299) in South African province. The majority of teachers were intuitive and introverted, preferring abstract ideas and independent work, while students tended to be concrete-sequential and extroverted, needing direct…

A reexamination of recommended reforms for public college and university governing boards, outlined in an Association of Governing Boards policy paper, suggests that borrowing approaches from private higher education will not necessarily solve the challenges facing private education. Issues discussed include the board's role and functions,…

After a period of dramatic growth in secondary school completion in Australia, school retention rates are declining. Analysis of state, system, geographic, social, and gender patterns suggests that during the 1990s the downturn in completion rate has been uneven; some groups who had come to rely on schooling during the 1980s for future economic…

Presents a regional comparison of school library programs, collections, and services. Highlights include education and training of media specialists; planning; funding sources and priorities; collection size; local expenditures; resources, including access to the Internet, videos, and CD-ROMs; computers and technology; and responsibility for Web…

Examines the interrelationships among accentedness, perceived comprehensibility, and intelligibility in the speech of second-language (L2) learners. The findings suggest that although strength of foreign accent is correlated with perceived comprehensibility and intelligibility, a strong foreign accent does not necessarily reduce the…

Policy concerning faculty training and development in Estonian universities is examined, looking at current practices in comparison with those of the former Soviet Union. It is argued that since democratization there is little effort and some resistance to faculty renewal, despite new labels given to academic qualifications. University…

Seven plans for financing higher education's expansion in the United Kingdom are described, analyzed, and compared, particularly as each addresses three issues: student loan program design; tuition; and student loan repayment. Criteria for evaluating the plans include efficiency, equity, and implications for stability of public spending. The…

Examined the social, academic, emotional functioning, and the social support systems of teenage Asian American students. Ninety-nine students were compared to 404 Caucasian students. Results show that Asian American students exhibited less delinquent behavior and better academic performance, but were significantly more isolated, depressed, and…

Distinct regional patterns emerged in a comparison of letters of recommendation from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Both quantitative (linearity, symmetry, data integration, advance organizers, sentence types) and qualitative (content) analyses revealed differences, including organizational patterns and methods of…