A trial program at Montana State University (MSU) was designed to enhance students' chances for academic success by running an experimental seminar for students suspended for the first time. A unique problem exists for MSU students suspended at the end of the spring quarter. Since summer school is not a quarter, those suspended for the first time…

Because thematic statements are too global to aid poor readers in comprehending texts, a series of studies using a common procedure was conducted to determine the relationship between teaching thematic concepts prior to reading and reading comprehension. The thematic organizers used in the studies contained three paragraphs that defined the…

Intended to provide a basis for a sociolinguistic theory of reading by placing reading within a discussion of the formal and functional characteristics of language use in social settings, this book explores the state of the art of reading and literacy, the relations between spoken and written language, and explanations of reading failure. Chapters…

This publication focuses on the retention/promotion debate regarding failing and low-achieving students. An introductory essay describes the inherent limitation in the research done on this issue--the impossibility of obtaining an appropriate control group--and suggests that the retention/promotion quandary can best be resolved by accommodating…

EFL (English as a foreign language) and ESL (English as a second language) are taught in various types of learning environments. In considering types of learning success, the learning environment must be kept in mind. The typical immigrant (a second language learner) has to cope with "difficult" English almost immediately, and is judged…

This manual describes programs to educate seventh grade "differentiated" students in language arts and mathematics. Differentiated students are defined as those who are about two years behind their peers in a given subject; both academic performance and behavior characteristics are factors in students being encouraged to take the…

The document consists of six issues of the "PRISE (Pennsylvania Resources and Information Center for Special Education) Reporter" which cover issues and happenings in the education of the mentally retarded, learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, physically handicapped, visually handicapped, and speech/hearing impaired. Lead articles include the…

In response to the failure of North Lake College's Career Resource Center to meet its intended objectives, this report reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the original center proposal, assesses the present organization of the center, and outlines steps for its reorganization. The paper begins by providing background on the college and the…

Ten annotations of literature in the ERIC system that discuss the pros and cons of grade retention for low-achieving students are presented in this booklet. (Author/MLF)

Many teachers resist staff development programs because they believe that "staff development" is a euphemism for "staff evaluation" and are suspicious of an administration collecting quantitative material on teaching for any reason. Similarly, there exists a competitiveness among teachers that precludes complete trust. In recent years, an increase…

The grading system at the University of North Carolina at Asheville before fall 1978 provided four designations: H (honors); G (good or well above average); P (pass or satisfactory); and F (failure). This range does not provide a grade for unsatisfactory but passing work. It was suspected that this led teachers to give "average" grades…

The number and characteristics of ninth grade students who ran a high risk of not successfully completing their ninth grade program were investigated. With the assistance of the school guidance counselors data were collected with two forms, one which contained information from teachers about students identified as "high risk" in the…

A study was conducted to develop and implement a one- and five-year student and employer-based follow-up study of secondary vocational education programs in Tennessee. Questionnaires were sent to 1,013 students who graduated in 1975-76 and to 92 of their employers. It was found that (1) students in both groups rated the Tennessee vocational…

The work reported here is part of an ongoing project to develop a language comprehension assessment instrument that: (1) is sensitive enough to pinpoint the particular language phenomena that are causing difficulty or have not been mastered, and (2) is also broad enough in scope to provide a credible and useful description of language proficiency.…

This report attempts to determine how successful community groups have been at influencing school decision-making and policy formation. It begins by surveying several research and evaluation studies regarding citizen participation in educational decisions and placing special emphasis on a field study of 16 community organizations. The analysis…