A sociologist and clinical psychologist presents portraits of the conflicts that men, women, and institutions confront in their experience of contemporary higher education. Parents, students, and faculty talk about success and failure, frustration and achievement in the academic world. Drawing these portraits together are discussions of the…

Methods of tryout and revision in development of instructional materials are identified and explained. Both "front-end" and "rear-end" analyses are included. Ways of anticipating potential student failures--identified as test failures, program task failures and learning failures--are discussed, with specific areas of possible…

This study was undertaken to determine the nature of innovation, change, and reform in higher education institutions, and to suggest how the use of educational technology might be made more effective in contributing to achievement of educational objectives. Visits were made to over 100 institutions in which externally-funded experiments were being…

This experiment was based on the assumption that the academic failure of the disadvantaged or middle class child is due to a failure of instruction and that if above-normal learning schedules were maintained, the second year of an enrichment program would not show the customary drop in gains from the first year. The subjects of this study were 43…

In this study, the attempt is made to isolate the factors that make individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds become successful. From data collected in interviews, the study concludes that "successful" and "unsuccessful" subjects differ in their memory of school life, self-esteem, loyalty to family, etc. The findings are summarized separately for…

In order to derive social benefits from technology, its impact must be studied. Technology is a double-edged sword, promoting human and societal values and disrupting social institutions by increasing the rates of change and growth in areas such as population and life-styles. Vocational education offers a means to begin bridging the ever-widening…

This paperback looks at the problem of linguistic deprivation, a problem which is compounded by the restricted opportunities for language development in the schools, even those using modern and innovative methods. Chapter one looks at the contexts at home and school where the child acquires the linguistic tools he needs, and thereby sheds light on…

While some attrition is normal, it has been high at the Federal service academies in recent years. The rates, although down from their peak levels, are still above normal at several academies. Those who drop out, while scoring slightly lower on some tests than those who stay, are still of high quality, and GAO believes some would make good…

Describes how a remedial reading teacher, over the course of three years, helped a nine-year-old nonreader progress toward becoming a reader. Points out the importance of increasing the student's confidence, gaining his trust, and providing remedial instruction which is closely connected with other areas of the student's life. (ARH)

Study results supported earlier studies which found that individuals tend to attribute internal sources of causality to their successes and external sources of causality to their failures. Students who graduated from college attributed their success to internal factors, while students who did not graduate attributed their failure to external…

This article first describes the indicators of Asperger syndrome (AS), followed by an overview of screening and diagnostic procedures. Next, it discusses knowledge-based interventions addressing deficits in academics, behavior, and communication. Implications for speech language pathologists and related professionals working with students with…

Explores the determining factors which influence the dropout rates among Hispanics by analyzing and comparing Chicano, Cuban and Puerto Rican student populations. Factors identified include confrontation, accelerated role taking, social background, school environment, sociopsychological motivation, and immigrant status. Suggests that school…

Correlations between delinquency among high school dropouts and a number of non-educational factors are explored. The study posits that unemployment and other labor market factors, as much as academic failure, influence dropout criminal behavior. The effects of free time, boredom, youthfulness, substance abuse, and peer pressure are also…

Reports on a study of 14,249 students to determine whether participation in specific extracurricular activities (athletics and fine arts) significantly reduces a student's likelihood of dropping out. Finds that, when all activities are examined, only athletic participation remains significantly related to dropping out. (ACM)

After teachers examined ninth-grade potential dropouts' perceptions of school success, an interdisciplinary team involved the students in mediation, identified their needs, helped develop goals, and worked to enhance achievement. Students' perceptions and attitudes significantly affected their success. Within months, students had academically and…