This paper uses the Chain of Response Model (CRM) to help explain retention in the community college population. In the CRM, the student's decision to remain at an educational institution is not an isolated act, but rather the result of a complex chain of responses based on her/his cognitive evaluation of the present situation. The authors applied…

This original comparative study explores two central questions in the study of first language acquisition: What is the relative impact of structural and functional determinants? What is universal versus language-specific during development? The study addresses these questions in three domains of child language: reference to entities, the…

This analysis reviews the data on two types of extended school programs--those that extend the number of hours per day students spend in school, and those that extend the school year. Proponents of extending the school day or the school year frequently cite examples from outside the United States, where the average school year is often longer, and…

School counselors' job descriptions leave room for many unexpected and unplanned activities. The Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland chose to address the challenge of counselors being assigned non-guidance tasks with a combination of approaches. Data collection, development of a transdisciplinary service provision model, revision of the…

The report, compiled from visits by groups of policymakers, discusses the challenges to out-of-school-time (OST) program implementation, including issues of going to scale, state and local roles and responsibilities, funding and sustainability, the role of intermediaries and advocates, and the relationship between OST programming and academic…

Most validity studies of ISLLC standards and indicators rely heavily on focus groups and perceptual surveys. This study included self-report and observational data on principals' use of time. A content analysis tested ISLLC's descriptions of instructional leadership with a related set of Kentucky's Standards and Indicators for School Improvement…

This brief publication summarizes data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, 1988 and 1993, concerning the teaching workload of full-time college faculty. The following findings are highlighted: (1) In 1992, faculty members spent 54 percent of their work hours teaching, 18 percent conducting research, and 13 percent performing…

In 1991, California's San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) formed a task force to investigate the effects of adopting academic calendars that end either before or after the winter holidays. To gather information, the task force performed a grade distribution analysis among district college students to determine the impact of fall semester…

This paper includes tips on managing time and controlling anxiety for adults who want to go to college. The paper encourages adults to take the step of going to college and reminds them of the benefits of an education. Suggestions include the following: planning, preparing the family, thinking about priorities, knowing what to expect to gain from…

Reflexivity, defined as the self-applied process of learning, the use of self and others as active signs in the learning process, is examined through relevant literature in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instruction. When EFL learners are encouraged to stand back and examine the way they learn and why they learn this way, reflexivity…

Since the late 1960s when Benjamin Bloom outlined his mastery teaching strategy, mastery learning programs have been implemented, such as Learning for Mastery and the Personalized System of Instruction, and several experiments have been carried out to test whether the mastery learning technique has an effect on student achievement. This paper…

This testimony presents an overview of the budgetary needs of the California Community College system for the fiscal year 2001-2002. Thomas J. Nussbaum, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, makes a case for a requested budget increase of between $750 million and $800 million per year. The request is based in large part on the funding…

This report describes a program for the exploration of block scheduling. The targeted population consists of high school students in a growing, middle-class community, located in a suburban setting of a large mid-western city. The historical background of block scheduling is documented through data gathered using attendance reports, student…

A study involving 3 elementary students (ages 8-10) investigated the treatment effects of choice making with academic assignments. Students at risk for emotional disturbance (ED) in a general education setting participated. These were children who exhibited aggressive behaviors and were judged to be achieving below their grade level by their…

A key task for schools is to ensure that the conditions in which learning is to take place address the biological needs of the learners. This book examines sleep needs of adolescents and discusses the implications of these needs for school starting times. This book is a collection of five articles that appeared in a special section of the Phi…