Data from three faculty surveys (1979, 1984, 1990) of eight Australian colleges and universities were used to analyze changes in work-related attitudes. Patterns and trends are examined over time and in relation to institution type, gender, academic rank, and discipline. Policy implications are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Describes longitudinal studies conducted at the Drexel Early Childhood Center (Pennsylvania) that used Self-Controlled Interactive Learning Systems to teach reading skills. Standardized test scores for at-risk students are compared with other students; experimental and control groups using standard instruction are compared; and studies of…

Examines statistics for school library media centers that have installed both an automated circulation system and an online public access catalog and compares them with other library media centers at other levels of automation. Highlights include staffing, including salaries and experience; expenditures for technology and for print materials; and…

Proposes a variety of conversational training that maximizes learner autonomy and focuses on sociocultural competence in speaking. Students recorded role-plays that required good sociolinguistic knowledge and then compared the discourse generated with native speaker equivalents. The future of conversational training at third level is discussed in…

Analysis of comparative case studies in four high- and low-wealth school districts in Kentucky indicates that, following recent school finance reform initiatives, expenditures increased in all districts but that spending patterns changed only incrementally. Nonprogramatic financial reporting masks the extent to which reform dollars are supporting…

Data from the 1993-94 ACT Assessment and a follow-up were examined to see how many black and white students eventually enrolled in what had been their first-choice colleges. Results for 12,448 blacks and 125,298 whites indicate that initial choices by blacks are more liable to change. (SLD)

Kindergartners and first-graders in regular classrooms were compared to students in nongraded, continuous-progress settings. Comparisons on academic achievement and school attitudes indicated differences favoring nongraded, continuous-progress settings for various academic and citizenship skills. Girls in the nongraded, continuous-progress group…

Compares Wilson's database tape and the IAC "Expanded Academic Index" as explored by librarians in the State University System of Florida. Features addressed include journal coverage; abstracts and full text; subject headings, including consistency versus precision and controlled vocabularies; search software; disk storage requirements;…

Discussion of drug testing in intercollegiate athletics programs looks at federal and state regulation of drug-testing programs as it affects student-athletes and, in comparison, the employer-employee relationship. Judicial approaches in student-athlete drug-testing cases are also examined. Increased federal regulation is seen as imminent. Steps…

Describes a survey of teachers enrolling in postgraduate courses in Great Britain that was conducted to determine prior information technology experience and what the students perceived as information technology training needs. Highlights include differences between primary and secondary teachers, gender issues, age, and computer ownership. (16…

Observed six children from two primary grade classrooms in different instructional settings: teacher-directed/large group; teacher- and child-directed/large and small group; and child-directed. Children's choice was related to high levels of cognitive functioning, language production, cooperative behavior, and generative use of materials. (MM)

High ability, average, and learning-disabled children in grades 4 and 7 were assessed on achievement, ability, perceived competence in cognitive ability, self-concept, and locus of control. Results indicated significant group differences on achievement and affective measures which were relatively stable and unaffected by cognitive strategies…

This study found that 246 regular and 42 special education high school teachers had dissimilar views of their ability to provide learning-disabled students with competencies considered important for college entry by 82 college faculty. Special educators and college faculty were quite similar in perception of students' needs. (Author/JDD)

Analyzes the increasingly global economy, stressing industrialized nations' interdependence, need to remain competitive, and consequent need for human capital development. Outlines educational reform strategies and compares U.S. and British reforms. Concludes British reforms attempt to increase access to education whereas U.S. reforms seek to…

How parent configuration (2-parent, mother-extended, or solo-mother) and number of siblings affect first graders' conformity to the student role was studied for 256 African-American and 228 white students. The positive effects of two-parent families may have been overestimated in previous research in which sibling effects are neglected. (SLD)