By comparing high school students' total English scores on the California Achievement Test (CAT) and observing differences in performance based on grade level and gender, a recent study investigated whether significant differences exist between the achievement of students taught in an English phase-elective mini-course system and the achievement…

The characteristics and experiences of college freshmen who entered private black colleges in 1976 and 1985 were compared, based on data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's "The American Freshman: National Norms." Attention was focused on socioeconomic status (SES), academic preparation and confidence, reasons for…

A computerized system set up at the University of Illinois for monitoring graduates and their experiences in the labor market is discussed, along with trends among graduates that have occurred over an 11-year period. The university initiated studies of graduates in 1972. About one-third of the content of the surveys is devoted to vocational…

A study examined whether there were any differences in the performance of apprentices trained in off-the-job, on-the-job, or in-plant training programs. A 1984 apprentice intake sample of over 500 apprentices and information supplied by 16 in-plant training centers and 9 colleges were used to collect data on the job performance of apprentices in…

A study of two neighboring rural school districts in New York State was undertaken to determine if differences in educational quality existed between the two communities--Applegate and Bakerville--and to identify factors affecting educational quality. Comparison of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics included racial and ethnic…

This report demonstrates the complexity and diversity of agricultural structures in the United States and discusses changes produced in the family farm by agricultural industrialization. Data from the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the 1978 Census of Agriculture describe similarities and differences in social…

As part of Project HAPPIER (Health Awareness Patterns Preventing Illnesses and Encouraging Responsibility), a survey was conducted among teachers and other migrant personnel in Illinois to assess the current health needs of migrants. The availability of educational materials was also investigated in the survey in order to ensure that a proposed…

An ethnographic study of two mainstreamed, multicultural day care centers was conducted over a school year. Children's responses to formal and informal curricula dealing with aspects of human diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender, and exceptionality, were analyzed, as were children's interaction patterns. The data revealed that although both…

The study styles employed by a sample of Finnish university students were investigated. In the first study phase, 238 students described general study styles/approaches, using a questionnaire developed by Entwistle, which included 30 Likert-type items from the following dimensions: achievement orientation, reproducing orientation, meaning…

The 28 essays in this journal issue focus on methodology, interpretation, and classroom application of research in the language arts. Following a preface on the role of research in English instruction, the topics discussed include the following: (1) a research base for a large-scale evaluation of writing; (2) implications of teaching writing as…

The growth in enrollments of hearing-impaired students at colleges and universities indicates that the issue of accessibility is being addressed; however, it is not clear whether institutions have made adequate accommodations to meet the communicative and educational handicaps imposed by severe to profound hearing impairment. A survey was…

The Secondary School Graduate Follow-Up Program for the Deaf gathered information from deaf high-school graduates of five classes (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982). The majority of the 273 respondents, who responded repeatedly to surveying from 1981 to 1985, were between ages 20 and 25. The study sought to examine trends in the educational and…

A course in comparative Hispanic/American culture was developed for a criminal justice training center to provide exposure to Hispanic cultural norms to local criminal justice workers. The participants included employees in the fields of adult probation, health care, and alcohol and drug programs. Hispanic participants provided a valuable…

An overview is provided of a 5-year project conducted by the Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) which focused on the effects and costs of early intervention for young handicapped children. The bulk of the document consists of research reports of 14 investigations: (1) meta-analysis of the early intervention efficacy literature; (2)…

Observational data were collected on the instructional tasks used by 122 elementary students (30 learning-disabled, 32 emotionally/behaviorally disturbed, 30 educable mentally retarded, and 30 nonhandicapped). No differences between handicapped and nonhandicapped students were revealed in an analysis of time using each of eight specific tasks…