One goal of a longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was to assess the quality and functioning of the sibling relationship and to determine the conditions under which sibling relationships become more cohesive or more competitive during family transitions. Relationships between the target…

One goal of a longitudinal study of stepfamilies, divorced maternal custody families, and nondivorced families was to assess the response of children to the experiences associated with stepfamily formation and to identify factors that may buffer children against adverse life experiences or make them more vulnerable to negative outcomes. Children's…

The sixth in a series of descriptive summaries about the status of 1972 high school seniors, the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, is presented. Four chapters focus on the following: education experiences of the 1972 senior class (enrollment in postsecondary education for 1972 high school seniors, attainment in…

A study was conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) to examine student retention in two ways. First, the percentage of fall 1987 students who returned for classes the following spring was calculated for several student groups. Second, students entering PGCC for the first time in 1980 were tracked in terms of attendance and degree…

Research suggests that reading is a written language process that is learned naturally in much the same way as oral language. To test this hypothesis, a descriptive, longitudinal study was conducted of the reading development of eight kindergarten and first grade students who showed environmental print awareness but were not considered readers.…

Two papers are presented from a panel discussion moderated by Naomi Zigmond, who introduces the papers with a note on definitions and measures of intervention effectiveness. "Some Thoughts on Effective Intervention for Handicapped Preschoolers," by Phillip Strain, notes that special education researchers attempt to be efficient, economical,…

The relationship of comprehension monitoring to writing was investigated in a multiple-measure, longitudinal study of writing skill development. Subjects were approximately 100 elementary school students who were followed during the first three grades. At the end of first grade, relationships were found between ambiguity detection, reading, and…

A report is given of a 3-year longitudinal study which has two strands, both of which are concerned with understanding better the complexities of teaching and learning science, knowing more of the processes by which individuals change, and understanding more of the research methodologies appropriate for these purposes. The first strand involves…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the most recent in a series of longitudinal studies conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics at the United States Department of Education. The NELS:88 began with a baseline assessment of school experiences, with the purpose of relating these experiences to current…

The effects of age at entrance into school on subsequent elementary school performance were studied in a cohort of children who started grade 1 in the Dallas school system (Texas) in fall 1981. Most of the subjects were born on or after September 1, 1974 and before September 1, 1975; the spread of ages was 1 year. A total of 3,028 male and 3,019…

The Office of Research and Evaluation of the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Austin, Texas has reported yearly high school dropout counts since the 1983-1984 school year. This report presents data from three cohorts of high school students--those enrolled in 1983-1984, 1984-1985, and 1985-1986. The method used to assign dropout status…

A formal evaluation of the academic programs of Keystone Junior College (KJC) began in 1983-1984 with a survey of the graduates of the classes of 1979, 1981, and 1983. Questionnaires were mailed to 602 of the 657 KJC graduates who had received their degree either 1, 3, or 5 years previously. The survey sought information about the graduate's…

To provide longitudinal data on the effects of tutorial programs on retention/attrition, data were collected on 487 students tutored by Tutorial and Referral Services of the University of Cincinnati and on 292 non-tutored students who requested the program's assistance in 1978-1979. These students were tracked through the 1981-1982 school year.…

The effect of social studies courses on post-high school political participation was studied. Data from two studies--"The National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972" and "The High School and Beyond Study of the Class of 1980"--were analyzed. A trichotomous measure of effective participation was used: those persons who engaged in no political…

This executive summary presents the major results of the longitudinal evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC). A Head Start demonstration project initiated by the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) in 1974, the PDC aimed to stimulate the development and implementation of comprehensive programs linking Head Start…