Two common problems with advanced reading courses in English as a second language (ESL) for students of science and technology are the lack of authenticity in the reading tasks and the fact that the choice of reading material is often limited by what the language teacher can understand. These two constraints often diminish student motivation. An…

The New Jersey Adult Reading Project was a state project involving more than 500 New Jersey adult educators from 98 adult education programs around the state. The primary objective of the project was to develop a competency-based adult reading management system that would allow program completers to achieve the following goals: continue their…

After reviewing the conceptual bases and practical application of precision teaching, this analysis traces its evolution as the Sacajawea Plan, reports on its implementation in central Oregon school districts, and details the costs and procedures of adoption. Developed by Ogden Lindsley from B. F. Skinner's work in operant conditioning and…

A collection of papers concerning the application of language studies to the instruction and promotion of English literature appreciation in foreign countries includes an introduction by Neil Gilroy-Scott and these essays: "The Deviant Language of Poetry" (H. G. Widdowson); "Approaches to the Study of Literature: A Practitioner's View" (H. L. B.…

Graduation competency test results of 27 Spanish-speaking high school students in grades 10-12 indicate that overall oral English proficiency is moderately to strongly correlated with test passage in all three areas tested: mathematics, reading, and writing. These results agree with previous research. However, despite the intuitive appeal of…

Several research studies that can provide direction for improving elementary school science programs are highlighted. Selected results are summarized and suggestions given to elementary school administrators for translating research into action in their schools, action which can lead to improved teaching and learning in science. Studies are…

Mental patients from the local hospital and the community mental health/mental retardation (MH/MR) center are being helped to reenter community life through classes at Odessa College (Texas). Twice a week, patients who have been stabilized enough to attend day care at the MH/MR center, together with aides, are bused to the community college's…

To gather longitudinal student achievement data from schools utilizing the four-day week, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) grade equivalent scores were obtained in 1984 from five rural Colorado school districts for four consecutive years--two years prior to and two years following the districts' change to the shortened week. A first analysis…

In 1988, a study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College to explain declining scores on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) since 1984. Specifically, the study sought to determine whether students had changed in terms of their basic skills at college entry, native language, needs for English as a Second Language instruction,…

This paper describes the characteristics of the Minimum Skills Diagnostic Tests (MSDTs) components of the statewide testing program in North Carolina. The MSDTs' validity, method for deriving test scores, reliability and other statistics, test content, and test norms are discussed. These tests--given in grades 3, 6, and 8--assess an individual's…

A review of the literature on the transfer of preservice teacher training to the classroom suggests that several definitive factors enhance transfer. A social studies methods course was developed with these factors in mind, and included directed reading activities (DRA) with a text, controversial topic discussion, and inquiry. During the academic…

The 1982-83 school year was the second year of the New York City (New York) Public Schools Promotional Gates Program. Under this program students in grades four and seven who failed to attain their promotional criteria (in both reading and mathematics) were retained for a year of intensive remedial instruction. This report is the result of a…

The results of the administration of the California Achievement Tests (CAT) to students in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland (MCPS) are presented. The battery is administered in the fall of each school year to students in grades three, five, and eight under a state mandate. The CAT is administered to students in Grade 11 under a local…

This report evaluates the special education component of the 1986-87 Attendance Improvement/Dropout Prevention program of the New York City Board of Education. The program was designed to provide intensive services to special education students at risk of dropping out of school. The report presents characteristics of students in the program,…

At Colorado Mountain College (CMC), academic advising is based upon a comparison of students' basic skills with the skill requirements of individual courses. Students who enter CMC to obtain a degree must take placement tests in writing, reading, math, and study skills before they can enroll in classes. The placement test battery includes a…