This report summarizes evaluation results for the Austin Independent School District (AISD) bilingual education and English as a second language programs for the 2001-2002 school year.

Based on a sample of eleventh grade students from different ethnic backgrounds, (1) a reading test was a more valid predictor of academic success than academic self-concept; (2) aspiration and academic interest were valid predictors of school achievements; and (3) a combination of cognitive and affective measures was the most valid predictor.…

Explains the whole language program and lists the roles of learning resources centers and teacher-librarians. Topics include flexible scheduling; collection development; teaching students the use of information; multidisciplinary approaches; cooperation between teachers and teacher-librarians for selecting materials, planning activities, and…

A University of Toronto effort to develop an accurate measure of affective characteristics in pharmacy school applicants to replace the interview resulted in development of a self-assessment instrument. It was found that a combination of overall grade point average, pharmacy college entrance examination verbal and reading scores, problem-solving…

Analysis of reading comprehension errors made by 22 Spanish-speaking fourth-graders in decoding English text found that comprehension "errors" began at the word level and advanced to larger misinterpretations at the sentence level. The cognitive processes of English language learners when comprehending English texts showed individual differences,…

Provides six fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in creative dramatics, language arts, social studies, reading, and science. Library media skills, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, activities and procedures, evaluation, and follow-up are described for…

Compares the effectiveness of Nihongo-CALI (Japanese Computer Assisted Language Instruction) with non-CALI workbook instruction. Findings reveal that given the same grammar notes and exercises, ongoing intelligent computer feedback is more effective than simple workbook answer sheets for developing learners' grammatical skill in producing Japanese…

Describes a computer program that takes multiple-choice cloze passages and compiles them into proofreading exercises. Results reveal that such a computerized test type can be used to accurately measure the proficiency of students of English as a Second Language in Hong Kong. (14 references) (Author/CK)

Investigates the effects of science students' domain-specific knowledge and language proficiency on local lexical and syntactic processing and on semantic and higher conceptual processing of biology texts written in the students' first and second languages. Results indicate that language proficiency affects lower-level processing and…

Examines officials' efforts to improve third-grade students' reading and language arts performances with newly developed curriculum guides and assessment. Interviews officials who developed guidelines/assessments on why they developed this material; how they informed teachers and administrators of their reform goals; and how practitioner should…

Demonstrates how reading, and creative thinking can increase literacy and create historical empathy in a sixth-grade class. The centerpiece of the class on ancient civilizations is an adaptation of "Antigone," by Sophocles. Recommends the use of dramatic literature because of its ability to engage and transform students' thinking. (MJP)

Provides eight fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in art, science, mathematics, reading, language arts, and social studies. Library media skills, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, procedures, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each activity.…

The 63 items on skills in acquiring and using information from written documents contained in the Survey of Young Adult Literacy in the 1985 National Assessment of Educational Progress are analyzed. The analyses are based on a qualitative cognitive model and an item-response theory model. (TJH)

Describes British study that monitored and evaluated the cognitive development and academic attainments of Down's Syndrome children ages 3-10 over a two-year period. Comparisons with mainstream schools and special schools are made in the areas of children's expressive language, comprehension, numeracy, verbal fluency, drawing ability, and reading.…

Finds that, among 117 Mexican-American second and fifth graders from Spanish-dominant homes, reading comprehension gains were proportionately much smaller in summer than the school year, while summer and school year gains in auditory vocabulary were similar. Discusses family, peer, and classroom influences on distinct language skills. (SV)