This article discusses how the "Piirto Pyramid" of talent development was used with gifted elementary students and students with disabilities in an inclusionary classroom to motivate students to work harder. Students clipped and posted articles from newspapers and magazines that typified an aspect of the pyramid. (Contains three references.) (CR)

Discusses teachers' self-perceptions of their teaching effectiveness in higher education. Topics include self-concept; student evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETs); a multidimensional university teacher self-concept instrument and an evaluation of its psychometric properties; and a multitrait-multimethod analysis of relations between…

Compared effects of a computer-assisted remedial reading program providing speech-supported reading in context with or without explicit phonological training. Found that phonologically trained second to fifth graders gained more in phonological skills and untimed word reading than untrained children. Children with more contextual reading gained…

Examined the performance of K-12 students on criterion-referenced reading, language arts, and mathematics tests and the relationship of those results to teacher performance measures by principals, students, and teacher self-evaluations using a 360 degree feedback approach. Results for 988 students, 35 teachers, and 4 principals show that student…

An alternative school in southern Oregon that allows students to make up missing credits offers project-based thematic classes that take students outside the school. One course studied the Klamath Basin's water crisis and involved exploring the area and the perspectives of farmers, biologists, park rangers, and Native Americans. Courses culminate…

This article discusses the characteristics of the Kennedy Kids and Adults Together program, a successful elementary mentoring program for students and community members. Ten steps for establishing such a program are outlined and the results of a program evaluation conducted with students, family members, teachers, and mentors are reported.…

Discusses the impact of the 1999 North Carolina General Assembly House Bill 168, which mandated the implementation of performance-based funding for the state's 58 community colleges. States that a college's performance on six of the 12 measures determines its eligibility for supplemental allocation. Questions whether the new standards will affect…

The stories of three young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds highlight significant issues in educating gifted students living in poverty. Major themes uncovered included educators who maintained high expectations, the positive influence of enriched teaching-learning opportunities and extracurricular activities, and the success of a…

A study of athlete members of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (n=159) assessed factors affecting sport participation and sport attitudes. Those who received physical education in junior high school or high school were more likely to participate in school or college sports than were those who did not. (Contains references.)…

Discusses the fairness of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) internationally and considers the results for Australia in more detail, focusing on samples of 516 and 583 students. For Australian students, there is some evidence that the TIMSS performance assessment is less prone to equity problems than the main assessment.…

Leaders bring to new jobs their values and vision, the authority of their position, and their reputation and accomplishments. How new superintendents conduct themselves during the critical entry/"honeymoon" phase affects their subsequent working relationships and leadership effectiveness. Structured interviews with staff, parents, and…

Determines whether modes of instruction and uses of different instruments affect students attitudes, recall, and performance skill for Ghandian music. Stresses that authentic instruments are important in achieving optimum attitude and knowledge outcomes in multicultural music instruction. Identifies the benefits of live instruction as opposed to…

A study involving three students (ages 7-9) with severe disabilities found they were academically engaged during a significantly higher number of intervals when a paraprofessional was positioned close to the student. Students and paraprofessionals were more likely to be verbally interactive than physically when the student was actively…

Reports on a study of 380 students and 18 instructors that examined the effects of gender and expected course grades on faculty evaluation. Finds that (1) female instructors were rated better than males; (2) expected course grades significantly affected the ratings students gave; and (3) female students gave better ratings than males did.…

Proposes four ways to help teachers truly develop as educators, including: peer coaching to gain and develop knowledge and skills; collaborative teaching for daily practice and feedback; and parent and student questionnaires and videotaping of teachers at work to help evaluate personal teaching performance. (SM)