Examines how undergraduate persistence is related to unmet financial need and amount of gift aid. For students who received varying amounts of gift aid, persistence is studied as it relates to the percent of the total aid package. Results indicate that level of unmet need is more predictable of a student's ability to persist than is percentage of…

Examined whether academic self-concept of ability is an important and significant predictor of academic success among minority and low socioeconomic college students. Findings from 98 freshman engineering students revealed that academic self-concept, rather than traditional cognitive skills, was significant predictor of academic success among…

Analyses of data obtained from 779 New Zealand children showed that family adversity and preschool-age intelligence quotient predicted problem behavior during the first year at school, but reading scores accounted for a larger proportion of the variance in later behavior problem scores than did school-age intelligence quotients. (Author/JDD)

A method for predicting freshman performance based on high school grades allows calculation of any student's likely grades in a similar university course. The method is contrasted with several more traditional predictive methods and examined in a study of 3,734 University of Western Australia students. (MSE)

Three different organizations were surveyed and the results compared to the responses of a sample of Sierra Clubs to investigate predictors of responsible environmental behavior. Perceived skill in using environmental action strategies, level of environmental sensitivity, and locus of control were identified as the most important predictors. (CW)

A hierarchical linear model analysis investigated the effects of structural and normative features of schools on absenteeism and the probability of dropping out. Subjects included 4,450 sophomores in 160 Catholic and public high schools from the High School and Beyond 1980 cohort. (SLD)

Associations among background, commitment levels, institutional involvement, and student persistence were studied for 260 out of 323 early college dropouts. The model of attrition developed by V. Tinto (1975) was applied. Student persistence was found to vary by motivational type and student's psychosocial orientation to college. (SLD)

High-risk infants may exhibit hearing impairments which can subsequently impede speech/language development. Discussed are prenatal risk factors, including environmental toxins and infections; and perinatal factors such as prematurity, asphyxia, intracranial hemorrhage, bilirubin, ototoxic drugs, and environmental noise. A table summarizes factors…

Examined relationships among aggression, viewing and enjoyment of television violence, and personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism in sibling pairs (N=386) ages 11 to 16. Found no support for theory of causal effect on amount of viewing television violence on aggression. Found no within family correlations between amount…

Reviews the literature in library and information science to identify factors that influence the outcome of challenges to school library materials. A conceptual model is developed that encompasses district selection policy, librarian characteristics, school environment, community environment, and initiator of the challenge, and tentative…

An alternative teacher certification program in the Dallas (Texas) Independent School District is described. Program characteristics; intern characteristics, attitudes, and performance; predictors of alternative certification success; reactions to the program; and possible contributions of programs to the need for teachers are addressed. (TJH)

Teachers' ratings of 327 elementary-school students with hearing impairments were studied in relation to demographic characteristics and educational treatment parameters. Better speech production performance was associated with better hearing, higher socioeconomic status, consistent use of amplification, and later commencing of preschool training.…

Compared to age-matched and language-matched controls, 15 autistic children (mean age of 45 months) who were administered the Early Social-Communication Scales displayed deficits in gestural joint attention skills in 2 testing sessions 13 months apart. The measure of gestural nonverbal joint attention predicted language development in subjects.…

Argues that this volume's Sanson, Prior, and Kyrios study on the overlap between measures of temperament and psychopathy is too narrowly framed. Maintains that there appears to be a pattern of linkage between specific early temperament scales and specific kinds of later behavior problems. (Author/BB)

Uses data from a southern technical college to assess influences on student achievement. Indicates that high school diploma type, gender, race, absences, performance expectations, and entrance exam scores were good predictors of initial achievement. Second-semester achievement was predicted by working hours, gender, diploma type, initial…