THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN AMERICAN LIBERTIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PROPOSES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION ABOUT LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND EQUALITY IN THE NATION'S SCHOOLS THROUGH A PROGRAM OF BASIC SCHOLARSHIP AND THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL CURRICULAR MATERIALS. A CONFERENCE OF CIVIC LEADERS WAS HELD TO DISCUSS HOW…

Evaluations of social programs based upon quasi-experimental designs are typically plagued by problems of nonequivalence between the experimental and comparison group prior to the experiment. In such settings it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to isolate the effects of the program from the confounding effects associated with the…

This study of the federal government's evaluation of social programs indicates that it is virtually impossible to establish a bias-free, valid, and reliable system of inquiry to determine the effects of social programs. Divided into five chapters, the document examines the aspirations and limitations of evaluations, methodology, evaluation in the…

The Abt Associates' final report on the Follow-Through Planned Variation Experiment is defended against the critique published by a blue ribbon panel funded by the Ford Foundation. In contrast to the conclusions drawn by House, Glass, McLean, and Walker that Follow Through showed no "winners" or "losers", the National…

ALTHOUGH THE HUMANITIES ARE EXPERIENCING IN THIS COUNTRY AN UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION AND INCREASE IN NUMBER OF DEGREES GRANTED AND IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT, THEY HAVE SUFFERED A RELATIVE DECLINE IN STUDENT ENROLLMENT, FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND STUDENT QUALITY WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS OF STUDY. THIS PLIGHT OF THE HUMANITIES STEMS FROM A "METHODOLOGICAL…

A review of followup study research is reported which focused on issues and trends in the evaluation of vocational education programs and their implications for human resource development. The analysis of representative studies selected from a survey of the literature is divided into four sections, one for each of four types of studies: (1)…

This book is considered to provide a sober, balanced, and scholarly examination of the evidence that bears on the role of genetic and environmental factors in the determination of group differences in ability in the United States. The first chapter provides something of the background and recent history of the concern with racial-ethnic…

This paper critically examines the portions of Arthur Jensen's books, "Genetics and Education" and "Educability and Group Differences," that concern Barbara Burks' 1928 study of adoptive families. Jensen cites the low correlations of children's IQs with measures of home environment from Burks' study as evidence that environment…

This report presents a review of current research on the education of British children under the age of 5 and suggests important questions for future research. The description of current research includes studies concerned with preschools, home environment and parent-child interaction, cognitive skills, severely subnormal children, and evaluation…

The main themes of some prominent theories of youthful offenders are reviewed, and some of the far reaching reforms implied by these themes are outlined. The main goal is to consider how schools may respond to the problem, and attention is restricted to changes in schools that may help, even though more fundamental reforms in society would have…

Twenty-seven papers on agricultural extension, adult basic education, programed instruction, program planning, general education, research problems, motivation, behavior and attitude change, university extension, adult educators, and other areas of concern within adult education were presented at this research conference. Most of these papers are…

The selections in this collection pertain to the predicaments faced by the biographer who must discover what he believes is the truth and then use this material to create a work of compelling interest. Arnold L. Fein, J. H. Plumb, and Hesketh Pearson present observations on the biographer's dilemma: the difficulty of determining the borderline…

These abridged proceedings of the conference on "Languages for Special Purposes" define and clarify organizational and linguistic difficulties arising in the provision of "service" courses in England and encourage coordination of existing research and development. Four major areas are presented: (1) D.C. Kiddy and W. Grauberg…

A description of the development of the print materials to improve the ability of learners to appraise critically educational research is provided in this report. The completed materials consist of the following: an introductory statement about the nature of criticism, a statement about the contents of the materials and suggestions for use, and…

Teacher and administrator feedback about a study on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is described in this report. The hypotheses, methodology, and conclusions of the overall program are briefly discussed as they pertain to the feedback aspect. (The CAI program dealt with the effects of choice situations upon the students' engagement in…