Ignorance of the characteristics of a mixed population may lead to bias in a summary measure of a phenomenon. A test based on sample kurtosis is demonstrated by a simulation study to be more powerful than six other known tests in detecting a class of mixed normal distributions. (SLD)

Sensitive topics raise issues of ethics, politics, and legal aspects of research. There is concern for participants' rights and groups who may be affected by research. Notes that some argue research funding tends to serve the interests of the powerful by excluding support for research on issues detrimental to their interests. (NL)

Discusses ERIC practices related to the "Current Index to Journals in Education" (CIJE). Presents information about problems with the clearinghouse system and the information gaps that result from these problems. Lists 65 journals that were on the CIJE list but were actually not processed by ERIC in the 5 years prior to the article. (JS)

This article challenges applied behavior analysts to use their knowledge of consumer behavior and effective educational strategies to provide consumers with useful information, thereby enabling them to make informed decisions. This will decrease the misconceptions that many consumers have about behavior analysis, thus improving the social validity…

Discusses developments in the field of mass communications over the last 10 years. Suggests that old polarities have been finally transcended or deconstructed and that a new set of questions is emerging which concern a range of particular issues and processes rather than generalities expressed in terms of the now untenable categories of viewer,…

Paul Ciotti's monograph "Money and School Performance" exposing the "desegregation debacle" in Kansas City (Missouri) Public Schools is an improperly aimed salvo in the "money matters" debate. Actually, money should not be thrown at politically dysfunctional schools with incompetent teachers, administrators, and board…

Responds critically to Ward Elliott and Robert Valenza's computerized stylometric analyses of Shakespeare plays and purported Shakespearean materials. Argues that the Elliott-Valenza tests are deeply flawed, both in their design and execution. Claims that inconvenient data were ignored, control samples not identified, and unwarranted assumptions…

Discusses a report, "Different Drummers: How Teachers of Teachers View Public Education," on how education professors view public education. Argues that the report may have been biased by the political attitudes of its sponsoring organization. Examines how this could have produced the "professor bashing" that the researcher…

Reviews the practical results of research published in 25 years of "Theory and Research in Social Education." Argues that it has had little impact on learning and teaching the social studies. Points to weaknesses in efforts to validate many ideas in social-studies research and suggests means to redress them. (DSK)

Evaluates the methodological quality of 39 studies of phonological-awareness interventions in children. Finds only seven studies met two-thirds or more of all the evaluative criteria (internal and external validity), although all of these investigations demonstrated at least one fatal flaw. Suggests improvements for future intervention research.…

Observes that the United Kingdom's National Curriculum pressures primary teachers to change their teaching methods, but research shows equivocal results. Argues that the problem stems from the way characteristics of classroom organization have been defined in various studies. Reports on nine case studies of change in rural primary schools. (DSK)

A case study of the conversational development in a 7-year-old girl with profound deafness explored the relationship between mode of inquiry and findings resulting from using qualitative research methodology. Findings led to the discovery of the child's language competencies and revealed contextual features that contributed to conversational…

Reviews Tennessee's Project Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) and puts the results in the context of other nonexperimental evidence about class size. Nonexperimental evidence does not support any achievement gains attributable to class-size reduction, and empirical evidence from STAR has design and implementation flaws that cast doubt on…

Analyzes methodologies used by those embroiled in the "mainstreaming debate" (whether a basic writing curriculum is the best way to help entering college students). Finds methodological confusion leading to monologues going in circles rather than constructive dialectic. Argues that researchers ought to consider the evidence and arguments of those…

Presents a critical appraisal of resilience, a construct connoting the maintenance of positive adaptation by individuals despite significant adversity. Addresses common criticisms, proposes solutions for those considered legitimate, and clarifies misunderstandings surrounding less valid criticisms. Concludes that work on resilience possesses…