The demise in academic standards in higher education is discussed. Suggested as an improvement is a nationwide standardized two-year Associate of Arts Degree Examination which would have to be passed before a student could proceed to academic studies leading to a B.A. For journal availability, see SO 505 625. (Author/DB)

Health educators should encourage school systems to provide sex education as least as early as junior high school, and they ought to urge that content and approach of the curriculum be realistic and relevant to the sexual lifestyles of today's generation. (MB)

It is argued that to judge faculty competence, the range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes constituting competence must be established, and that competence is composed of preparation for teaching, engagement in teaching, and professional development. Sources of evaluation data are discussed and increased documentation of teaching achievement is…

Reports data obtained from a sample of British adults on their knowledge of simple biological topics. Analyzes responses according to gender and educational background. Findings indicate that people with a non-science background responded similarly to those with a higher educational level. (ML)

A metacognitive model was proposed as an explanatory framework for spontaneous strategy use. A study in which hyperactive children transferred newly acquired strategies following self-control training and attributional retraining served as an illustration of how components in the model can be used to better understand "spontaneity." (Author/LMO)

To determine if posttests administered immediately following a continuing pharmacy education (CPE) program are reliable predictors of long-term knowledge retention, a portion of three posttests used in three successive CPE programs was readministered to attendees of those programs 8 to 21 weeks later. Posttests do not reliably assess long-term…

Patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in one treatment unit were surveyed concerning their physicians' medical information of the disease and its treatment, interpersonal skills, communication skills, attitudes, and the advice given them about their partners and other household members. (MSE)

Leaders today must be deeply knowledgeable about the past, widely informed about the present, and willing to substitute the common good for their own. Leaders can profit from the example of the framers of the U.S. Constitution in their disciplined, informed, and sophisticated appreciation of their culture and civilization. (Author)

Investigation of gifted program teachers' (N=19), regular program (RP) teachers' (N=19), and administrators' (N=8) attitudes toward their school's gifted program revealed that RP teachers' attitudes were least favorable and that knowledge about the program (less than half of RP teachers felt sufficiently informed) was associated with positive…

Comparison of characteristics of 12 average and 12 superior small business people in three developing nations (India, Malawi, and Ecuador) found proactive qualities such as initiative and assertiveness, achievement orientation, and commitment to others characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. Other expected qualities (self-confidence,…

This survey investigated the emphasis which accredited teacher education programs placed on three training areas: (1) attitudes toward education of students with disabilities; (2) knowledge of characteristics of exceptional children; and (3) knowledge of teaching and behavior management techniques. (JAZ)

Examines effects of age, sex, and sibling status on children's ideas about infants and infant care. The sample consisted of 43 preschoolers and 42 second graders, half of whom were boys, half were girls, and half were singletons. Older children with siblings were more knowledgeable than either their singleton peers or younger children.…

Discusses a study which sought to determine the effects of gender on test scores from participants of a week-long environmental camp. An analysis of three years of data of student attitudes, knowledge, expectations, and perceptions indicated that females were lower on knowledge pre-tests but made greater gains between knowledge tests. (ML)

Presents microcomputer-based test scoring procedure with focus on measuring student information, partial information, and misinformation based on an information theoretic approach model of knowledge assessment. Admissible probability measurement scoring procedure described removes the constraint of forced choices, where guesses are based on…