The accuracy of estimation of the subjects' latent ability maintained by tailoring for each testee the order of item presentation and the border of item dichotomization was compared to the information provided by the original graded test items. (RC)

Divides musical composition selection for student orchestras into two categories, teaching repertoire and concert repertoire. Provides a number of helpful hints and criteria for selecting both. Includes "Ten Terrific Titles,""Super String Selections," a list of premiere selections for grades two through six, and a list of selected resources. (MJP)

Uses response journals to explore the ways fourth-grade students respond to literature. Finds factors necessary to mesh text and a reader's personal experiences: a classroom atmosphere that encourages risk-taking; daily opportunities to read and respond; a wide variety of choices in reading materials; modeling of good reading strategies; and…

The consequences in terms of misclassifications of students that would occur by replacing the constructed-response portion of the Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in economics with more multiple-choice items were studied. The 1991 AP examinations in micro- and macroeconomics were used. Computer simulation found that a small but statistically…

Defines creativity as the process of being original, spontaneous, and/or unique, using prior knowledge and available information to think or act in a new way. Creativity can be fostered by acceptance and encouragement, by an atmosphere of trust, and by selection of classroom activities and materials. Children need uninterrupted work time for…

Discusses and appraises the work of Nobel Prize winning black author Toni Morrison. Locates thematic and stylistic antecedents in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ernest Hemingway. Compares and contrasts Morrison's work with Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and discusses the critical reception of black authors. (MJP)

Examined the expression of shame and pride in maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Subjects were 84 4- and 5-year-olds and their mothers. Found that maltreated girls showed more shame when they failed and less pride when they succeeded than nonmaltreated girls. (MOK)

Survey of 121 regular education teachers in rural British Columbia about inclusion of special education students in their classrooms revealed the need to provide additional resources to assist teachers, particularly the addition of trained assistants, parents, and community volunteers. Suggests that teacher education focus on how teachers can use…

Discusses the responses to a questionnaire concerning the use of computers in modern language teaching and learning sent to secondary schools in England. Notes that the response raised issues related to facilities and ease of access, school planning for the use of computer hardware, and support levels and training needs. (Author/CK)

Explores the extent of Navajos' bond with their homeland. The land is critical to the Navajo world view, which emphasizes harmony and orderly conditions, and plays an essential role in myths and ceremonies. When Navajos leave their homeland to pursue educational or professional endeavors, emotional distress can undermine their success. Includes…

Assessed drug use and defensiveness among 28 adolescents, grades 9-12, using a six-month tracking study of alternative school adolescents. Defensiveness correlated with school credit deficiency and a high rate of legal trouble and discipline problems in defensive males. Suggests that denial and defensiveness are risk factors for drug use and…

Shares how one teacher and her class of seventh graders learned to share and discuss literature through the notions of stances and instructional scaffolding. (MG)

A four-year study found that, between internships and the end of residencies at the Oregon Health Sciences University, physicians' attitudes about their careers and residency experiences improved significantly, suggesting that, although internships may be dysphoric, normalization of emotional states and attitudes occurs during residency.…

A symposium was designed in 1987 to demonstrate to health-care providers at 3 hospitals in the Bronx, New York, the low risk of occupational HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection and techniques for avoiding infection. Twenty-nine of 100 responders reported that the symposium had increased their concerns regarding their risk. (Author/MLW)

The accuracy with which expert systems (ESs) score a new nonmultiple-choice free-response test item was investigated, using 734 high school students who were administered an advanced-placement computer science examination. ESs produced scores for 82 percent to 95 percent of the responses and displayed high agreement with a human reader on the…