The seven cohort studies of the relation between prenatal and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to cognitive, neuropsychological and behavioral development have suggested that exposure to PCBs can cause persistent changes in cognitive functioning. D.V. Cicchetti, A.S. Kaufman, and S.S. Sparrow (this issue) apply six scientific…

This chapter discusses how Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) has used data from the National Community College Benchmark Project. Analysis of project benchmark data led to a review of high course-withdrawal rates and CPCC withdrawal policies as well as their effects on student program completion and within-term retention. As a result, the…

This article reports data from children aged about 5 years in their 1st year of schooling. Scores on tests of both literacy and numeracy at the start and end of the year were used to derive value-added measures of progress using both residual gain analysis and multilevel (ML) modelling. Results indicated that the school was more effective in…

Imagine being able to engage students in learning statistics. Teachers would need their students to have access to a large database of real data, preferably about students. It would be even better if students were part of the database. Ideally, the data would enable students to ask questions of interest to them. For a teacher, it would be…

National guidelines define asthma control as the prevention of asthma symptoms rather than the treatment of asthma exacerbations. We hypothesized that we would find a discrepancy between what parents consider adequate control compared to what health care professionals mean by "control." Data from a telephone survey conducted for the…

Background: Speaking rate has implications for both clinical practice and an understanding of normal and disordered communication processes. Fundamental information on speaking rate is required by the clinician for the appropriate management of those disorders with disturbances of rate or those in which rate modification strategies are applied.…

The lawsuit Channing Club vs. The Board of Regents of Texas Tech University, 1970 has been used as a legal precedent in many student press censorship cases. A thorough understanding of Channing has become increasingly important since Hazelwood and other related decisions. Though Channing has been frequently cited in the literature, comparatively…

We show how an interactive website can help first-year undergraduates acquire independent study skills, and provide a user-friendly way of approaching challenging material in introductory level evolution and ecology. Students embraced the opportunity to undertake self-assessment tasks online, which allowed them to gauge their understanding and…

This study explored the impact of a Cultural Self-Analysis (CSA) Project on early childhood undergraduate preservice teachers' cultural awareness and dispositions toward working with culturally diverse students and families. The project was based on the ABC's of Cultural Understanding and Communication, a model designed to facilitate the…

The study investigated implications of variations in EAD [Encoded Archival Description]-encoded finding aids on the Web. A content analysis methodology was used to examine five different aspects of EAD finding aids: (1) data elements; (2) labeling terminology; (3) navigation; (4) browsing; (5) searching. Seventeen EAD finding aid web sites…

Most research in the area of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) has been designed to compare the effectiveness of instructional technology to traditional lecture-based formats. While results are promising, research also indicates evidence of the steep learning curve imposed by the technology. Yet no studies have been conducted to investigate this…

Statistical data can be represented in a number of qualitatively different ways, the choice depending on the following three conditions: the concepts to be investigated; the nature of the data; and the purpose for which they were collected. This paper begins by setting out frameworks that describe the nature of statistical thinking in schools, and…

This article critically questions where public school teachers go when they leave the teaching profession. It reviews the research to find that few studies appear to explain what occupations former experienced teachers ("leavers") move to. The article draws evidence from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data sets and…

This article describes a project in which first-year administrators in Pinellas County, Fla., were members of a professional development cadre. The major purpose of the study was to determine the problems encountered by first-year assistant principals. During cadre meetings, participants were encouraged to record in journals and discuss with their…

Research on first-year students' perceptions of their learning environments revealed the aspects of their experiences that enhanced and hindered their learning. End of the semester reflection essays from first-year seminars were analyzed to ascertain students' views. Data analysis revealed that students need peers who provide personal and…