Middle school students can become fascinated with literature if they have a choice in selecting which trade book to read and the means of revealing comprehension. One student teacher (ST) developed a bulletin board to stimulate learner interest in reading for her sixth grade students. "Read and Digest" was the heading, with four…

This publication presents national norms for college freshmen in fall 1993 based on the 28th annual survey of 220,757 incoming students at 427 two- and four-year colleges and universities. Three major tables present the norms for type of institution and control for all freshmen, for men, for women; for universities by selectivity level and by sex;…

Because of concerns about the validity of tests used in education and employment, a consultation on June 16, 1989, focused on tests of ability, achievement, and other skills. Invited experts were asked to address a set of issues common to both education and employment testing, primarily related to test construction procedures and how to establish…

Issues of the relative costs of multiple choice tests and alternative types of assessment are explored. Before alternative assessments in large-scale or small-scale programs are used, attention must be given to cost considerations and the resources required to develop and implement the assessment. Major categories of cost to be considered are…

A project developed a planned course of study using laser disc software to enhance social studies, science, and literature and the arts in Adult Basic Education (ABE)/General Educational Development (GED) reading classes. During the first part of the project, laser disc software was reviewed to ascertain what material was compatible with the…

The first three steps to developing a program that is both effective and efficient are participant selection, recruitment, and assignment. They require thinking about the populations to be targeted, considering how to open the door to the population and how to get the population in the door, and determining the services that are needed. The Job…

The use of language for real communication is of primary importance in bringing a foreign language to life for students. Native speakers can make a class come alive, and teachers should explore the possibilities for bringing exchange students and teachers into the school. Realia and foreign language children's books are also interesting to…

The California Critical Thinking Skills Test: College Level (CCTST) is a standardized test that targets core college-level critical thinking skills. It has been characterized as the best commercially available critical thinking skills assessment instrument. Building from CCTST validation studies in 1989 and 1990, this paper proposes avenues for…

Characteristics related to the potential strength of state curriculum control policies in California, Florida, New York, and Texas are described in this report. Each of these states has recently strengthened its influence over the high school curriculum. This report examines the strength of the state policies that: (1) define the high school…

This study investigated factors responsible for the consistently low numbers of black students applying to the College of Dental Medicine of South Carolina. The project was structured to obtain feedback from two entities at the undergraduate level: the pre-health advisors (Phase I); and black students (Phase II). Thirty-four responses were…

To prepare teachers for working with diverse student populations, teacher education reform must advance from a course in multicultural education to the level of an organized and integrated component of the teacher education curriculum. This roundtable discussion identifies the major principles at issue in bringing about such a change in the…

This handbook provides resources for teachers and administrators involved in vocational assessment under the requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The handbook is organized in seven sections. The first section provides an overview of the background and contents of the handbook. Section II gives an overview of the process of…

This collection of papers illustrates that the principal changes taking place in the socialist countries in the field of education find their real reflection in the social position and creative work of the teacher. Papers, reports, and reviews in this collection include: (1) "Topical Tasks of Initial Teacher Training" (V. Brichta); (2) "The…

Media specialists and educators considering implementation of child-oriented film programs are provided with useful guidelines and case studies. Following an editorial assessing the myth of the short attention span in children, 10 articles cover the planning, promotion, and implementation of a variety of museum film programs. Included are: large…

To compare the effects of two different comprehension treatments on the reading of university students enrolled in a developmental reading laboratory, 74 students were administered pretests measuring reading achievement and reading attitudes and were given five weeks of instruction in text organizing strategies and vocabulary development. After…