Designed to examine the relevance of television news programming, a study examined the application of a "group use" videodisc in a communication curriculum. Using a computer controlled videodisc, 60 communication students at a large midwestern university were shown the agenda-setting function of television and asked to evaluate the…

Since the fall of 1984, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has conducted a yearly statewide testing of the reading and mathematics competencies of students in grades 3, 5, and 8. Because Pennsylvania does not mandate statewide curricula, the Department has had to rely upon committees of state educators to determine which objectives to test.…

Pointing out the current need for emphasis on academic achievement and excellence, this paper discusses challenges faced by educators in seeking to make the best use of advanced technologies to prepare students for life in the information society. The three major goals of education are identified as preparing individuals with the computer skills…

Children who are raised in poverty currently run grave risks of educational failure. This paper approaches the issue, not through concentrating on special problems of, and programs for, the educationally at-risk, but through focusing on the educational problems of young people generally and on the effect that schools, not programs, play in…

A review of the voluminous research in the field of teaching at-risk, low achieving elementary school students yields a number of practical, validated applications for classroom teachers. At-risk students should be identified early during their formative years, and social and academic enrichment programs should be implemented as soon as possible.…

This report shows how new technological tools or devices are being used in adult education and training; it examines the evidence of their effectiveness and costs; and it suggests prospects for the future use of technologies. Particular attention is given to uses with displaced and employed workers needing basic skills, high school diplomas, and…

Project ABC (Advancement Based on Competency) was a 5-year study funded jointly by the Alberta Department of Education and the Calgary Board of Education. Funded at $999,950, the program took place from 1982 to 1987. It explored alternatives to the Carnegie Unit in three senior high schools. Students, teachers, and administrators in the William…

The intention of this guide is to consider the concepts, skills, facts, and attitudes of science which are taught in school; explore how content might be chosen; argue for a reduction in curriculum content; suggest major topics for science teaching; use examples to illustrate aspects of science content; and consider some of the implications of…

The Computer Pilot Program of the Division of Computer Information Services of the New York City Board of Education was designed to investigate the claim that comprehensive computer-based instruction (CBI) might best be used to improve the basic skills of educationally disadvantaged students. This ongoing project is designed to identify…

This paper argues that effective schools meet their educational objectives when they promote collaboration and coordination among all school publics via the participative decision-making School Development Program Model. Steps and guidelines are listed to integrate the program into school systems. In addition, the model's structure, functions, and…

This project sought to test the feasibility and effectiveness of experimental teaching in resource programs, by determining whether teachers could use continuous data to test successive hypotheses and empirically determine which reforms in an individual student's educational program produce the best performance outcomes. The project also evaluated…

Since the 1970s, Outward Bound (OB) has borrowed psychological language and models to articulate its educational objectives and methods in terms accessible to mainstream educators. This report claims that OB's uncritical adoption of psychological language and models will undermine its commitment to certain core values of its tradition. This is…

This paper discusses the effects of the instructional use of computers and projects possibilities for their home use. Following a brief introduction, exemplar studies of two computer assisted instruction programs--TICCIT and PLATO--are described. The TICCIT study contrasted the performance of over 5,000 community college students in classes taught…

This study of drill-and-practice computer-assisted instruction (CAI) compares CAI with reinforcement, CAI with formal classroom instruction, and CAI alone to determine which is most effective for gains in achievement. Results are analyzed for remedial students in grades four to eight who studied reading and math, and future research needs are…

Evaluates the National Writing Project (NWP) from a personal perspective. Notes that the greatest problem facing NWP teachers is their loss of autonomy under state-mandated reform movements. Asserts that the NWP should deal with these reforms by gathering evidence that NWP teaching methods improve student achievement. (MM)