Increasing recent research on nontraditional students has uncovered anomalies and inconsistencies in Tinto's model of student persistence patterns, especially with regard to academic and social integration. It is hypothesized that these inconsistencies are a product of the heterogeneous nature of nontraditional student populations, combined with…

The focus of these two reports is on students who transferred from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), and who were studied as a part of the Maryland Longitudinal Study. Results found included the following: (1) transfers in the Representative Group (containing members of all ethnic groups) were equally likely to be male or female; in…

This handbook guides the tutor of adult literacy students in the use of newspapers to teach either basic reading or conversational English skills. The first part of the handbook, an outline of the general teaching approach, gives facts about newspapers and suggestions for preparing lessons using newspapers to teach reading and critical thinking…

Intended for reading educators and researchers, this handbook characterizes the current state of methodology and the cumulative research-based knowledge of reading. The book's three sections cover methodological issues, basic reading processes, and instructional practices. The 25 chapters discuss the following topics: (1) reading research history,…

Ideas and activities for helping children attain success in school, in friendships and in sports are presented in this handbook for parents. The areas covered are: (1) developing a winning attitude; (2) increasing self-confidence; (3) improving reading skills; (4) gaining good study habits; (5) improving test-taking skills; (6) doing homework; (7)…

In San Diego and Imperial Counties (California) all high schools now require between 2 and 3 years of mathematics of their students. This represents almost a doubling of the minimum mathematics requirements in the last 2 years. While the requirements have been increasing, the availability of qualified secondary mathematics teachers has been…

The Partnerships for Progress Bridge Program (a joint venture initiated by the University of Missouri St. Louis, local school systems, and private businesses) is described in this report. It is a key segment of the university's vision for the 21st century. The pilot program, implemented during the 1986-87 school year, concentrated on delivering a…

Designed for use by basic education teachers, this teaching guide outlines a summer school communication skills program for at-risk students which seeks to build self-esteem through high-interest, success-oriented experiences and to enhance language development by providing opportunities to use language in meaningful situations. The guide…

The editors of "The American School Board Journal" and "The Executive Educator" magazines recently invited school leaders from across North America to send in curriculum ideas that work. From among the 1,026 entries that were submitted, a panel of judges selected 100, which are published in this special report. Criteria for selection included (1)…

A preceptorship model of clinical teaching for medical education is presented. Based on the view that physicians use precepting skills in patient care, preceptorship is seen as an opportunity for medical students to learn to practice ambulatory medicine away from the medical center. A model called "Johari Window" is adapted to explain the…

Factors contributing to declining academic performance of college students are considered, including: increased government intervention in education, declining faculty expectations and lowered standards, administrative policies, and changing student attitudes and expectations. One view is that government is largely responsible for the…

This report includes an overview of the design and procedures used in the junior high school phase of a study of managing academic tasks (MAT) conducted by the Research on Classroom Learning and Teaching Program at the University of Texas at Austin. A description of the current status of data analysis, a summary of preliminary findings, and…

Noting that computer based environments for communication may have profound effects upon classroom social organization and the development of literacy, this paper reports on a project that used QUILL, a software system that includes both tools that facilitate writing and new environments for communication. Following a brief introduction to the…

The relationships among motivational orientations of entering university freshmen, their involvement in social and academic systems, and persistence/attrition were studied at Arizona State University. Also considered was the applicability of Tinto's theory, which suggests that if background and commitments are equal, the greater the integration of…

The relationship between productivity and aging in the context of the college faculty roles of teaching, research, and service is considered, based on a literature review on worker and faculty productivity and on theories of aging (i.e., biological, physiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives). It is concluded that faculty…