Longitudinal studies from the 1980s suggest that the greater the amount of native language instructional support for language-minority students, combined with balanced second language support, the higher they are able to achieve academically in the second language in each succeeding academic year, in comparison to matched groups being schooled…

This commentary on a paper by Diane Sawyer (EC 602 748) on relations between various language skills and the development of reading ability addresses potential limitations in the implementation of structural equation modeling. The commentary concludes that the data presented by Sawyer do not support the interpretation that reading comprehension…

Deterministic chaos which involves orderly motion is discussed. Presented is the history of chaos and two tests for chaos. Practical applications and predictions of the long-term significance of chaos research are discussed. (KR)

Reviews the evidence for differences between the sexes in their experience of higher education. Describes and compares research using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Argues that a primary educational objective should be enhancing the academic integration of women in a supportive environment in which interpersonal understanding can be…

This article examines the relationship between research and service provision to persons with severe mental retardation, notes frequent methodological deficiencies in current research, and proposes establishment of Australian research centers to coordinate research efforts and link research to service delivery. (DB)

This study examined 40 articles published in the "American Journal on Mental Retardation" or the "Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps" (JASH) from 1976-78 and 1986-88. Both journals published low numbers of articles with ecological validity in the late 1970s, but JASH subsequently increased…

A discussion of the use of meta-analysis to study the effects of student rating feedback on college teacher behavior traces the source of failure of the method and outlines the elements necessary for comprehensive meta-analysis. Researchers are cautioned to report their results more thoroughly and clearly. (Author/MSE)

Refutes criticisms by L. G. Carr and D. J. Ziegler of the author's predictions concerning mandatory busing in Norfolk, Virginia. Charges that Carr and Ziegler ignored or miscalculated statistical evidence. Concludes that canceling forced busing would have brought White students back to secondary schools, as it did to elementary schools. (SG)

Evaluating Chinese publications about rural education and needed reforms presents several problems: political limits on educational debate; paucity of statistical data and reference citations; and complex ideological statements. Examination of nine journal and newspaper articles reveals that they cautiously endorse rural education reforms within…

The promise of behavioral community research remains vibrant today, but behavior analysts are reminded that there are differences among advocacy, application, and research; there are many forms of research; knowledge alone is often insufficient to foster long-term change; and the complex environments of most community work involve multiple and…

This paper expresses concerns about implementing the behavior analysis values for community intervention expressed by Stephen Fawcett in EC 602 711. Concerns include inclusion of participants in selecting research goals, methods, and outcome measures; research impact on public policy; tension between research requirements and research settings;…

Survey of 95 medical school libraries found that 91.5 percent of copies of retracted articles were not tagged as being invalid, that 79 percent of the libraries had tagged none of the retracted studies; and only 16 percent had policies for managing articles that report invalid science. A common attitude against perceived library censorship was…

Describes the experiences of Cabrillo College (California) in constructing a personal computer-based student tracking system. Addresses data collection and such obstacles as access to the mainframe, limited/erroneous/inconsistent data, lack of information on within-semester persistence, and understated graduation rates. Reviews benefits. (DMM)

Based on a Phoenix (Arizona) school district's experience, this article shows central office administrators how to empower individual schools without abdicating control. Administrators should first identify all influential parties, seek successful pioneers in other districts, examine research findings, allow time for change, and delegate someone…

The futility of the debate between heredity and environment as determinants of intelligence is argued, with convictions inspired by C. Burt's work (apart from the question of fraud in his work). It is contended that the influence of this misconceived ideological disagreement is apparent in today's educational systems. (SLD)