Examines four types of evidence of literacy trends and performance among schools and students: national literacy data; then-and-now studies; Scholastic Aptitude Test trends; and test renorming studies, particularly those pertaining to the 1970s. Argues that both sides of the debate concerning the quality of education have misrepresented evidence…

This special issue focuses on several methodological issues in the evaluation of the largest mental health and substance abuse project for children and adolescents conducted at a single site, the U.S. Army's Fort Bragg Child and Adolescent Mental Health Demonstration program. The introduction and seven articles describe this program and the…

This research review describes intergenerational program outcomes related to program activities and contexts. It identifies research and evaluation challenges: more effective use of theory, more cross-cultural research, expanded outcomes, and the need to use standardized measures. (Contains 41 references.) (SK)

Presents the author's views on the nature of educational intervention in learning disabilities. Discusses the meaning of the terms intervention, remediation, tutoring, and accommodations; addresses optimal characteristics of intervention research; and examines ethical issues, research design, measurement of change, and barriers to conducting…

Presents the author's views concerning the nature of educational intervention in learning disabilities. Examines distinctions between intervention, remediation, tutoring, and accommodations. Examines the differences from regular classroom instruction along with the optimal characteristics of intervention research. Discusses ethical issues,…

Presents the author's views on the questions posed by the nature of educational intervention in learning disabilities. Discusses the influence of two primary concepts, change and interaction, on children's development in terms of educational intervention. Also considers ethical issues, research design, and measurement of change. (DB)

Presents the author's views on the nature of educational intervention in learning disabilities through a discussion of distinctions between intervention, remediation, tutoring, and accommodations; optimal characteristics of intervention research; ethical issues, research design, and measurement of change; and barriers to conducting intervention…

This monograph reviews the literature on the efficacy and authenticity of facilitated communication (FC). Meta-analysis of published studies is used to examine FC as a communication tool, criteria for scientific evidence of FC's effectiveness, and the value of quantitative assessment. Other questions addressed include life-span issues and…

Imported from New Zealand in 1984, Reading Recovery currently operates in 9,800 schools nationwide. Now the much- touted program for teaching at-risk readers is facing questions about its effectiveness and cost. According to one researcher, Reading Recovery temporarily increases the rate of reading development but has little effect on developing…

A University of Michigan study that surveyed students about sexual harassment behaviors discovered that 83% of girls and 60% of boys have experienced harassment. Also, 75% of the victims had also been perpetrators. Another study examined how cultural influences may affect high-achieving Japanese students' use of will power and memorization…

This paper urges researchers in learning disabilities not to embrace the risk/resilience framework without rigorous consideration of four issues: the meaning of risk and resilience factors; how to characterize learning disabilities as risk factors; just what the risk is; and how this framework may guide intervention efforts. (Contains references.)…

Evaluation of an intergenerational shared-site program included observations and videos of 20 children and 27 elders. Interpersonal communication and empathy were cultivated over time. The best activities promoted interaction and relationship building. Environmental factors and teaching style affected outcomes. Making and interpreting videos…

Discusses the difficulties of defining races and establishing statistical differences between such groups. Points out that studies of such aspects as temperament or basic personality traits show much more variation within groups than between groups. Investigators of such questions should be especially careful to use sound methodology and cautious…

Questions assumptions by Schoenfeld and Zirkel in a study reviewing gender discrimination cases against institutions of higher education. Critiques the methodology used in that study, cautions about the overall utility of "outcomes analysis," and reports more promising routes of empirical legal research. (15 references) (MLF)

This review focuses on methods used to identify language impairment in 72 published research studies from 1983-88. Test data were most frequently used, and expressive and receptive language were routinely assessed. Research problems included the lack of clarity regarding the specific number and identity of tests used and use of incomplete tests.…