A comparison is presented of alternate-choice and true-false item forms used in an undergraduate natural science course. The alternate-choice item is a modified two-choice multiple-choice item in which the two responses are included within the question stem. This study (1) compared the difficulty level, discrimination level, reliability, and…

The study of consciousness requires a language for exact and precise communication. This research project investigated how workers from different cultural contexts value information that is relevant to their job performance. Thirty-five randomly selected mechanics, from Sweden, England, West Germany, Italy, and the United States, were selected as…

A study of high school dropouts and programs in Appalachian regions of 13 states also sought exemplary programs and methods of replication. The high school dropout rate was found to be 5.8% higher than the national average of 23.9%. Within the region, rates were 19.1% in the northern, 38% in the central, and 30% in the southern region. Differences…

Foreign language (FL) needs is a new interdisciplinary area of research developing between applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and educational planning and evaluation. FL needs consist of the demands, wishes, and expectations of the whole society, its groups and individuals, reflecting the relationship of their contemporary and future existence…

Financial statistics on postsecondary education finance in New York State, including trends in both state support and sector revenues and expenditures, are assessed. Standardized fiscal information for 1979-1980 through 1983-1984 is provided for the four sectors: the State University of New York (SUNY), City University of New York, the private…

This report provides data on hourly wage rates and annual salaries paid in 1985-86 by responding school systems to personnel employed in 10 selected support positions. Data show lowest, highest, and average hourly wage ranges being paid to teacher aides, building custodians, cafeteria workers, and school bus drivers. Also shown are the annual…

The purpose of this study was to examine how learners with different levels of prior understanding of a topic interact and learn from computer-assisted video instruction systems when they have control of content, sequence, pace, and mode of instruction. Based on pretest scores, 80 subjects were randomly selected, half with low prior conceptual…

Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh initiated an education reform package, "Turning the Tide: An Agenda for Excellence in Pennsylvania Public Schools" in October 1983. The statewide competency testing program which followed was "Testing for Essential Learning and Literacy Skills (TELLS), and it tested reading and mathematics…

This summary describes the results of a survey that served as a needs assessment, preceding the development of a curriculum for both Arab and Jewish elementary schools in Israel. The curriculum's goals were to educate children to create interethnic contacts on a basis of mutual equality and respect for each other and their cultures. Previous…

This report presents the results of a study conducted by the Educational Priorities Panel (EPP) to determine what educational and support services New York City vocational education students receive, and to examine the characteristics of vocational education programs in city high schools. The two fields chosen for in-depth examination were data…

Established by the state legislature in 1980, the Oklahoma Citizens' Commission on Education (OCCE) aimed to evaluate the state's schools and prescribe goals for its future educational system. This report presents OCCE's recommendations and background materials. The first section comprises OCCE's 42 recommendations and statements, with supporting…

An assessment of a four-stage conceptual model reveals that critical thinking has indirect positive effects on political participation through its direct effects on personal control, political efficacy, and democratic attitudes. The model establishes causal relationships among selected personality variables (self-esteem, personal control, and…

Proceedings of the 1981 CAUSE conference include both professional and vendor presentations. Track 1, on decision support systems, examines such areas as system design, the EDUCOM Financial Planning Model System (EFPM), the evolution of support systems, and a Mississippi approach. Track 2, "Managing the Information Systems Resource,"…

Item response model applications to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data specifically aimed at the uses of item response models in mathematics item banking are discussed. Approaches for addressing goodness of fit were organized into three categories: Checks on model assumptions, expected features, and additional model…

Research findings from a study of collective bargaining in New York and Michigan school districts indicate that collective bargaining does have a significant impact on the allocation of resources in ways that affect student learning. These findings support hypotheses based on the theory that collective bargaining will make a difference in resource…