This journal issue is a collection of papers describing research on Hispanic families conducted at the Hispanic Research Center, Fordham University, New York. The first article, "Research Issues concerning the Puerto Rican Child and Family," by Lloyd H. Rogler, reviews two research projects on health conditions and the plight of Puerto Rican…

To examine the effect of structural factors on the development of story appreciation, a developmental model of story liking for suspense stories was tested by having second, fourth, and sixth grade children rate suspense stories on 10 affective scales. Specifically, the model predicted that (1) reader identification would increase with greater…

Data from death records of 1,906 Catholic parishes and other entities in 11 Texas dioceses during January to June 1980 were used to estimate sensitivity of Hispanic population data to various identifications of "Hispanic." Self-identification as Hispanic, as on the 1980 census, appeared unreliable; the Census Bureau was expected to…

Major issues addressed during a 1979 international meeting of experts on special education, which was sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), are summarized. In addition, recommendations are offered for UNESCO's immediate and future special education program. The following topics are discussed:…

The concept of the marginal child is developed in the article. The marginal child is described as one who is experiencing a number of potentially serious problems which, if not attended to, will move him or her into the pre-delinquent or delinquent categories. (Editor)

Intended for use in college-level secondary-education methods courses, the module contains text, an annotated bibliography, and overhead masters. The first section explains the federal definition of learning disabilities (LD), noting the difficulty of measuring many of the characteristics identified in the definition and the resulting increasing…

The validity of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) of a split plot factorial design was investigated using a complex interaction contrast with matched two-group ability data for detecting biased items. The definition of a biased item by this method is: an item is biased if there is an item-by-group interaction when there is no group difference in…

The practicum attempted to decrease inappropriate referrals to special education from parents and elementary teachers at a Louisiana elementary school through inservice training for teachers (N=19) and parents (N=43). Training focused on: (1) improving teachers' recognition of characteristics of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and learning…

Federal legislation and litigation concerning the rights of handicapped and limited-English-proficient (LEP) students is reviewed, and the dilemma of providing fair, accurate, and adequate assessment for LEP students considered for special education is examined. A recent shift from overrepresentation of LEP students in special education to an…

A general linear model (GLM), using least-squares techniques, was used to develop a criterion measure to replace freshman year grade point average (GPA) in college admission predictive validity studies. Problems with the use of GPA include those associated with the combination of grades from different courses and disciplines into a single measure,…

Project IMPACT is based on an innovative prevention/community intervention model designed to stem the use of drugs and alcohol in an Oregon school district. A total of 74 teachers, administrators, and community leaders participated in a training session which included didactic and experiential sessions informing participants about the nature and…

The guides aim to help New Jersey school administrators and staff undertake the process of developing and implementing programs for their gifted students. The first guide deals with staff development, focusing on criteria to consider when selecting teachers of the gifted, teacher training, and stages of staff development. Appendices offer…

These three volumes, compiled by the Great Lakes Area Regional Resource Center, provide information regarding state regulations for staff to student ratios and class size/caseload for special education programs. The first volume presents this information in a short form, in charts grouped according to handicapping condition alphabetically from…

Child Find is the name of a public school outreach effort to identify 3-, 4- and 5-year-old children in need of supportive services. This practicum addressed the need to extend Child Find activities in an urban setting. The goals of the practicum were to (1) expand the Child Find effort using an existing program, (2) develop a videotape about…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the private speech of 40 kindergarten children involved in a problem-solving task differed according to gender, socioeconomic status, sociability, and academic ability. The introductory chapter provides a brief summary of the theoretical views of Piaget and Vygotsky concerning private speech.…