This study is an attempt to link sociological theory and research to student grouping procedures, to administrative decision making, and to student attitudes. It is also a modest demonstration of how school administrators might more rationally assess the operation of schools as goal-directed organizations. American schools are based on an…

The general objective of a research program on adaptive testing was to identify several sources of potential error in test scores, and to study adaptive testing as a means for reducing these errors. Errors can result from the mismatch of item difficulty to the individual's ability; the psychological effects of testing and the test environment; the…

Describes Australian study which investigated relationships between characteristics of disadvantaged elementary and secondary students and their participation in computing activities, both in and out of the classroom. Variables used to define disadvantaged include gender, school ability, socioeconomic status, and ethnic background. Results are…

Defines United States bilingual education, why it is needed along with bicultural education, its advantages, why the Supreme Court did not require it, why it does not hinder English proficiency, the distinction between language grouping and segregation, why the research is inconclusive, and why Quebec's problems will not be encountered here. (LC)

This article presents the background, the history, and the implications of the Larry P. v Riles decisions in 1972 and in 1979 in which a federal district court enjoined California from using any standardized intelligence tests to assess Black children for eligibility for classes of educable mentally retarded. (Author/CTM)

This study compared the effects of televised and programed instruction on the achievement of students from rural and urban secondary schools in Nigeria. A pretest posttest control group design was used, and it was found that the two types of instruction had different effects for different locations and ability groups. (seven references) (LRW)

Describes study conducted with undergraduates in India to investigate the selection of suitable learning strategies in science instruction. Highlights include six independent and seven group learning strategies; components of students' learning potential; the influence of different components of learning potential on three achievement levels; and…

Describes a study that examined the impact of computer-assisted instruction developed in the United States on the reading and math performance of students in Grenada. Results were compared with students receiving conventional instruction for high and low ability students and for gender differences. (Contains seven references.) (LRW)

Effects of ability grouping on cognitive achievement in mathematics and science were studied for middle school students from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, with a seventh grade sample of 1,900 students. Ability grouping helped the advanced, harmed the slower students, and had a negligible overall effect. (SLD)

Discussion of the information search process (ISP) from the user's perspective focuses on a model of the ISP derived from longitudinal studies of high school and college students. Cognitive and affective aspects of the ISP are discussed, and their implications for future research are suggested. (31 references) (LRW)

Significant differences between education in the Australian states and in the territories make meaningful generalizations difficult. Common national trends include curriculum development that focuses on basics and the government's desire for community involvement in school decision making. Other issues include students' cultural and linguistic…

Argues that, even though the French elementary education system has changed in recent decades, basic problems have reemerged in new forms. Maintains that, despite striking differences between France and the United States with respect to ability grouping, teaching preparation and methods, and other issues, deeper problems of the two educational…

Describes a study of at-risk high school students that investigated the motivational and instructional effects of advisement in computer-based instruction on learners of varying ability and locus of control orientations. Session attendance and achievement on tests are examined, and interaction between advisement and gender is discussed. (Contains…

The first comprehensive research handbook of its kind, this volume showcases innovative approaches to understanding adolescent literacy learning in a variety of settings. Distinguished contributors examine how well adolescents are served by current instructional practices and highlight ways to translate research findings more effectively into…

This review of the research literature on ability grouping and tracking draws on professional and scholarly research journals and electronic databases. Five assumptions have been used to support the recurring practices of tracking and ability grouping, but none of these assumptions has withstood close examination in 70 years of research. They are:…