This ERIC Digest presents a brief description of some applications and findings of the microcomputer in science classrooms. It is suggested that microcomputer simulations are at least as effective as hands-on experiences for some cognitive outcomes and may in fact enhance these outcomes when the simulations are sequenced to follow hands-on…

The articulation or suppression of ethnicity among high school students depends on the individual's estimation of the relevancy of ethnicity, an estimation linked to structural factors in society. Data for this ethnographic study were derived from extensive observations of students by a participant-observer at a multiethnic urban high school. The…

A detailed analysis of the significant gender differences observed in performance on the mathematics portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in 1986 was performed for students enrolled in the Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland). A disaggregation of data from the 1986 SAT administration was performed to examine homogeneous subgroups…

In spring 1986 Anglo students received higher scores than Blacks or Hispanics on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), on all subtests and at all grade levels in the Denver (Colorado) Public Schools. This study, by attempting to locate patterns of item response, seeks to identify items in the ITBS that suggest differential pupil achievement by…

Grade retention data were collected from the Campbell River, British Columbia schools to determine the prevalence of retention and its effect on school completion. An extensive survey was administered to 52 parents and 204 educators to assess attitudes towards grade retention. Individual interviews were conducted with eight teachers from various…

A study examined curriculum policies and practices within technical and further education (TAFE) in Australia. To isolate and explain differences in patterns of curriculum development (CD) within the TAFE sector, researchers administered a set of three-tiered questionnaire information-gathering sheets to curriculum developers and project managers…

Inner City children have been known to experience difficulty in school with their academic programs because they are taught in an environment that is culturally different from the home and community that a child comes from. Thus, an inner city child may be stigmatized as educationally deficient, consequently depriving him of the opportunities to…

Differences in instructional workload between men and women college faculty were studied at a large, land-grant university. The following variables were investigated: number of weighted student credit hours, number of sections taught, number of different courses taught, and didactic hours by level of course. Because the faculty members varied in…

A ten-year research effort, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), explored the relative merits and failings of different national systems of education in the United States and in Western and Eastern Europe. The first section of this report deals with trends in American education as seen…

Data on degrees and other formal awards conferred in 1980 to 1981 in Pennsylvania colleges and universities are presented, including a brief narrative section on trends. Detailed statistical tables cover the following: associate and higher degrees conferred by level of program and sex, 1971-1972; associate and higher degrees conferred as compared…

In 1982, 46,818 students graduated from all Kentucky high schools; 23,232 (49.6%) were boys and 23,586 (50.4%) were girls. There were 42,700 students graduated from public schools, which represented 65% of the 9th grade enrollment of 1978-79. There were 4,118 students, or 8.8% of the state total, graduated from non-public high schools. Sixty-nine…

This paper analyzes data from the "High School and Beyond" study on approximately 30,000 sophomores in 1,000 U.S. schools. The purpose is to explain the contradictory conclusions offered by two recent national studies on public and private schooling. The analysis examines differences between public and private school students in…

A paper examining recent changes in the social and economic development of rural America--with comments by a different author--and a paper discussing rural policy comprise this workshop collection. Placing the changes of the 1970s in a broader historical perspective and developing a general framework within which to consider the influence of…

The underrepresentation of minority groups in graduate and professional education in New York State and approaches to address this problem are discussed. Components include: limited awareness of professional career options among minority students; inadequate counseling at important stages of education; lack of minority professional role models;…

Data on 1982 college and university enrollments and trends for the past few years are presented. Information is provided on enrollment in institutions of higher education by control and level of institution, student sex, and attendance status of student, major field of study, and race/ethnicity. Specific data include: enrollment of first-time…