A study examined a unique workplace literacy program designed for college preparation. Factors related to retention were studied in a group of paraprofessional health care workers who were attending the program as a step toward career advancement. The 153 participants were mainly women of minority backgrounds who spoke English fluently but not…

The intent of this study was to reduce the numbers of off-task behaviors of a group of 32 sixth-grade students in an economically disadvantaged, urban, junior high school. The subjects of the study were given the materials (paper, the mathematics book, and pencils) and seated before the tardy bell. Following teacher graphing of each of the…

This paper summarizes and critiques the literature concerning the development and use of time-compressed, intensive course formats in colleges and universities and suggests directions for future inquiry. The paper begins with a discussion of the origins of intensive courses and their development over time. Briefly reviewed are related educational…

This paper synthesizes a study designed to identify the factors that contribute to primary school repetition and dropout in Honduras. Data were collected by record reviews; teacher, student, and parent interviews; and a test of Spanish. The sample included 1,253 students in grades 1 and 3 in 40 schools in rural Honduras. The main findings of the…

Intended to help elementary school language arts teachers provide students with opportunities for unprescribed writing according to a natural writing process, this booklet discusses research and practice in the writing process and creating a supportive classroom environment. The first part of the booklet examines theory and research on the stages…

Generalizations arising from effective teaching studies are vulnerable because they are not based on a theoretical perspective of how learning occurs or can be improved, but have resulted from observations of what teachers appear to be doing when students are learning. Critics of teacher effectiveness studies contend that good instruction requires…

A study examined the effectiveness of university supervisors' feedback on the Academic Learning Time in Physical Education (ALT-PE) of students in two student teachers' classes. Subjects used in this study were secondary school pupils (chosen at random) in two student teachers' physical education classes. Students were observed 13 times for a 40…

Research-based strategies for improving educational quality with limited resources include: (1) leadership by school administrators in making better student performance in the basic skills a goal for schools, (2) increased time on academic tasks, (3) redesign of the instructional program to focus on basic skills, (4) improved teaching practices,…

The paper reports on the application of a computer local area network and software to develop both literacy skills and science content knowledge in 15 deaf students. The network approach allows for interaction between a large number of students and the teacher both within and outside the context of the lesson and utilizes support programs to allow…

Two freshman classes and two senior classes at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill were surveyed with the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). The data showed that high levels of student/faculty contact coincided with high student scores on quality of effort measures. It is noted that this may be due to the contact,…

This research project was designed to explore ways of making computer text presentations more readable as a way of compensating for the constraints that computers impose on the display of text as compared with print-on-paper displays, e.g., limited screen resolution and display area. Forty-eight undergraduate teacher education majors enrolled in…

Two approaches to testing student achievement are discussed: (1) traditional standardized tests; and (2) testing achievement on an instructional unit. Content validity is a major problem with standardized achievement tests. Even though test publishers typically consider a number of curriculum guides and textbooks in producing a test which is…

To confirm or refute impressions that primary grade children do little in the way of actual school work during the day, a principal conducted informal observations in several first and second grade classrooms. Each type of activity the children might perform, such as reading, coloring, or moving about the room, was grouped into three major…

The roles and conduct of teachers and principals have emerged as good indicators of effective schools. Research is presently being conducted on parent involvement and its effect on student learning. Good teacher-student interaction is crucial to effective learning. Teachers must have high expectations for students. Their techniques for…

Investigating the effects of a 1984 West Virginia State Board of Education (WVBE) policy which specified the use of instructional time, a study examined the effects of this policy on reading instruction in the primary grades by surveying a random representative sample of primary teachers and principals in West Virginia. In September 1986, 410…