Some potential relative advantages of performance assessment strategies over paper-and-pencil tests using short-answer and multiple-choice item formats are discussed. The major advantage of the multiple-choice test is its ability to sample a large number of learning outcomes efficiently. However, performance assessments are increasingly being used…

Previous studies of the development of correlational reasoning have focused on the interpretation of relatively simple data sets contained in 2 X 2 tables. In contrast, this study examined age trends in subjects' responses to problems involving more than two continuous variables. The research is part of a multi-year project to conceptualize…

The inferential operations of mildly retarded students reading at the intermediate level were investigated using methods based on discourse comprehension theory. It was hypothesized that problems encountered in reading by these students were related to difficulties in generating logical inferences. Mildly retarded junior high school students and…

A reference guide to federal student assistance programs is presented with a description and history of funding provided for each. For most programs, there is an analysis of the distribution of funding by sector, type of institution, and state. Information is also included on sources of revenue for public and private colleges and universities,…

Although most educators agree that cross cultural education is a valuable component of the curriculum and that it offers students the opportunity to understand differences and commonalities among people, there is little agreement about how to teach such a subject. An anthroliterary approach to this discipline helps students understand and…

Between 1978 and 1983, Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) undertook a comprehensive reform of its educational program in order to permit the continuation of the open door, while strengthening expectations and increasing the educational achievement of its graduates. Elements of the reform included the reinstatement of a placement testing program;…

A longitudinal comparative study was made of the physical growth and development of Australian fourth-grade students from low, medium, and high socioeconomic groups. Specific questions addressed were (1) Do children differing in socioeconomic status differ in anthropometric characteristics and incidence of physical defects? (2) What is the…

A 400-item questionnaire was designed to provide information on two outstanding research questions: whether a describable Hispanic culture exists in the United States, and if so, what special cultural characteristics should be taken into account in identifying and educating Hispanic exceptional students. English and Spanish versions of the…

To compare the effects of two different comprehension treatments on the reading of university students enrolled in a developmental reading laboratory, 74 students were administered pretests measuring reading achievement and reading attitudes and were given five weeks of instruction in text organizing strategies and vocabulary development. After…

The study compared nationwide research findings about the districts, superintendents, teachers, programs, and student performance in 642 public school districts with an enrollment of 900 or less (defined as small/rural) to data from a random sample of school districts of similar size in North Dakota. Data were collected from superintendents by…

Results of an updated survey on the basic legal structures and responsibilities of state coordinating or governing agencies and public institutional governing boards are presented. The data cover the 50 states and the District of Columbia as of January 1, 1983. For each state, information is presented on the following: (1) the structure of the…

An analysis of Korean language textbooks currently used by Korean children and of nationally-administered reading comprehension test items for high school graduates reveals a text-oriented reading comprehension approach in South Korea. Text orientation--seeing individual words, phrases, and sentences as semantically unified into a meaningful…

Two alternative programs for students seeking secondary school teacher certification were compared for cost effectiveness. The most pronounced difference between individuals majoring in education and non-majors seeking teacher certification while completing degree requirements in their chosen field is the number of required semester hours of…

The level and composition of student financial aid for undergraduate students were estimated, with attention to estimated number of aid recipients, the total amount they received, the distribution of aided students by their families' income level, the composition of their aid packages, and the use of computers in the administration of aid. In…

Changes in students' participation in higher education and in the federal aid they received are examined for 1969, 1974, and 1981 in order to relate the pattern of federal student aid disbursements to changes in the enrollment patterns among selected student groups. The following federal aid programs are examined: Pell Grants (Basic Educational…