This study compared the academic and social development of students who entered grade 1 very early (5:6 years or 5:7 years), in the mid range (5:8 to 6:3 years), and very late (6:4 years or older). The purpose of the study was to explore the hypothesis that the early grade 1 entrants would have continuing problems in both academic and social…

Designed as a starting point for anyone interested in home-based programs, this packet provides resources and basic information for program development and describes in particular the Child Development Associate (CDA) Program, a national effort embodying a new concept of training, assessing, and credentialing child care staff. Brief background…

This module on using evaluation instruments is the fourth of 11 modules in the set, Introduction to Teaching Adults. Designed to meet the learning needs of part-time continuing education instructors, these modules can be used as resource materials for local workshops or study-discussion groups, as self-instruction (each module takes approximately…

The Responsibility for Student Achievement Questionnaire (RSA) was designed to measure elementary or secondary school teachers' beliefs regarding their responsibility for their students' academic successes and failures. The 30 items were constructed in the alternative-weighting format; for each item describing student success or failure, the…

The booklet presents a compilation of informal checklists and inventories to help in assessing the developmental skills of visually handicapped students from birth through senior high school. Part 1, "Informal Assessment of School Age Visually Handicapped Students," covers the following areas: visual functioning; unique academic needs (such as…

DesignShare/School Construction News (DS/SCN) Jurists have often critically reflected on their desire to know more about how teachers and students really experience so-called innovative award-winning schools. Through the DesignShare Post-Occupancy Evaluation Program, the intention is to give voice to the individuals whose lives are directly…

This quasi-experimental study was designed to explore the potential impact of online instruction in a graduate course affects K-12 teachers' attitudes towards technology integration in schools and learning performance in the United States. This study used a nonequivalent control group design. Nineteen participants in both the experimental group…

Along with the rapid expansion over the past decade of Head Start, a program providing comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children, their families, and their communities, has come the demand for rigorous research to demonstrate program effectiveness. This report describes the proposed design of a national study of the…

The Fathering Indicators Framework (FIF) is an evaluation tool designed to help researchers, practitioners, and policymakers conceptualize, examine, and measure change in fathering behaviors in relation to child and family well-being. This report provides a detailed overview of the research and theory informing the development of the FIF. The FIF…

This classroom assessment tool for grades 4-6 offers teachers a method to quickly identify the needs of migrant, language-different, and mobile students in language arts, mathematics, and science in relation to national content standards. The Snapshot System asks the student to perform a series of tasks that are keyed to content standards and…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the validity and reliability of the Ecology Rating Scale (ERS). The ERS is a brief, multi-dimensional level-of-functioning instrument that can be rated by parents or clinicians. The ERS is comprised of seven domains of youth functioning: family, school, emotional, legal/justice,…

Evaluated social competence and problem behaviors among 217 Russian preschoolers. Found anxiety-withdrawal, anger-aggression, and social competence factors similar to those found in American, Canadian, French, and Spanish children. Found a mix of universal and culturally specific features that may be connected to gender stereotypes prevailing in…

Validated the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Inventory (SCBE-30) in eight countries. Found in all samples structural equivalence, pattern of gender differences generalized across cultural contexts, and age differences. Established data set to investigate universal and cultural differences in the development of preschool children's…

In 1987, Toronto Board of Education mandated the development of standards, called "benchmarks," for students' achievement in mathematics and language at the end of grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. The development and testing of benchmarks stressing higher-order thinking, problem solving, and the use of experiential approaches and manipulative…

Describes a study of ninth graders that investigated the effects of learner and program control over content review in science-related computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Results of posttests, continuing motivation measures, and attitude questions are discussed; and future research is suggested. (35 references) (LRW)