This study has investigated the comparability of computer-based testing (CBT) writing prompts in the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) for examinees of different native language backgrounds. A total of 81 writing prompts introduced from July 1998 through August 2000 were examined using a three-step logistic regression procedure for…

Beginning in 1985, freshmen enrolled on a part-time basis in associate degree programs in Indiana postsecondary institutions were tracked for eight semesters to determine rates of retention and attrition. In 1985, associate degree-seeking freshmen with a declared major constituted 12% of the total undergraduate population in the state, and 74% of…

In 1989, the Los Rios Community College District Office of Planning and Research analyzed data provided by the California Postsecondary Education Commission to compare district transfer rates to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems with statewide trends. Major findings were as follows: (1) statewide…

Growth during the last 2 years of high school was examined in public and Catholic high schools using data from the High School and Beyond database--a large, nationally representative study. Earlier research was extended by considering: (1) affective variables (e.g., self-concept, locus of control), academic choices (e.g., course selection), and…

A discussion of language teaching at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology emphasizes problems specific to the teaching of English, Hebrew, and Arabic, the main languages used in Israel. Three aspects of the program of instruction are examined. The first is the distinction between required and elective languages. English is required of all…

Tucson, Arizona's Sunnyside School District pilot bilingual education program is described. The program was begun in 1985 to help prevent academic failure in limited English-proficient, high academic risk students. The pilot program offered sheltered immersion instruction in biology and United States history for language minority students with a…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 26 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the effect of selected biofeedback techniques on reading comprehension in a high school chemistry class; (2) an investigation of volunteer and nonvolunteer…

Results of an evaluation of the Individualized Study Program (ISP), a 2-year pilot program at the Learning Skills Center (LSC) of the University of California, Davis, are presented. The program target group were disadvantaged students who had not met the university's entrance requirements. The ISP, which is designed to improve retention of…

To learn how residents of the Palouse and Garfield (Washington) school districts felt about school-related issues, a survey based on interviews was developed and administered in 1984 to a proportional sample between districts and between rural and city residents within each district. A specific sample of parents with children in Garfield's school…

The members of the National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs (NASSGP) are surveyed annually to collect data on state and territory funded scholarship and grant programs to undergraduate and graduate students to attend public or private postsecondary institutions. The following are among the highlights reported in this year's…

Creating a link between current research findings and classroom practice, this book analyzes, compares, and critiques prevalent classroom strategies in beginning reading instruction in light of expertise available in other countries. The book begins with a section on "Points of Departure," consisting of three chapters:…

This national longitudinal study follows the first 5 years of life of 13,135 children in England, Scotland, and Wales who were born during a single week in April 1970. Part One examines the concept and extent of social inequality in the sample of children and compares the social circumstances of this third cohort with those of the earlier two…

The paper summarizes a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, "Reading, Science and Mathematic Trends: A Closer Look," in which achievement trends are compared in several subjects for 4th, 8th, and 11th grade black students, white students, low achievers, and high achievers. Findings indicate that while overall…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 22 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the role of the paraprofessional in the high school classroom; (2) the effectiveness of a staff development program in reading; (3) perceived characteristics…

One of the working papers in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness, this report presents statistical information on the progress of minority student access and persistence in the three Arizona Universities, Arizona's community colleges, and the Arizona Department of Education.…