This summary of research in science education continues a long tradition of review and analysis of research in science education by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. The summaries provide an overview of recent research, provide research information in a succinct form for practitioners and development…

The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) has been laying the groundwork to explore fundamental questions of the implementation of alternative assessment. The CRESST has been working collaboratively with school practitioners to help them implement performance assessment strategies so that the CRESST…

This ERIC Digest reviews research data on young urban, low income, and often minority parents and their involvement in schooling for themselves and their children. A look at the demographics of this subgroup shows that families headed by single teenage mothers comprise the fastest growing category of family groups, particularly among African…

This essay discusses the financial problems faced by higher education institutions in the United States and advances possible solutions to these difficulties. Colleges and universities in the 1990s are confronted with internal desires to expand services and programs, an absence of productivity gains, increasing costs for information and…

This qualitative study determined the behaviors and strategies used by 12 high potential, middle school students when they did not feel challenged in school. Teacher reaction to these behaviors was also documented. Data analysis revealed that these students engaged in the following behaviors: (1) selective attention, (2) focused curricular…

This study is second in a series demonstrating that achievement tests are multidimensional and that using psychologically meaningful subscores in national educational surveys can enhance test validity and usefulness. National Education Longitudinal Study 1988 (NELS:88) 8th- and 10th-grade science tests were subjected to full information item…

This collection of 20 papers addresses child development and early intervention issues related to literacy acquisition from a cross-cultural perspective. Titles of the papers are: (1) "Preparing Young Children for Literacy: Issues in Theory and Practice" (Lotty Eldering and Paul Leseman); (2) "Jomtien Revisited: A Plea for a…

This report surveys the steps taken by the Council of Europe's Council for Cultural Cooperation (CDCC) to combat the increasing problem of intolerance and xenophobia in Western Europe. The outbreak of xenophobic sentiment is attributed to two facts: large immigrant communities from outside Europe have settled permanently in Europe, and there has…

A substantially revised Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was introduced in spring 1991. The new examination is designed to assess critical thinking skills, basic concepts and problem solving facility in science, and writing skills. This paper reports preliminary findings on the factor structure of the revised MCAT, which consists of four…

This practicum addressed the low self-esteem, poor academic achievement, strained interpersonal relationships, and difficulty in dealing with growing diversity noted in fifth-graders in an urban elementary school. A six-part solution strategy was developed that emphasized: (1) building realistic self-esteem; (2) increasing cultural and ethnic…

This curriculum module contains lesson plans and application activities that were developed to help adult students master the mathematics skills needed to earn a general high school equivalency diploma. Included in the module are materials designed to help students improve their understanding of mathematics and achieve the following objectives:…

This learning module reviews basic algebraic principles, the use of algebra for solving mathematical problems in the workplace as related to electronics, mechanics, computer operations, printing, and the general concepts of algebraic formulas. The course provides students with a practical knowledge of algebra in areas such as variable algebraic…

Established in 1989, the Birmingham (Alabama) Public Schools' Infant Care Training Project is an essential component of the Ensley Young Mothers' program, an alternative program for pregnant teenagers. Approximately 250 pregnant students aged 12 to 18 enroll voluntarily in the program each school year. Approximately 90 percent are economically…

Major policy, management, and program issues face the Congress and new administration in the area of labor. Many of the nation's youth are leaving school poorly prepared for the new work world. The nation already has a large group of economically disadvantaged people who lack necessary skills. Annually, 900,000 or more workers are at least…

A study assessed the effectiveness of the standard report writing segment of two postsecondary courses in English as a Second Language one in accounting and one in secretarial communication, at a Hong Kong polytechnic. The 69 subjects were in 4 groups, one in each subject receiving instruction with a problem-solving approach and one in each…