PRYO, the Swedish acronym for Praktiske Yrkesorientering, translates into English as Practical Work Orientation. PRYO was the result of action taken by the Swedish legislature, excluding educational researchers for the most part, in which compulsory school attendance was extended from seven to nine years to further equalize Swedish education while…

Examines reading proficiency and phonological skill using a comprehensive battery of group measures in a Swedish classroom. Suggests that, given sufficient exposure to the majority language, it is possible to assess a range of phonological skills among speakers of minority languages using the same battery of tasks as for native speakers. (SG)

Divided into poor readers and good readers, 144 Swedish students (13-14 years old) participated in an experiment in which oral reading speed, free recall, and summarization of narrative stories presented on videotex were studied as a function of reading skill, text structure, and physical factors. Good readers outperformed poor readers. (BRR)

Eleven papers on developments in middle school education (grades seven through nine) in England, West Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium are presented. Topics include comprehensive education for 11 to 16 year olds, mathematics, political issues, accessibility, curricula, school evaluation, and the view of the United States. (TJH)