This article reports findings from an impact study of a 2-year postsecondary academic program offered in state prisons. Outcomes examined for participants during their 1st year of participation include performance on a standardized test of critical thinking skills, credit acquisition, achievement motivation, educational aspirations, personal…

Public schools face raised performance expectations on group-administered achievement tests. In response, educators have implemented various preparation strategies to ready students. However, the research community largely ignores the impact of setting on test performance. This randomized field trial assesses whether or not there were significant…

The establishment of Research and Instructional (R and I) Units is discussed in terms of their utility and applicability for research needs. These units are said to provide a propitious setting for rigorous educational research. Two experiments in R and I units are described--one dealing with ways to implement feedback to students on their school…