In the face of extreme poverty and inequality in South Africa, community mobilization interventions represent an important way in which people can be empowered to improve their life. Successfully conducting community mobilization interventions in rural South African communities requires anticipating and addressing a number of potential barriers in…

The reliability and stability of Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) scores were examined for the recreational and academic subscales and for the total scale. The responses of 718 students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades were included in the analyses. A seven-day interval between testings was used. The recreational and academic subscale…

Early identification of problem readers and appropriate interventions would reduce subsequent failure and would enhance reading skills. Screening instruments measure the risk/probability that reading problems will occur. In this article we discuss certain aspects with regard to the most important indices of screening measures: predictive accuracy,…

This article describes the development and use of a norm-referenced instrument called the Healthy School Indicator Tool (HSIT) that was designed to assist educational professionals monitor their progress in addressing critical health issues in schools. Factor analyses of two administrations of the survey indicated a stable factor structure. In…

This study examined factors associated with the curriculum and instructional environments for secondary students with mild mental retardation, based on teacher report. A survey was mailed to 378 secondary special education teachers in Michigan. Teachers provided demographic information and answered questions regarding curriculum and instructional…

Consumer acceptance or rejection of biotechnology is often shaped by information prepared by communicators with varying levels of scientific knowledge, awareness, and acceptance. This study compared the prior, post-workshop, and sustained (1 year) biotechnology awareness, acceptance, and attitudes of professionals who communicate biotechnology to…

Perspectives on testing and grading are considered; and strategies, reference materials, and sample test items are presented. Attention is directed to specific impacts of testing and grading on students and teachers, purposes of testing and grading, and common complaints of students and teachers. Extra activities proposed for the teacher include…

Comparisons were made of test scores derived from a sample of American Indian students attending grades 2 through 10, living in a Bureau of Indian Affairs dormitory, and enrolled either in an English as a Second Language Program (N=43) or in the regular school program (N=87) to determine ESL impact on Indian students' English vocabulary,…

Procedures for developing curriculum-based measurement (CBM) systems are presented as an approach to special education problem solving. CBM procedures are discussed within the context of a decision-making matrix, focusing on "what" and "how" to measure and how to use data. An example applies the method to reading-aloud…

Reviews research and development in media and computer based classroom simulations, emphasizing feasibility and reliability, presentation modes, and benefits. Areas of further study are highlighted, including transfer of training, degree of realism necessary, and correlation with instructional theories; specific variables for study are also…

Assesses the validity of Language Assessment Scales (LAS) and a cloze test in measuring language proficiency. The LAS and two written cloze passages were administered to 28 Mexican-American third graders enrolled in bilingual classes. The cloze test correlated significantly only with the California Test of Basic Skills. (Author/LMO)

Describes a study designed to develop a systematic procedure for constructing a valid Likert attitude scale. Discusses the 15-step procedure that was produced. Reviews the resulting development of an instrument designed to test the attitude of teachers toward the use of microcomputers in the classroom. (TW)

Performance of limited-English speaking graduate school applicants on the Prueba de Admision para Estudios Graduados aptitude test is compared with Graduate Record Examination results, and the validity of the two tests as predictors of academic success for bilingual doctoral students in the New York University Puerto Rico program is examined. (MSE)

Describes a new 48-item self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control, which defines children's perceptions of control as understanding the locus of sufficient cause for success and failure. Three dimensions of third- through ninth-grade children's perceptions of control are assessed within three…

John J. Cannell's late 1980s "Lake Wobegon" reports suggested widespread deliberate educator manipulation of norm-referenced standardized test (NRT) administrations and results, resulting in artificial test score gains. The Cannell studies have been referenced in education research since, but as evidence that high stakes (and not cheating or lax…