Examines four "puzzling" results of the National Adult Literacy Survey: (1) the ability to use printed information effectively is unevenly distributed in the United States; (2) adults exhibited a large gap between performance and perception of literacy skills; (3) increased literacy did not always correspond with significant earnings…

States that research in organizational socialization outlines a common process of transition making--newcomers first anticipating what the workplace and their involvement there will be like, then adjusting expectations upon encountering reality. Surveys student interns. Suggests that classes intended to prepare students for workplace communication…

Describes a 20 item self-report psychometric scale that was used to assess test anxiety levels in 67 students. Reports that the higher the anxiety level, as measured by the Revised Test Anxiety Scale (RTA), the lower the score on a reading and writing competency exam taken subsequently, and that students who received extra time on the reading test…

Submits survey instruments on college student development used by Tinto, Astin, and Pace to five probes from recent social theory--voice, power, authenticity, self-reflexivity, and reconstitution--and proposes a shift in focus in student development research from essentialized categories like culture and race to relation and learning "between"…

It's never easy to connect long-term social and cultural changes to short-term electoral ones. They're like two different timescales--one incremental, even geological in pace, the other immediate and seemingly will-o'-the-wisp. Opinion polls are like weather reports, where the weather-systems seem to scud around with arbitrary and unintelligible…

It has been recommended that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) specify comprehensive exercise domains to measure academic achievement, and provide a national item pool to measure the objectives in these domains. These domain specifications and item pools would serve to satisfy the increasing demand for valid, accurate, and…

These proceedings contain the texts of 13 papers presented at a conference devoted to the development and use of employer surveys at the local level. Focus of the first paper is on using local employer surveys for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) planning and determination of private sector employment and training needs. Examined…

The nation's public schools played a critical role in the response to Hurricane Katrina, and they continue to contribute to the recovery of individual families and entire communities. By enrolling displaced children with compassion and efficiency in areas unaffected by the storms, providing parents with information and assistance, and supporting…

The purpose of this report is to provide insight into the accomplishments of community colleges in serving minority populations. Observations are drawn from the literature in relation to open admissions, the extent to which minority educational needs are met, actions that would help community college programs benefit the individual and the…

This report provides the results of a survey of safety and security at colleges and universities in Minnesota, along with policy recommendations to improve safety and security at Minnesota post-secondary institutions. It is based on campus security reports voluntarily submitted by 60 of the 110 Minnesota post-secondary institutions, personal…

Public relations accreditation is granted by the national bodies of the Council of Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) and the Department of Education to the Accreditation Council for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). The privilege of accrediting public relations fell to a group in which journalism and mass communications…

Responses to a one-page questionnaire on library security were received from 89 of 117 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions (76%). The questions, which covered administrative security control, security policies and procedures, permanent identification of library materials, and swift responses to possible theft were derived from a…

This report analyzes the administration of student financial aid programs in Florida's state universities and community colleges. The analysis was conducted by reviewing documents, receiving public testimony, conferring with state-level agencies and institutions, surveying directors of financial aid offices, and surveying students. An introductory…

A brief report is given on the results of a study based on the study by E. D. Hirsch, "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know." A sample questionnaire of 25 items from the work was submitted to 108 graduate students, of whom 85 were teachers and 23 were nonteachers. Overall, the respondents scored 24 percent out of a…

Robert Coles' book "Eskimos, Chicanos, Indians, Children in Crisis" (1977) and Don Barnett's article "Attitudes of Eskimo School Children" (1973) attempt to present needed information on the values of Eskimo children. However, many of their findings are questionable due to poor methodology and interpretation. During summer…