The back-to-basics movement alone cannot solve many of our pressing educational difficulties. Absenteeism and discipline problems point out the need for schooling that fosters human relationships and individual interests. This speech was presented at the American Association of School Administrators Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 16,…

Presented is a speech made by Shirley Hill, president, at the 58th Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in which she presents the organization's recommendations for the direction of school mathematics in the 1980s (called "An Agenda for Action"). (Author/TG)

Many studies and much "common knowledge" in the United States today decry the quality of the work force and the "basic literacy needs" of today's and tomorrow's workers. Widespread concern exists that U.S. workers are ill-equipped to compete in the global marketplace and that schools and vocational programs are failing to keep pace with changing…

In 1980, the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) revised the instruments used to assess basic skills attainment in mathematics and reading of all students in grades 4, 7, and 10. The research summarized in this paper examined the factor structures of the 1979 and 1980 versions of the Grade 10 MEAP mathematics test. These two versions…

Uganda's education system was damaged and retarded by the military regime of the 1970's. About 50 percent of the primary school age children go to school and of these only 20 percent manage to proceed to secondary school. The ultimate number that manage to gain admission to the single university is 0.8 percent of these. Curriculum provides for an…

A study examined whether the basic skills performances of children in the primary grades were responsive to their inferencing abilities. It was hypothesized that the three components (informational, causal, and evaluative) of the second and third grade inferencing abilities tests would constitute a hierarchy of inferencing and that the impact of…

A study was conducted to examine the achievement levels of entering freshmen at a two-year college over a 5-year period to determine if scores were significantly different over the years. Analyses were made of the English, reading, and math scores on the Stanford Task Test of Academic Skills for Junior/Community Colleges of a random sample of 100…

The Basics Skills English 100 course at Slippery Rock University, having changed from a traditional approach to an approach that reflects knowledge gained through research about the needs of basic writers, shows the progress basic writers can make in a summer program. Thirty students met six times a week for five weeks in one-and-a-half hour…

In an effort to help basic skills students learn the skills they need to survive in college-level studies and remediate critical areas as quickly as possible, many community colleges have overlooked the value of other studies and the more general literacy that is essential to any education. By rushing to comply with students' utilitarian goals,…

Pointing out the difficulties in passing from the industrial age to the information age, this paper discusses the advent of new technologies and worldwide recognition of the significant influence technology will have for education. Conferences resulting in development actions aimed at introducing new information technologies into education and…

Eight sixth-grade students received individualized instruction on the addition and subtraction of fractions in a one-to-one setting for 6 weeks. Instruction was specifically designed to build upon the student's prior knowledge of fractions. It was determined that all students possessed a rich store of prior knowledge about parts of wholes in real…

This paper examines the historian's method of handling evidence and explores some approaches to the improvement of college students' reasoning skills through the analysis of historical documents. The starting point in the development of the reasoning skills should be an exploration of the historian's task and the nature of the evidence, preferably…

In order to (1) determine the cross-situational generalizability of self-monitoring behavior and (2) explore the correlation of self-monitoring behavior with other cognitive skills and achievements, 96 fifth-grade children were given three tasks assumed to measure the ability to self-monitor knowledge state during learning. During the first of two…

All content areas utilize the four basic skills--reading, writing, arithmetic, and oral communication. Children's literature can be used to teach these skills for four reasons: (1) there is a children's book for every concept to be taught; (2) children enjoy reading; (3) children's literature can be used to teach content, process, values, and…

This paper reports on the promises and pitfalls of the recently legislated basic skills testing requirement for teaching or service credential applicants in California. The California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST), developed by Educational Testing Service from specifications set by Advisory Board to the State Department of Education, tests…