Internal structure and external validity of 39 multiple-choice visual arts achievement test items were examined. These items were developed to assess grade 3 visual arts achievement for a statewide model of a fine arts curriculum. Item responses were evaluated in terms of: (1) fit to the one-parameter Rasch measurement model; (2) item-total…

Studies indicate that arts education improves math learning in early elementary years, promotes significant cognitive gains, supports discovery, and builds knowledge. This conference paper indicates the importance of the arts in early education curriculum and provides an innovative way for teachers to bring constructivism into the classroom. It…

This paper describes the development of two World Wide Web sites, "Our Place in the World" (OPITW) and "Chicana and Chicano Space" (CCS), specifically designed as resources for art educators, and describes a framework for three blended levels or layers of navigation that support knowledge construction within the domain. The…

In fall 1991 and spring 1992, an interdisciplinary art-and-writing collaborative project was initiated by an English instructor at Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC) and a graphics instructor at Everett Community College (ECC), both in Washington State. The project involved a graphics art class at ECC and a writing class from YVCC, pairing…

High parental involvement has been linked to increases in student achievement and engagement in school (Moore, 1992; Swap, 1993; Henderson and Berla, 1994; Fuller and Olsen, 1998). Schools with large populations of low-income students or students of color often have difficulties in engaging a majority of parents due to a variety of social and…

This study describes two years of research with the Arts Integration Program (AIP) of the Tucson Pima Arts Council, Tucson, AZ. AIP supports teachers in integrating fine arts activities into their classrooms. AIP provides lesson outlines and demonstration lessons by arts specialists in music, dance, theater arts, and visual arts. The initial phase…

This case study of the New World School of the Arts (Miami, Florida) outlines the planning, problem solving, and management involved in establishing the school. The New World School is both a public high school and college, providing intensive training in the performing and visual arts, as well as a full academic curriculum. A brief history,…

To investigate affective dimensions of adult literacy development more systematically, researchers conducted a qualitative comparative analysis of four women participating in an adult literacy program in Istanbul, Turkey. The contrastive study chose two participants who completed the course; each was matched with a participant who had dropped out.…

The report addresses characteristics and concerns of New Mexico's 19 smallest school districts with a 1981-82 average daily membership ranging from 262 to 60 students. Information was gathered from a Public School Finance Division questionnaire sent to the 19 superintendents; from a December 1981 meeting with 10 of the smallest districts; from…

Online teaching provides a new avenue for the human imagination, another way for artists and teachers to creatively participate in the predominant cultural form of our time, the Internet. Several online university courses are presented as examples of communities of learners in action. They provide an overview of what was found to be effective in…

A discussion of second language learning among language minority students looks at the increasing multiculturalism of the U.S. classroom and a number of related issues, including the relationship between first language development and second language learning, academic language needs, and literacy development, and concern about the appropriateness…

Two initiatives to introduce technology into the art curriculum of a school district are described. The initiatives gave permission for money to be spent on third-grade and middle-school programs. Both were designed around the existing art curriculum and attempted to take advantage of hardware the district already owned. In the third-grade…

This paper describes a study to determine whether students can, with appropriate instructional materials, develop and apply a knowledge of art concepts. An opening section reviews research on concept acquisition. This study utilized a concept acquisition model developed in 1970 by R. Gagne. Gagne's model proposed that concepts are learned through…

Practical ways in which visual arts may contribute to multicultural education are explored in eight conference papers. A welcoming address describes the objectives of the meeting and the role of multicultural education in the schools. The first paper describes the role of the art gallery in the community. Examples of programs offered by a local…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on learning at the top that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Learning at the Top: An Investigation of Nonprofit CEOs' (Chief Executive Officers') Learning Experiences" (John J. Sherlock) reports on a study that used Mezirow's theory of adult…