This paper presents the dual approach to item bias detection employed in the Maryland Functional Testing Program (MFTP). Using instructional objectives mandated by the Maryland State Board of Education, the MFTP develops two levels of the Maryland Functional Reading Test (MFRT) and the Maryland Functional Mathematics Tests (MFMT). These…

This publication includes presentations made at the Aikin-Stinnett Lecture Series and follow-up papers sponsored by the Instructional Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The papers in this collection focus upon the basic assumptions and conceptual bases of teacher education and the use of research in providing a foundation for…

This paper presents the legal rationale for using the National Teacher's Examination (NTE) validation procedure, which was used in Arkansas to determine cut-off scores for teacher certification. A review is given of the decision, by the United States Supreme Court, upholding use of the NTE by South Carolina in that state's teacher certification…

The paper describes how certain questionnaire items concerning teacher-claimed behavior might define a teacher's effort to maintain order in the classroom. Subjects consisted of 255 secondary school teachers teaching in examination classes (Forms 3 and 5) at 15 schools in the District of Kuala Terengganu (Malaysia). The teachers responded to a…

The effectiveness of traditional models of remedial education of students has been called into question. Current research supports models that would merge remedial and regular education and provide all students with broad curriculum access and the opportunity to receive instruction that is adaptive to their needs. Guidelines for addressing…

The agreement between Mantel-Haenszel and Rasch procedures for identifying differential item functioning (DIF) on teacher certification tests was studied. Two specific research questions were addressed: (1) whether the Mantel-Haenszel and Rasch procedures identify the same items as functioning differently; and (2) how consistently each method…

Greater knowledge about the practical application of Rasch technology can help in avoiding misapplications and confusions in testing programs. Equal interval curriculum-based scaling makes possible the following improvements in measuring basic skills achievement by enabling testing programs to: (1) individualize the difficulty level of…

This study investigated the effects of interference of a native dialect in the acquisition of a second dialect. Four groups of subjects were used: Five white preschool children from an intergrated nursery school, five Black preschool children from a Head Start program, five white, middle-class 16-, 17-, and 18-year-olds, and five Black 16-, 17-,…

With its large and heterogeneous Indian population, the Los Angeles area offers an excellent opportunity to study patterns in the origin, growth, and structure of Indian voluntary associations, and the leisure time institutions. Since the 1920's more than 100 Indian voluntary associations formed in the area. Established groups influenced the…

This paper offers a brief history of the development of curriculum knowledge as shown in 20th century publications. Observations about curriculum development are noted and recommendations are made for further exploration. Books and their authors are reviewed from the turn of the century to the present, beginning with theory predominance and the…

This paper presents historical information about language teaching methods and focuses on "formal" and "functional" strategies of teaching and learning. Particular attention is directed toward the immersion type of education. A table that lists developments in language teaching theory from 1840-1977 is presented. A table that summarizes…

Children's self-monitoring of language production, as it is reflected in spontaneous speech repair, was studied. Recordings of the speech of three children aged two to three were analyzed for spontaneous phonological, morphological, lexical, and syntactic repairs. After tabulation, repairs were identified as "for the listener"…

Differing attitudes of researchers and preschool teachers towards research in early childhood are discussed in this paper. These differences are seen as arising from causes such as the special training of each group and the nature of the work they do, the distribution of the sexes in each group and the social institutions which back them. The…

The Graduate Diploma in Education Technology (GDipEdTech) was developed at the UNITEC Institute of Technology (New Zealand) in 1993 as an open and distance program to meet the needs of teachers in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. The program aims to integrate the use of new and emerging technologies into their classroom programs. It…

The National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) consists of higher education institutions and partner K-12 schools promoting simultaneous renewal of teacher education and K-12 schools. The network helps renew teacher education by preparing educators who will: (1) provide all students with equitable opportunities for becoming educated,…