The topic of differential diagnosis and its application to the use of the Revised Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) is discussed. The theoretical bases for differential diagnosis and the properties of assessment instruments with diagnostic properties are presented.…

An adequate evaluation of the Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs (PLAN) necessitates consideration of all the PLAN goals and the extent to which they have been attained. Two sets of goals are identified. Eleven specific goals for each student, which involve the acquisition of a wide range of information, skills, and abilities in…

The difference in gain scores produced by traditional pretests and those produced by retrospective pretests when compared to posttest scores on the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument for preservice teachers was investigated in this study. Results indicated that gain scores using the traditional pretest produced significant improvement in…

Performance in concrete and abstract tasks is examined systematically by varying the degree of abstractness of problem-solving and concept formation tasks. Four forms of a problem solving test were constructed. Each form of the test presented problem situations through four different modes: verbal stories, picture-book, color slides,…

This report compares several educational programs for non-English-speaking students in Toronto, Canada. The Main Street program, initiated in 1965, is a full-time program of "cultural immersion" for students 12 years of age and older. The Givens Public School presented a similar program at the same time within a regular school. This…

Examines differences between Inuit and non-Inuit students in activism (social attitude), self-concept, and academic achievement. Inuits scored lower in activism and self-concept than non-Inuits. Suggests teachers create personalized classroom environments to positively affect activism and self-concept, and thereby enhancing achievement.…

A COMPARISON OF PRESERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS WAS PERFORMED IN THE AREAS OF (1) TEACHER ATTITUDES AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, (2) GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION, (3) PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE, AND (4) GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. ALMOST 5,000 ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES…

To determine the effectiveness of a model driver education curriculum in leading to safe vehicle operation among beginning drivers, the Safe Peformance Curriculum, based on instructional objectives derived from analysis of the driver's tasks, was developed and pilot tested. Students were randomly assigned to one of the following: a Pre-Driver…

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of WebQuests with traditional instruction. Specifically, the study examined the end-of-unit exam scores for students who completed a WebQuest on the Texas Revolution and those students completing a poster activity. Both of the instructional activities were implemented as additional enhancement to…

A comparison is presented of alternate-choice and true-false item forms used in an undergraduate natural science course. The alternate-choice item is a modified two-choice multiple-choice item in which the two responses are included within the question stem. This study (1) compared the difficulty level, discrimination level, reliability, and…

This study compared the ability of the ACT Assessment Battery (ACT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and six other variables to predict first semester Grade Point Average (GPA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a "highly selective midwestern university". Additional purposes were to determine: (1) the effect of using…

This educational research was conducted to determine what affective and cognitive effects two different teaching methods have upon a group of 10th grade students learning about the Constitution of America. Both the experimental class, taught by the simulation-game method, and the control group, taught by the lecture discussion method, were…

A South Texas survey conducted in 1975 investigated the reading performance of Mexican American students enrolled in a bilingual program to determine whether or not students achieved significantly different reading scores on parallel Spanish and English versions of an appropriate test (Guidance Testing Associates Inter-American Test of Reading).…

Use of item response theory (IRT), the delta plot method, and Mantel-Haenszel techniques to assess differential item functioning (DIF) across racial and gender groups associated with the Maryland Test of Citizenship Skills (MTCS) is described. The objective of this research was to determine the: effect of sample size on results from these three…

The scores of handicapped students taking tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations are flagged so that admissions officers will be aware that they were achieved under special circumstances. A series of studies was initiated to determine whether special administrations of such tests are comparable to…