This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 20 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: predictors of primary grade reading achievement; factor analysis of the WISC-R to distinguish disabled readers at three grade levels; a process model for developing informal oral reading inventories; the curricular validity of selected standardized reading achievement tests; an investigation of speech ratings as a function of rating scale; a comparison of approaches to measuring outcomes in adult basic education; the relationship between high school reading and math achievement levels and later life experiences; a correlation analysis of local and state minimum competency standards in New Jersey schools; teacher expectancy--the effect of race, sex, direction of writing performance and trials on the grading of essays; placement in freshman composition classes; and a factorial analysis of essay evaluation. (MKM)