Search

Walter Dean Myers has gained distinction as an insightful and entertaining writer of imaginative adolescent literature that breaks stereotypes, tells stories of Blacks as people with complex dimension, and redefines the images of African Americans. Myers has written historical works, biography, novels for adolescents, plays, historical fiction, and mystery adventure. He is noted for: the emphasis he places on positive characters while overlooking neither negative ones nor reality; the range of dialects in his dialog; the different aspects of "coming of age" he addresses; and the manner in which he presents characters making choices. In contrast to stereotypical images of inner city African-American males, Myers presents a number of fathers who are positive role models. He is important not so much for the range of his writing as for presenting the story of African Americans in realistic but hopeful ways. Myers' message to young adults seems to be: discover your strengths, be proud of who you are and be responsible for your actions. (RS)

Tests of statistical significance often play a decisive role in establishing the empirical warrant of evidence-based research in education. The results from pattern-based assessment items, as introduced in this paper, are categorical and multimodal and do not immediately support the use of measures of central tendency as typically related to interpretations of measures of statistical significance. Responses from the duplicate implementation of selected pattern-based items (PBIs) in successive grades (3-8) as part of the statewide Interim Assessment Program in Texas are used to illustrate how non-parametric methods can be used to establish statistically significant comparisons of student results. Not all the repeat-item results improved across years. [For the complete proceedings, see ED657822.]

In an interview at a Speech Communication Association conference in 1975, Walter Cronkite of CBS news was asked a number of questions on the role and characteristics of television news. Among the items discussed with Mr. Cronkite were the following: the degree to which events are shaped by their being reported on national news programs; the news media as a free-enterprise open market; television coverage of the International Women's Year conference; the process of deciding what will be included in an evening's broadcast; the perception of Mr. Cronkite in national polls as an optimally credible individual; interviews (including Cronkite's impressions of people he has interviewed) the Lyndon Johnson interviews, and Cronkite's position on the practice of paying individuals for interviews ("checkbook interviewing"); the use of women as anchor-persons; ratings; network pressure on news production; the first amendment in broadcasting, especially with reference to the fairness doctrine and other FCC regulations; personal preparation for interviews; Watergate and the media; the 1976 election; the burden of responsibility placed on television news by its being most people's primary source of news information; personal bias and subjectivity in reporting; provision of free time to political candidates; and television coverage of the Vietnam war. (DF)

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has been emphasizing the importance of teachers' pedagogical communication as part of mathematical teaching and learning for decades. Specifically, NCTM has provided guidance on how teachers can foster mathematical communication that positively impacts student learning. A teacher may have different academic goals towards what needs to be achieved in a classroom, which require a variety of discourse-based tools that allow students to engage fully in mathematical thinking and reasoning. Accountable or academically productive talk is one such approach for classroom discourse that may ensure that the discussions are coherent, purposeful and productive. This paper discusses the use of a transformer model for classifying classroom talk moves based on the accountable talk framework. We investigate the extent to which the classroom Accountable Talk framework can be successfully applied to one-on-one online mathematics tutoring environments. We further propose a framework adapted from Accountable Talk, but more specifically aligned to one-on-one online tutoring. The model performance for the proposed framework is evaluated and compared with a small sample of expert coding. The results obtained from the proposed framework for one-on-one tutoring are promising and improve classification performance of the talk moves for our dataset. [For the full proceedings, see ED623995.]

Previous research has shown that providing video recommendations to students in virtual learning environments implemented at scale positively affects student achievement. However, it is also critical to evaluate whether the treatment effects are heterogeneous, and whether they depend on contextual variables such as disadvantaged student status and characteristics of the school settings. The current study extends the evaluation of a novel video recommendation system by performing an exploratory search for sources of heterogeneity of treatment effects. This study's design is a multi-site randomized controlled trial with an assignment at the student level across three large and diverse school districts in the southeast United States. The study occurred in Spring 2021, when some students were in regular classrooms and others in online classrooms. The results of the current study replicate positive effects found in a previous field experiment that occurred in Spring 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, causal forests were used to investigate the heterogeneity of treatment effects. This study contributes to the literature on content sequencing systems and recommendation systems by showing how these systems can disproportionally benefit the groups of students who had higher levels of previous algebra ability, followed more recommendations, learned remotely, were Hispanic, and received free or reduced-price lunch, which has implications for the fairness of implementation of educational technology solutions.

This paper relates visual literacy to the historical development of art education in the United States, emphasizing the work of Walter Smith, an art educator, during the later nineteenth century. The visual mode of learning, especially drawing, in public schools has been justified as a means to furthering industrialization and as an end in itself, enhancing the observational powers and cultural values of individuals. Walter Smith's philosophy of art education was that drawing could and should be learned by any person and that it should be taught by artists. His work in Massachusetts schools from 1871 to 1882 focused on organizing a complete scheme of art education, from elementary school drawing to professional art-studio activities; and his plan to teach art education within the scope of art instruction promoted visual literacy as both means and end, an attitude this paper considers important for any modern discussion of visual literacy. (RL)

To support online learners at a large scale, extensive studies have adopted machine learning (ML) techniques to analyze students' artifacts and predict their learning outcomes automatically. However, limited attention has been paid to the fairness of prediction with ML in educational settings. This study intends to fill the gap by introducing a generic algorithm that can orchestrate with existing ML algorithms while yielding fairer results. Specifically, we have implemented logistic regression with the Seldonian algorithm and compared the fairness-aware model with fairness-unaware ML models. The results show that the Seldonian algorithm can achieve comparable predictive performance while producing notably higher fairness. [This paper was published in: "LAK21: 11th International Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference (LAK21), April 12-16, 2021, Irvine, CA, USA," ACM, 2021.]

This study examines data from a field experiment investigating the effects of a personalized recommendation algorithm that proposes to students which videos to watch next, after they complete mini-assessments for algebra that available on the Math Nation intelligent virtual learning environment (IVLE). The end users of Math Nation are students enrolled in an Algebra 1 course in middle and high schools of the state of Florida, and the IVLE is used both during and out of school time. The objective of the developed recommendation algorithm is to increase student preparation to take the state-mandated End-of-Course (EoC) Algebra 1 assessment at the end of the school year. The algorithm is based on a Markov Decision Process framework that uses as input the students' responses to a series of mini-assessment tests. The current study randomly assigned 16,406 students to either treatment or control conditions, which were blind to both students and teachers. The results indicate that the effects of the recommendation algorithm depend on the level of usage of students, showing significant improvements on EoC test scores of students who have a moderate level of usage. However, there was no effect for low usage students. The study also shows that students practicing with the mini-assessments available on Math Nation, helps them improve by a small margin their performance on the End-of-Course test, irrespective of the usage level. Finally, the study provides insights on challenges posed for implementing personalized recommendation algorithms at a large scale, related both to student self-regulation and teacher orchestration of technology use in the classroom. [For the full proceedings, see ED615472.]

In data collected from virtual learning environments (VLEs), item response theory (IRT) models can be used to guide the ongoing measurement of student ability. However, such applications of IRT rely on unbiased item parameter estimates associated with test items in the VLE. Without formal piloting of the items, one can expect a large amount of nonignorable missing data in the VLE log le data, and this is expected to negatively impact IRT item parameter estimation accuracy, which then negatively impacts any future ability estimates utilized in the VLE. In the psychometric literature, methods for handling missing data are mostly centered around conditions in which the data and the amount of missing data are not as large as those that come from VLEs. In this paper, we introduce a semi-supervised learning method to deal with a large proportion of missingness contained in VLE data from which one needs to obtain unbiased item parameter estimates. The proposed framework showed its potential for obtaining unbiased item parameter estimates that can then be fixed in the VLE in order to obtain ongoing ability estimates for operational purposes. [This paper was published in: V. Cavalli-Sforza, A. N. Rafferty, C. Romero, & J. Whitehill (Eds.), "Proceedings of The 13th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2020)," (pp. 715-719).]

Short forms of psychometric scales have been commonly used in educational and psychological research to reduce the burden of test administration. However, it is challenging to select items for a short form that preserve the validity and reliability of the scores of the original scale. This paper presents and evaluates multiple automated methods for scale short form creation based on metaheuristic optimization algorithms that incorporate validity criteria based on internal structure and relationships with other variables. The ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm, tabu search (TS), simulated annealing (SA) and genetic algorithm (GA) are examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of scales with one factor, three factor, and bi-factor factorial structure. The results indicate that SA created short forms with best model fit for scales with one and three factor structures, but ACO was able to obtain highest reliability. For scales with bi-factor structure, SA provide short forms with best model fit, but TS obtained highest reliability. Overall, the SA algorithm is recommended because it produced consistently best model fit and reliability that was only slightly lower than the ACO or TS algorithms. [For the full proceedings, see ED599096.]

This is a summary of a conference that sought to define current issues relating to jobs and the environment in order to develop specific ways for unions, environmental groups, and other community organizations to work together for environmental quality and economic justice. The conference was intended to share information, develop skills, develop plans for action, and help build information networks and coalitions. The publication includes presentation by various speakers, summaries of workshops, and recommendations from various groups. (RH)

This paper explores the concept of mutual (reciprocal) learning as an enabler of the emergence of a collective human-machine intelligence across a smart factory. The interlinking of digital profiles of humans and machines permits the identification and measurement of learning outcomes through participating in and performing of (shared) tasks. To achieve this goal and ultimately to transform today's smart factory into a self-learning factory, the concept model of AUTODIDACT, underlying objectives and research questions related to mutual (reciprocal) learning are outlined. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600498.]

The article discusses a charter which suggests the transfer of the rule of the kingdom of Meath in Ireland to former Irish ruler Walter de Lacy may have occurred differently than originally theorized. Authority in Meath, originally called Mide, was given to de Lacy's father Hugh de Lacy by former English king Henry II. The author suggests that former English king John stripped Walter de Lacy of power but former English king Richard the Lionheart later restored de Lacy's rule.

The death of legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite in 2009 impelled former and present television journalists to revisit both Cronkite as an individual and the journalistic era of the 1960s and '70s in which he worked. Through a qualitative analysis of television and NPR discourse in the four days following Cronkite's death, this study examines emergent interpretive patterns in the memorializing of the anchor. Journalists looked back nostalgically at Cronkite's cultural role while also emphasizing his trustworthiness and unmatched power over public opinion. But beyond a return to the past, the death of Walter Cronkite provided an occasion for the journalistic community to discuss the state of television news at the time of his death. By comparing Cronkite and his era with the present, television journalists were able to contrast an era when television news was dominated by only a handful of powerful networks with the fragmented, heterogeneous news environment of the present. As this study demonstrates, collective memory provides a powerful force for holding together the interpretive community of television journalists-in this case constructing a shared past of mass audiences and cultural power never to be repeated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presets a historiography of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 based on the unpublished papers of American historian Walter D. Love found at the Department of Manuscripts, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Some of the subjects considered include methodologies of history, changing theories regarding the significance of the Rebellion, and bias in accounts of Irish history based on religion.

The social memory literature predicts that social and political actors regularly use their influence to revise historical narratives to reflect their own contemporary interests and values, to valorize their own roles in the past, or to associate themselves with valued people and events from the past. Ruling elites are not the only ones with the power to frame the past to their own advantage; recent writing recognizes challenges to "ruling ideas" historical narratives in the form of unofficial histories and "counter-memories." In the case of Caribbean public intellectuals, the role of the historian is particularly well theorized in scholarly literature. This paper will explore the changing perspective on the Rodney Affair of 1968, a series of disturbances touched off by the Jamaican government’s refusal to allow Guyanese historian Walter Rodney to reenter the country after he attended a conference overseas. A student protest march led to rioting that resulted in three deaths, many injuries and extensive property damage. It is argued here that Walter Rodney offered a conscious model of the radical public academic that has value beyond the Caribbean and even the Black Atlantic. However, Rodney is still ?silenced? in Jamaican social memory. Official Jamaican histories marginalize Rodney and marginalize the protests, while unofficial popular history commemorates the protests more than it evokes Rodney by name. The legacy of Rodney in Jamaica is located in the memories of the cohort of people who were students in the late 1960s and among academics with roots in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While explanations may help people learn by providing information about why an answer is correct, many problems on online platforms lack high-quality explanations. This paper presents AXIS (Adaptive eXplanation Improvement System), a system for obtaining explanations. AXIS asks learners to generate, revise, and evaluate explanations as they solve a problem, and then uses machine learning to dynamically determine which explanation to present to a future learner, based on previous learners' collective input. Results from a case study deployment and a randomized experiment demonstrate that AXIS elicits and identifies explanations that learners find helpful. Providing explanations from AXIS also objectively enhanced learning, when compared to the default practice where learners solved problems and received answers without explanations. The rated quality and learning benefit of AXIS explanations did not differ from explanations generated by an experienced instructor.

Selecting the optimal tax system is one of the key responsibilities of every government. However, whether a tax system is optimal can be argued on different levels, whereby the most apparent trade-off is between efficiency and equity. This paper examines the impact of a proportional income tax introduction on the distribution of disposable income in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a suitable candidate for studying the impact of a flat income tax on the equity prerequisite of optimal taxation because it is the European country that introduced the most radical flat tax rate. Using the synthetic control method, the impact of the 2008 income tax reform on income inequality in Bulgaria is estimated. The synthetic control method creates a synthetic counterfactual country by averaging preintervention results from selected countries. The combination of countries should match Bulgaria as closely as possible in the pre-treatment period, so that an alternative scenario can be examined after the intervention. According to the research findings, the shift to a flat rate income tax in Bulgaria resulted in higher levels of income inequality compared to the levels that would have been present in the absence of such a reform. By employing placebo tests, the robustness of the results is confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the importance of new media technologies to the capital accumulation and perpetual innovation within the production for the maximization of the business profit. It examines the impact of a set of social relations between youth and schooling to the wave of modernity and culture in the society. It cites the visual culture and digitalization of video games and digital technologies.

These proceedings are composed of papers presented at the 1995 and 1996 Annual Meetings of the Midwest Philosophy of Education Society. Papers presented at the 1995 meeting included: "Dewey's Idea of 'Intelligent Sympathy' and the Development of the Ethical Self: Implications for Japanese Education" (Naoko Saito); "Using Dewey's Writings as a Basis for Assessment of Project Means" (Sandy Alber); "Carter G. Woodson on Education: A Philosophical Perspective" (Charlesetta M. Ellis); "'This Wonder, Perhaps Deeper than Love, That is Friendship'" (Walter P. Krolikowski); "A Philosophy of Education in the Technological Age" (Louis Silverstein); "Multicultural Education and Cultural Differences" (Wei Rose Zhang); "Multiculturalism: Some Second Thoughts about the Concept" (Michael Davis);"The Introductory Course in Philosophy of Education (Arthur Brown); "The Existence of Pure Consciousness and Its Implications for Education" (James D. Grant); "A Nietzschean Critique of Postmodern Educational Theory" (Don G. Smith); "Post-Modernism: A Phase of Development" (Kenneth Sutton); "Hermeneutics: East Meets West?..." (Robert Craig); "The Language of Educational Policy and Administration" (Michael A Oliker); "Philosophical Problems of Practice: The Emerging University/School/Partnership" (Betty-Jo Dunbar). Papers presented at the 1996 meeting included: "Contemplative Traditions, Modern Psychology, and Education" (Robert Craig); "Response to Robert Craig's Presidential Address" (Arthur Brown); "Unvirtuous Virtue Epistemology" (David B. Annis); "Rudolf Steiner and The Waldorf Schools" (Earl J. Ogletree); "What Multiculturalism Should Not Be" (Alexander Makedon); "Realism Reconsidered..." (Philip Smith); "I'll Show You Differences: Contrast, Opposition, and Antonymy with Special Reference to Multiculturalism" (Walter P. Krolikowski); "...The Philosophical Implications of Researching a Culture other than Your Own" (Bonnie Jean Adams); "Superman, Adolescents, and the Metaphysics of Popular Culture" (Michael A. Oliker); "A Schematic Analysis of Popular Culture, Adolescence, and Sport" (Philip Smith); "The Public Image of Juvenile Delinquents" (Gene D. Phillips); "I was a Teenage Werewolf As Youth Culture Ideology"; "Why We Do what We Do as Early Childhood Educators" (Sandy Alber, Shannan McNair); "Pestalozzi's Idea of 'Innere Anshauung'" (Silvia Schmid); "The Educational Theology of James Solomon Russell" (Terrence A. Walker); "Nonviolence in Education" (Ian M. Harris); "A Paradigm for Teaching Philosophy of Education" (Jerome A. Popp); "Essentialist Educator: Fanny J. Coppin" (Charlesetta M. Ellis); "Pluralism with Intelligence" (Arthur Brown); "Reclaiming the Ancient Theme of Hospitality" (William E. Russell); "Let Us Praise the Body Erotic" (Louis Silverstein). (KCM)

This book contains volume 1 of the proceedings of the 23rd annual meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) held October, 2001 in Snowbird, Utah. Papers include: (1) "Opening the Dimensions of Mathematical Capability: The Development of Knowledge, Practice and Identity in Mathematics Classrooms" (Jo Boaler); (2) "Learning Mathematics as Developing a Discourse" (Anna Sfard); (3) "Gender and Mathematics: Themes Within Reflective Voices" (Diana B. Erchick and Linda Condron); (4) "Representations and Mathematics Visualization" (Fernando Hitt); (5) "Models and Modeling" (Richard Lesh, Helen Doerr, Thomas Post, Judith S. Zawojewski, and Guadalupe Carmona); (6) "Geometry and Technology" (Douglas McDougall and Jean J. McGehee); (7) "The Complexity of Learning to Reason Probabilistically" (Carolyn A. Maher and Robert Speiser); and (8) "Problem Posing Research: Answered and Unanswered Questions" (Lyn D. English). Volume 2 of the proceedings of the 23rd annual meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) held October, 2001 in Snowbird, Utah is also included. Papers include: (1) "Growth in Student Mathematical Understanding Through Precalculus Student and Teacher Interactions" (Daniel R. Ilaria and Carolyn A. Maher); (2) "Investigating the Teaching and Learning of Proof: First Year Results" (Tami S. Martin and Sharon Soucy McCrone); (3) "Beliefs About Proof in Collegiate Calculus" (Manya Raman); (4) "Metaphors of the Novice: Emergent Aspects of Calculus Students' Reasoning" (Mike Oehrtman); (5) "An Examination of the Interaction Patterns of a Single- Gender Mathematics Class" (Amy Burns Ellis); (6) "The Role of Intellectual Culture of Mathematics in Doctoral Student Attrition" (Abbe H. Herzig); (7) "Group Tests as a Context for Learning How to Better Facilitate Small Group Discussion" (Judith Kysh); and (8) "Learning Paths to 5- and 10-Structured Understanding of Quantity: Addition and Subtraction Solution Strategies of Japanese Children" (Aki Murata and Karen Fuson). (MM)

To better prepare preservice science teachers to work with English language learners (ELLs), teacher education programs must devote more time and attention to best instructional practices for ELLs, broadening their focus beyond general approaches to include disciplinary-specific ones as well. In the context of such a teacher education program, we investigated seven secondary science teacher candidates' understanding of academic language (AL) and the ways they utilized their understanding of AL in their classroom practices. From qualitative analysis of data collected, we identified both strengths and limitations in these candidates' understanding of and practices in teaching AL to ELLs. We also determined how aspects of their teacher education program supported and constrained their learning of AL. We close with discussion of how teacher candidates can build their understanding of the role of AL in practice and with implications for teacher education courses and field experiences.

This mixed-method study examines the continuing implementation and critical components of an innovative professional learning system in early learning coalitions throughout the state of Florida. This professional learning system consists of: (a) a multi-tiered program of blended (online and face-to-face) courses for early learning practitioners; (b) collaborative support systems of communities of practice and instructional coaching; and (c) intentional partnerships among early learning practitioners, providers, course instructors, facilitators, coaches, and coalition leadership through blended professional learning initiatives to build capacity and sustainability throughout the state of Florida. Results present analysis of system structure and delivery approaches, mechanisms that influenced change, and impact and effects on practitioners and early childhood providers.

This paper examines the development and validation of the Survey of Climate for Instructional Improvement (SCII). SCII has 30-item Likert-scale items with 1 open response question and is designed to measure five aspects of organizational climate in postsecondary settings. The goal of this paper is to describe: (a) our development process, (b) steps in validation, and (c) patterns in data from 713 instructors in 57 departments at four universities in the United States. The instrument is reliable and has the potential to differentiate among institutions, departments, and demographic groups. The organizational climate constructs measured are leadership, collegiality, resources, respect for teaching, and organizational support. We see the instrument as relevant to faculty developers, higher education researchers, and discipline-based education researchers.

The search for a work force preparation model that could serve as a guide for meeting present and emerging challenges has lead to a focus on the German dual system youth apprenticeship model. In this system, the practice-oriented part is taken over by commercial enterprises and theoretical knowledge is imparted by vocational schools. The trainee has a double role as an employee under contract to an enterprise and as a compulsory student at a vocational school. The federal government carries responsibility for framing skilled worker training in the enterprises. Current problems of apprenticeship programs are use and cost factors linked to the workplace and changes in the work process that have resulted in a different qualification structure. To improve vocational training against the background of changing job patterns, pilot projects have been introduced. All start from generally accepted key qualifications. Focus now is on the linkage of "learning and value adding" under real conditions. An exemplary project has implemented "decentralized learning" in "learning islands." The learning islands must be a reflection of the workplace structures. A proposed U.S. adaptation would be regional systems of apprenticeships across the nation that evolve out of a local school district, employer-union community, and labor market. Government's role should be to enact supportive legislation for local and regional apprenticeship initiatives as well as provide financial support. (Contains 15 references.) (YLB)

To break out of the mold of the modern college compartmentalized setting, alliances can and must be formed between different disciplines on campus. Knowledge the students gain from the differing perspectives will enhance their ability to communicate; oral and written communication; and effective listening have been identified as factors that help graduating college students obtain employment. Based on 20 years experience in the computer industry, the following industry-based "rules" may serve to promulgate alliances: maintain confidences; honor and remember agreements; find "win-win" situations; recognize limitations; recognize the expertise of others; do not "burn your bridges"; do not accept every rule as iron clad; learn enough of the language to communicate; remember that not everyone loves and understands your field; and get to know people as individuals. The Computer Information Sciences (CIS) department at Mars Hill College has developed alliances with four other departments and five administrative groups by applying these "rules." These alliances have resulted in a better program for the CIS students and a better situation for the other portion of the alliances. Each alliance has a direct or indirect benefit to students and will, in turn, strengthen their ability to cope with the world of the future. (RS)

This paper compares the sense of belonging of students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), a boarding magnet school in rural Maine, with that of students at a rural consolidated public high school serving two towns. This type of structure is known as a Maine School Administrative District (SAD). The school is identified as SAD 2000. The 18-item Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale was completed by 271 students: 144 female, 127 male. Resident students numbered 183 and nonresidents 88. The students at MSSM showed a greater sense of belonging than did the students at SAD 2000. Twelve of the 18 items significantly differentiated between the students of the two schools. In looking at the breakdown of SAD 2000 students, there were no significant differences between residents and nonresidents (who had chosen to attend this high school) and no significant differences by gender within or across either group. (TD)

A study presents a perceptual model of thinking called the "Six Thinking Hats" and argumentativeness as a predictor of response to the model. The "Six Thinking Hats" model creates six artificial contexts for thinking, corresponding to the primary thought modes of objective, subjective, critical, and creative thinking, within a comprehensive framework that allows the thinker to direct attention to the desired thinking mode. Argumentativeness is conceptualized as a generally stable trait which predisposes the individual in communication situations to advocate positions on controversial issues and to refute the positions which other people take on these issues. Subjects, 31 students at Rochester Institute of Technology in a graduate school management class, were trained to use the"Six Thinking Hats" model and completed survey instruments. Argumentativeness was not found to be a useful predictor of response to the "Six Thinking Hats" model for the individual thought modes, but broaches intriguing questions for future study within the fields of thinking and communication. (Contains 11 references and 3 notes. Appendixes present a detailed description of the introduction, training, thinking exercise, and surveys associated with the Six Thinking Hats model; and 2 tables of data.) (Author/RS)

The relationship between educational expenditures and pupil achievement has been a topic of increasing interest to legislators, school boards, and more recently, the courts. This paper examines the relationships among various measures of school district wealth and spending, other school district characteristics, and student achievement within the context of a state with a majority of small and rural school systems. Data were collected from all Maine elementary school districts that provided instruction to five or more students in grade 8 in 1991-92. For each of the 193 districts studied, pupil achievement was measured as mean grade-8 scores on the Maine Educational Assessment Tests for the 3 years ended 1991-92. Four school district characteristics differentiated between the 30 highest-achieving and the 24 lowest-achieving districts. High-achieving districts spent more per pupil, had a larger property tax base per pupil, had higher median family income, and employed a higher percentage of elementary teachers with a graduate degree. Achievement was not significantly related to pupil-teacher ratio or district tax levies. Higher percentages of elementary teachers with graduate degrees were found in school systems with higher levels of per pupil expenditures and higher median family incomes. The expected correlation between achievement and socioeconomic status was somewhat smaller than has been found nationally, perhaps because of Maine's generally low income levels. (SV)

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the "health" of the superintendency as perceived by superintendents in two states. Questionnaires sent to 307 Illinois superintendents elicited 227 responses, a 74 percent response rate, and questionnaires sent to 137 Massachusetts principals yielded 104 responses, a 76 percent response rate. Superintendents in both states expressed satisfaction with their salaries and relationships with the community. Both groups of superintendents agreed that the board tended to micromanage the school district and that the job adversely affected their family lives. However, the percentage of Massachusetts superintendents expressing adverse effects on their physical and mental health was much higher. A greater percentage of Massachusetts superintendents than Illinois superintendents described their relationships with school boards in negative terms. The data show that Massachusetts superintendents had little input into their contracts, were not initially hired for the maximum number of years allowed by law, and were not selected unanimously by their boards. Massachusetts superintendents were also older and from larger school districts than were their Illinois counterparts. (LMI)

This paper first proposes a definition for outcome-based education (OBE) and then identifies questions that challenge the assumptions of OBE. In so doing, it sets the agenda for an honest debate on issues of policy, process, and assessment. OBE calls for a shift from an emphasis on inputs to an emphasis on performance standards for all students. The approach is based on the belief that the success of schools should be measured by what students know, rather than on what they are supposed to know. Key elements of a comprehensive outcome-based model include the following: (1) a concept of education as a process; (2) continuous and benchmark assessment; (3) early student readiness; (4) an engaging learning environment; (5) family involvement; (6) development of a community partnership; (7) qualified teachers; (8) state-of-the art facilities; and (9) shared governance. In conclusion, the concerns surrounding the assumptions including the political aspect of OBE need to be addressed and provide a basis for serious debate. The full potential of OBE will be achieved only if the emphasis is on the learning process and not the outcome. Contains 11 references. (LMI)

This paper suggests that the concept of "democratic citizenship education" must be expanded and deepened. The conventional conception excludes the key ideas of the social and cultural dimensions of citizenship and the central tension of social life--unity/difference. The paper features the following areas: (1) "Essentially Contested Concepts"; (2) "The Dominant Conception of Citizenship Education: Difference as Dissolution"; (3) "'Advanced' Ideas about Democracy"; and (4) "Conclusion." Ideas promoted as "advanced" include path/accomplishment and pluralism/assimilation. Historical examples and literature are used to support the points raised for consideration. Contains 63 references. (EH)

Research has demonstrated that depressed people lack the optimistic bias evidenced by nondepressed persons and that the former may be more realistic in predicting the outcome of future events (depressive realism hypothesis). This study assesses the depressive realism hypothesis by comparing the accuracy of depressed and nondepressed people's self-predictions of a series of life events. One hundred college students (75 females) answered the Beck Depression Inventory and then made self-predictions about a series of future life events. Results indicate that depressed persons made significantly more pessimistic predictions than nondepressed subjects. Depressed persons were more accurate than nondepressed ones for pessimistic judgments while the latter were more accurate on optimistic judgments. No mediating factors such as event controllability and base rate were found for prediction accuracy. One possible explanation for the finding that depressives are more accurate than nondepressed subject in predicting undesirable events is that nondepressed persons may be more apt to avoid undesirable outcomes whereas depressed individuals may not elude these. Included are two tables which summarize the data and a copy of the Life Events Questionnaire. (RJM)

A study examined whether a person's ability to accurately identify a voice is influenced by factors similar to those proposed by the Supreme Court for eyewitness identification accuracy. In particular, the Supreme Court has suggested that a person's prior description accuracy of a suspect, degree of attention to a suspect, and confidence in identifying a suspect, are reliable predictors for accurately identifying a suspect. Subjects, 18 males and 42 females from an undergraduate psychology course or volunteers from the local community, listed to a voice and later described the voice on a speech characteristic checklist. Later they were asked to identify the voice from a lineup and denote how certain they were of their choice. Results indicated no relationship between voice description accuracy and identification accuracy, or between degree of confidence and identification accuracy. Moreover, depth of processing had no effect on description accuracy, identification accuracy, or the relationship between the two. Future "earwitness" research should: employ a voice lineup in which the target voice is either present or absent; use longer retention delay between target presentation and voice identification; and develop a valid descriptive measure. (Contains 21 references, 2 tables, and 1 figure of data. The voice description checklist is attached.) (RS)

This paper reports on a study that investigated the role, attitudes, and behaviors of department chairs in higher education. Specifically, the study investigated four objectives: (1) to examine role factors of effective chair performance; (2) to assess the impact of antecedent variables such as individual characteristics (gender, marital status, ethnicity, motivation to serve, career orientation), organizational characteristics (size of department, clerical assistance, ratio of tenured to untenured faculty), and positional characteristics (number of years of service, discipline, current academic rank, rank when hired) on role factors of effective chair performance; (3) to explore the association of department chair performance role factors with the behavioral outcomes of academic productivity, job satisfaction, role ambiguity, role conflict, and occupational stress; and (4) to identify, or begin to develop, a department chair profile associated with each specific performance role. A total of 539 department chairs were surveyed. Factor analysis suggested the roles of Leader, Scholar, Faculty Developer, and Manager. Findings revealed a complex combination and interaction of skills in the various components of the chair job. Findings also revealed that a number of effective leader chairs are often effective manager chairs as well. The paper concludes that the study provides a usable taxonomy of chair roles and some characteristics of those individuals who perceive themselves to be effective in those roles. Contains 23 references. (GLR)

Findings of a study that investigated the effect of administrative stressors on administrators' coping responses and the consequences of those responses are presented in this paper. Based on the managerial stress cycle model (Gmelch 1982), the study uses the transactional perspective, which views stress as an individual's physiological or psychological response to a perceived demand. A survey mailed to 1,000 administrators at the elementary, junior, and senior high school and district levels elicited 740 responses, a 74 percent response rate. Findings suggest that: (1) administrators reported a moderate stress level; (2) a significant negative correlation existed between administrator's perceived stress and their perceived coping effectiveness; (3) a significant negative correlation existed between perceived stress factors and burnout; and (4) androgenous individuals (those who possess the flexibility of both gender traits) expressed more effective coping behaviors. The data support the transactional view of the stress cycle. A recommendation is made to provide administrator training that incorporates diverse situations and behavioral adaptability to enhance coping ability. Two figures and five tables are included. (Contains 30 references.) (LMI)

This investigation examined the dimensional sources and perceptions of occupational stress experienced by department chairs in institutions of higher education, and the influence of professional independent variables associated with these stressors. Surveys were mailed to 800 randomly selected department chairs at 100 institutions (523 surveys were returned representing a 66 percent rate of return). The Department Chair Stress Inventory (DSCI), consisting of 41 questions, identified five stress factors in the following rank order by stress factor mean: (1) faculty role stress; (2) perceived expectations stress; (3) administrative task stress; (4) role ambiguity stress; and (5) administrative relationship stress. Among the findings, it was determined that chairs who have high role ambiguity also experience high stress regarding their academic career, and that chairs who have high role conflict can be characterized as significantly more stressed in every stress factor than those chairs with medium or low perceived role conflict. The finding that relief from the occupational stress experienced by chairs is highly correlated with reduced conditions of role conflict and role ambiguity is viewed as the most significant finding of the study. An appendix contains the rank order of DCSI items. Contains 28 references. (GLR)

Issues in the resolution of departmental conflict by university chairs of educational administration departments are discussed in this paper. The need for finding more constructive ways to handle conflict is highlighted by a survey of 808 department chairs at 101 research and doctoral-granting universities, in which chairs identified intercollegial conflict as the major category of stress. The view of principled conflict management that recognizes conflict as necessary is advocated, 10 structural relationships that contribute to conflict are identified, and an analytical framework for developing a reform agenda is presented. The role of the chair as mediator is also discussed. The recommendation is made that reform be developed in a climate of constructive conflict. Five tables are included. (25 references) (LMI)

Project S.C.A.M.P. (Science, Computer and Mathematics Professions) is a year-long program designed to encourage the mathematical and scientific talents and interests of rural gifted junior high school students. Students participated in a 3-week residential summer camp at the University of Virginia and completed computer-based classes in geometry and mathematical modeling. Professionals from different scientific disciplines gave demonstrations and discussed their careers and the academic preparation necessary for their positions. Field trips were scheduled to allow the students to interact with and observe scientists in their work places. As a year-long project, each student created a computer simulation for a scientific topic with the help of a university mentor. Follow-up activities encouraged students to share their knowledge with teachers and peers through demonstration of their projects. Between formal meetings, students communicated with one another, the camp staff, and mentors through Virginia PEN (Public Education Network), a computer network. Three Saturday meetings were planned throughout the year to maintain interest of students and support of parents. A pretest and posttest were administered and results indicated an improvement in participants' geometric knowledge. This model appears to alleviate problems such as isolation, unchallenging curriculum, and a lack of resources experienced by academically talented rural students. (LP)