Search

This occasional paper presents national demographic subgroup data for the 1975-2016 Monitoring the Future (MTF) national survey results on 8th , 10th, and 12th graders' use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. MTF is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health under a series of investigator-initiated, competitive research grants to the University of Michigan. The study covers all major classes of illicit and licit psychoactive drugs for an array of population subgroups. The 2016 subgroup data presented here accompany the "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2016: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use" (ED578534) and the "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2016: Volume I, Secondary School Students" (ED578730). The trends offered here in tabular and graphic forms cover demographic subgroups based on: (1) Gender; (2) College plans; (3) Region of the country; (4) Population density; (5) Education level of the parents (a proxy for socioeconomic level); and (6) Racial/ethnic identification. Detailed descriptions of the demographic categories are provided in the section starting on page 367 of this paper. The graphs and tables in this occasional paper present trend data for 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade respondents separately. Data for 12th grade begins with 1975, the first year in which a nationally representative sample of high school seniors was surveyed. Data for 8th and 10th grades begin with 1991, when the study's nationally representative annual surveys were expanded to include those lower grade levels.

This occasional paper presents national demographic subgroup data for the 1975-2015 Monitoring the Future (MTF) national survey results on 8th, 10th, and 12th graders' use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. MTF is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health under a series of investigator-initiated, competitive research grants to the University of Michigan. The study covers all major classes of illicit and licit psychoactive drugs for an array of population subgroups. The 2015 subgroup data presented here accompany the "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use: 1975-2015: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use" (ED578539) and the "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2015: Volume I, Secondary School Students" (ED578604). The trends offered here in tabular and graphic forms cover demographic subgroups based on: (1) Gender; (2) College plans; (3) Region of the country; (4) Population density; (5) Education level of the parents (a proxy for socioeconomic level); and (6) Racial/ethnic identification. Detailed descriptions of the demographic categories are provided in the section starting on page 367 of this paper. The graphs and tables in this occasional paper present trend data for 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade respondents separately. Data for 12th grade begins with 1975, the first year in which a nationally representative sample of high school seniors was surveyed. Data for 8th and 10th grades begin with 1991, when the study's nationally representative annual surveys were expanded to include those grade levels.

It is the position of the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the College and University Physical Education Council (CUPEC) that all colleges and universities uphold a physical activity instructional program for students as a strong and integral part of the academic curriculum. Bombarded by popular culture, newfound freedom, and peer pressure, the college-aged student is at high risk of making unhealthy choices. As higher education seeks to promote and affirm adulthood, attributes such as personal growth, a sense of identity, and an increase in personal responsibility are essential goals of an academic institution (Rogers, 1996). An effective college/university physical activity instructional program will provide an avenue for young adult learners to engage in a process of self reflection and personal emotional growth.

This occasional paper presents national demographic subgroup trends for U.S. secondary school students in a series of figures and tables. It supplements two of four annual monographs from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, namely the "Overview of Key Findings" and "Volume I: Secondary School Students." MTF is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under a series of investigator-initiated, competitive research grants. The full 2013 survey results are reported in "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2013: Volume I, Secondary School Students." That monograph contains a description of MTF's design and purposes, as well as extended reporting on substance use of all kinds, licit and illicit, and a number of related factors such as attitudes and beliefs about drugs, age of initiation, non-continuation of drug use, perceived availability, relevant conditions in the social environment, history of daily marijuana use, use of drugs for the treatment of ADHD, and sources of prescription drugs used outside of medical supervision. Until 2012, "Volume I" contained the tabular data on trends in drug use for various demographic subgroups that are now presented in the present occasional paper. The trends offered here in tabular form and graphic form--the latter for ease of comprehension--cover demographic subgroups based on: (1) gender; (2) college plans; (3) region of the country; (4) population density; (5) education level of the parents (a proxy for socioeconomic level); and (6) racial/ethnic identification. Detailed descriptions of the demographic categories are provided in a separate chapter. The graphs and tables in this occasional paper present trend data for 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade respondents. Data for 12th grade begins with 1975, the first year in which a nationally representative sample of high school seniors was surveyed. Data for 8th and 10th grades begin with 1991, when the study's annual surveys were expanded to include those grade levels. [For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2013. Volume 1, Secondary School Students," see ED578546. For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2013: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use," see ED578545.]

Research papers produced by students in college composition classes are often boring, poorly written, and disappointing. One way to help students overcome their inability to write decent research reports is to assign them the task of handing in a three page trial-run mock research paper about three weeks before the final essay is due. They must create a piece in which they argue a position different from the one they anticipate taking for the final piece. This mock paper is written from the point of view of a fake persona which the student creates, and none of the research or quotes in the paper are real. The better students usually create a humorous narrator with little intellectual acumen, and the paper is funny and readable. Other students begin to see, by trying to argue against their supposed points, that their argument is slim and in need of major revision. For students who tend to plagiarize, the exercise forces them to wear the mask of authenticity. Finally, all of the dull laws regarding citation can be checked in the mock research paper. Overall, the teacher gets papers from students who are learning to experiment with their real voices and thus produce some of the most lively writing of the semester. (HB)

The Concurrent Courses Initiative (CCI), funded by The James Irvine Foundation from 2008 until 2011, comprised eight secondary/postsecondary partnerships across California that offered dual enrollment programs with supplemental student supports. The goal of the CCI was to expand access to supportive, career-focused dual enrollment for students often underserved by such programs and underrepresented in higher education, with the expectation that participating students would prosper in college subsequently. We use longitudinal administrative data on individual students who participated in 2008-09 and 2009-10, compared with data on other students from their districts, to test for evidence of differences in outcomes. Relative to comparison students, CCI dual enrollees had similar GPAs but higher graduation rates in high school. CCI dual enrollees entered college at similar rates to the comparison group, but entered four-year institutions and persisted at higher rates. Notably, CCI dual enrollees accumulated more college credits than the comparison group, and this difference in credit accumulation grew over time. After two years in college, CCI dual enrollees had accumulated 20 percent more credits than their district peers. These are the results of the data pooled across the sites; we also report results for the individual sites, which vary. Appended are: (1) Partnership Overview; and (2) Supplemental Activities. (Contains 14 tables and 19 footnotes.)[To access "Bridging College and Careers: Using Dual Enrollment to Enhance Career and Technical Education Pathways. NCPR Brief" see ED533874.]

In this paper we present estimates of roommate and institution based peer effects. Using data from the College & Beyond survey, the Freshman survey, and phonebook data that allows us to identify college roommates ? we estimate models of students? political persuasion and intellectual engagement. The evidence suggests that a student's roommate's political sentiments have some impact on their own political views later in life. We also implement a cluster based analysis that attempts to answer the question: how would a student?s outcomes have changed if they'd attended a very different school? Our findings suggest that student outcomes are, indeed, sensitive to the school they attend. Similar students attending schools that have a decidedly different "ethos" differ in important ways post-college. Institutional peer effects seem to have a powerful effect on student outcomes.

The 2004/06 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/06), conducted for the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), collected information about the education and employment experiences of students in the two years following their first enrollment in postsecondary education. The primary objective of BPS:04/06 is to follow a cohort of students from the start of their postsecondary education and collect further data from them in 2006 and 2009. This report describes the methodology and findings of the BPS:04/06 field test, which took place during the 2004-05 school year. The BPS:04/06 field test was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study scheduled for the 2005-06 school year. Appended are: (1) Technical Review Panel Contact List; (2) Data Elements for the BPS:04/06 Student Interview; (3) Advance Contacting and Mailout Materials; (4) Training Materials; (5) Facsimile of Field Test Instrument; and (6) Facsimile of Reinterview Data Collection Instrument. (Contains 6 endnotes, 33 tables, and 7 figures.)

The 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04), conducted for the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), collected comprehensive data regarding how students and their families pay for postsecondary education. The primary objective of NPSAS:04 is to produce reliable national estimates of characteristics related to financial aid for postsecondary students. NPSAS:04 also serves as the base year of data collection for the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS), which will follow a cohort of students from the start of their postsecondary education and collect further data from them in 2006 and 2009. For the first time, NPSAS:04 is being conducted as the student component study of the 2004 National Study of Faculty and Students (NSoFaS:04). The faculty component--the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04)--is primarily a separate study, with the exception of institutional sampling and contacting. Historically, there has been considerable overlap in the institutions selected for participation in NPSAS and NSOPF; therefore, institutional sampling and contacting activities for both studies were coordinated in order to minimize response burden on institutions and to realize data collection efficiencies. This report only describes the methodology and findings of the NPSAS:04 field test, which took place during the 2002-03 school year. The NPSAS:04 field test was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study scheduled for the 2003-04 school year. The methodology and findings of the NSOPF:04 field test are provided in a separate report. Appended are: (1) Technical Review Panel; (2)Data Collection Notification Materials; (3) Student Instrument Facsimile; (4) Computer-Assisted Data Entry (CADE) Facsimile; (5) Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) Training; and (6) CADE Verification Form. (Contains 51 tables and 8 figures.)

The 1993/03 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:93/03), sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education, followed a cohort of students who earned bachelor's degrees during the 1992?93 academic year. These students were first interviewed in 1993, as part of the 1993 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:93), a cross-sectional study of how postsecondary students and their families pay for education beyond high school. A year later, a follow-up interview was conducted (B&B:93/94) and transcripts were collected from students' undergraduate institutions and coded. In 1997, a second follow-up interview was conducted (B&B:93/97). B&B:93/03 is the third and final follow-up interview with the class of 1993. This report describes the methodology and findings of the B&B:93/03 field test interview, conducted in the spring and early summer of 2002, with 1991?92 bachelor's degree recipients. Prior to 2002, this field test cohort was interviewed in 1992 for the NPSAS:93 field test, and again in 1993 and 1996 for the B&B:93/94 and B&B:93/97 field test studies, respectively. The purpose of the B&B:93/03 field test was to evaluate the operational and methodological procedures, instruments, and systems planned for the B&B:93/03 full-scale study to ensure their efficiency in achieving the desired response rates and level of data quality. Appended are: (1) Data Collection Mailout Materials; (2) Agendas for Help Desk, Telephone, and Field Interviewer Training; (3) B&B:93/03 Field Test Facsimile Instrument; (4) Technical Review Panel Members; and (5) Field Test Data Elements.

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Followup 1996-98 (BPS:96/98). Students in this survey were first interviewed during 1995 as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 1996 field test. The BPS:96/98 full-scale student sample includes students who started their postsecondary education during the 1995-96 academic year. Evaluation of procedures used in the field test has led to refinements that benefit the full-scale study. The introductory chapter describes the study and the unique purposes of the field test. Chapter 2 reviews the study design and methodology for the field test. Chapter 3 presents overall outcomes of data collection and the special procedures implemented during the field test. Chapter 4 examines issues related to the quality of the data collected. The major recommendations for changes in the design of the full-scale study are included by topic in chapters 3 and 4, and summarized at the end of chapter 4. Materials used in the field test, including 5 facsimile interviews are provided as five appendixes to the report. (Contains 2 figures and 17 tables.) (SLD)

This paper focuses on methods to improve the reading abilities of college students. A list of five elements college instructors (who are not reading specialists) should establish in a content reading agenda is offered; (1) an instructional basis for the reading process which will work for them; (2) content literacy environments; (3) insights into the skill level characteristics of readers; (4) working relationships with the campus reading program; and (5) inclusion of reading strategies in their content instruction. Stating that students must know the purpose of the course and understand what is to be done with the information provided through lectures and textbook reading assignments to successfully interact with the text, the paper offers methods of establishing the five elements suggested. Also addressed are the unique challenges of social science, mathematical, and scientific reading instruction. The paper concludes with a brief summary and suggestions for collaboration between the content specialist and the reading staff. (Contains 55 references.) (CR)

The manual is intended to help students with language learning disabilities master the academic task of research paper writing. A seven-step procedure is advocated for students and their tutors: (1) select a workable topic, then limit and focus it; (2) use library references to identify sources from which to prepare a working bibliography; (3) prepare a rough outline; (4) write and edit a first draft; (5) rework and revise the draft, including an introduction and conclusion; (6) prepare the final draft, adding references and/or footnotes; and (7) type and proofread. (CL)

The application of structural-developmental theory to experiential education practice is discussed. The theory is based on the concept of stages, which are structurally whole, internally consistent systems of thought that organize the individual's understanding of, feelings toward, and actions on the world. Stage theory presents the image of an expanding self that is forced to reach for a new formulation of reality more adequate to the situation at hand. The structural-developmental theory presents a working model of "the whole person" as the totality of all his/her capacities (cognitive, moral, social, ego). It is possible for experiential education to promote development by deliberately supplying the prerequisite conditions for movement from stage to stage. Structural-developmental theory has implications for: (1) how experiences for individual students are structured; (2) how educators interact with students; and (3) how educators interact with the community placement staff. Using these three aspects of experiential education, elements of good practice are covered, based on the theory. Three group exercises and checklists are included to stimulate thinking differently about experiential activities, how field experiences are planned and structured, and objectives of the experience. (SW)

Current residence and migration patterns in states affiliated with the Southern Association of Institutional Research (SAIR) were studied, based on 1979-1980 data from the Higher Education General Information Survey (Residence and Migration of College Students, Fall 1979). The data cover first-time students by level, and full-time and part-time status, with attention directed to net migration by state for freshmen, undergraduate transfer students, graduate students, professional students, and foreign students. For each SAIR state, data are also provided on: first-time nonresidents enrolled by institutional type and public/private status; and resident students attending out-of-state institutions by type and control. Out-migration and in-migration ratios are employed to analyze student migration rates. It was found that most of the southern states enroll more out-of-state students in the public institutions, with the exceptions of Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Tennessee. Florida is the only state that has the majority of nonresidents enrolling in public 2-year institutions. Possible reasons for the 87 percent of first-time students remaining in their home state to study in 1979 are noted (e.g., costs and financial aid policies). Suggestions for other levels of analysis (institutional and intrastate) are also identified. (SW)

This handbook is designed to help undergraduates in English and social sciences discover possible jobs and career alternatives available to them in the currently limited job market. Entering freshmen, as well as students who have declared majors, are encouraged to read the handbook in order to decide if they want to pursue academic study in the fields of English and social science. Thirteen career areas are analyzed, including advertising, banking, business, broadcasting, journalism, real estate, public relations, research, and travel. Within each area, a variety of specific jobs are described. For example, within the field of broadcasting possible jobs are program director, staff announcer, newscaster, broadcast technician, general manager, sales representative, and press writer. For each career area and for almost every job, the handbook defines the field or job, describes requirements for academic and experiential background, estimates salary ranges, and provides information about relevant information sources such as the National Association of Broadcasters. Useful editorial comments alert students to special aspects of certain jobs. For example, manufacturers' sales representatives should have highly competitive personalities. The handbook concludes with a bibliography of 39 books, pamphlets, and articles. (AV)

College enrollment trends were examined with attention to participation of women and youth, part- and full-time study, and qualifications of entering students. Findings include the following: in 1973 there was only one university in Western Australia, and the colleges sector consisted of five teacher training institutions and one institute of technology; in 1983 the colleges had amalgamated into one multi-campus college of advanced education and another university had been founded, making a total of four institutions in higher education; student enrollments increased by 65 percent; in 1973, 55 percent of university students were in the 17-21 age group, but by 1983 only 47 percent were in this age group; part-time enrollment in the college sector increased from 41 percent to 56 percent during the decade, while the percentage (38%) of part-time students in the university sector remained about the same; and part-time enrollment by women has increased notably. Data for the 1973-1983 period are provided on: enrollments by 17-21 year olds by sector and sex; male students as a proportion of total enrollments by sector and institution; part-time enrollments by sector and institution; full- and part-time enrollments; and the numbers of students beginning college directly from school. (SW)

The guide is designed to increase the effectiveness of persons who tutor learning disabled (LD) college students by providing information on LD characteristics as well as specific strategies and techniques for working with LD students. Initial sections define learning disabilities and list characteristics of LD college students in such areas as reading, written language, and listening and speaking. Contents include tutoring suggestions in three academic areas: (1) reading (reading flexibility, aids to comprehension, vocabulary development, and development of test questions); (2) writing (techniques to generate ideas, enrich vocabulary, improve organization, improve proofreading, and the use of computers to teach writing); (3) study skills (organization, questioning techniques, memory devices). Appendices include a college study skills checklist and a sample log for tutors to record student progress. (JW)

Statistical trends in the characteristics of registrants for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are presented. Areas of focus are: registrations (registration volumes have increased dramatically over time); worldwide age distribution (the percentage of older test registrants has increased); world distribution (there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of male and female registrants from outside the United States); minority representation (for U.S. male registrants the percentage of minorities increased marginally and for females it remained unchanged); sex composition (female registrants have gradually increased); U.S. regional distribution (male and female registrants from the northeast have declined); undergraduate majors (science majors have increased substantially among female and male registrants); undergraduate grade point averages (GPA) (low GPAs declined for all subpopulations except Asians); low undergraduate GPA (male registrants declined in low GPAs); male work experience (male registrants show a small increase in the percentages with less than one year of work experience) female work experience (female registrants show declines in percentages with less than 8 years of work experience); intended full-time graduate study (the percentage increased in the early 1980s); high total scores (they have increased for males and females); total scores (e.g., low scores declined for Europeans); high quantitative scores (they have increased dramatically for males and females); quantitative scores (low scores declined modestly in Australia and the United States); high verbal scores (these scores have increased for males and decreased for females); and verbal scores (the percentage with low scores declined substantially in Europe). (SM)

Results from the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) 1979 Residence and Migration survey that are particularly relevant to higher education policy issues are discussed. Data are provided on the rankings of states by net in-migration and net out-migration of first-time freshmen, and the net migration of first-time freshmen, undergraduate transfer students, graduate students, and first-time professional students. Foreign student enrollments, enrollment by control and classification of institution, and changes in migration since 1949 are reported. Findings include the following: (1) since 1938, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Connecticut have experienced substantial net losses of students to other states; (2) the top five ranked states for net in-migration of first-time freshmen students are North Carolina, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, and Arizona; (3) Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania heavily enroll out-of-state students in the private sector; (4) Arizona, California, and Texas heavily enroll students in the public sectors; and (5) in 1979, 87 percent of all first-time students remained in their home state to study. It is noted that residence and migration data are also useful at the institutional and intrastate level. (SW)

Factors that have contributed to the increase in college enrollment since 1978 and the possible impact of these factors on future college enrollments were analyzed using data from the Higher Education General Information Survey and the Current Population Survey. During 1978-1984, enrollment increased despite declines in the 18- to 24-year-old population. While the major factor in the enrollment increases since 1978 has been higher enrollment rates for 18- to 24-year-olds, another factor has been increased enrollment by women, particularly those 25 years old and older. Implications for the future include the fact that enrollment rates for women 25 years old and older may decline as more women attend college prior to the age of 25. In addition, the enrollment rate for 18- to 24-year-olds may decline as higher proportions of college-age persons come from groups with traditionally lower college-going rates. Therefore, while enrollments have remained high in the early 1980s, a decline in the late 1980s and the early 1990s may occur. Trends in enrollment are reported by gender, age, age by gender, and race/ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic). Information on college enrollment estimation and the reliability of estimates is appended. (SW)

Results of assessing Eastern New Mexico University students' cognitive outcomes are presented as one component of research being conducted by the Student Impacts and Outcomes Committee. The impact of general education studies on undergraduates' integration and utilization of knowledge is being assessed using the American College Testing Program's College Outcomes Measures Program (ACT COMP) objective test. The test consists of six subtests: functioning in social institutions, using science and technology, using the arts, communicating, solving problems, and clarifying values. First semester freshmen are required to take this test; 704 students were tested in September 1986. The total ACT COMP score for the average freshman (0-29 cumulative credit hours) was at the 43rd percentile when compared to national norms. Percentiles for ENMU and the national sample are also reported for the six subtests. Charts present ACT COMP subtest results on: university-wide percentile rankings; percentile rankings for the advising center and for four colleges within the university; and comparisons of scores for five ethnic groups. (SW)

Noting that teaching the research paper seldom gets below surface conventions, this book surveys the work of key theorists in rhetoric, past and present, and seeks to change the way teachers and students think about the relationship between writers and readers. Focusing on theorists who see the creation of knowledge as a social process, the book discusses reader response and discourse processing theories and develops a model of how an individual evolves a set of beliefs about the world. Chapters of the book are: (1) Starting Points; (2) Reading as Construction; Reading as Communication; (3) From Interpretation to Belief; (4) The Rhetoric of Reading as a Critical Technique; and (5) Implications for Teaching and for the Art of Rhetoric. Each chapter includes footnotes, and a five-page bibliography is attached. (NKA)

This paper opens with a brief description of three administrative options for implementing bibliographic instruction programs for college level students: (1) composition instructors teach their students research methods without working with librarians; (2) librarians offer separate library skills courses to the general student body; and (3) instructors and librarians cooperate in developing and implementing bibliographic instruction programs. Problems with the first two methods are discussed briefly, and the operations of an administrative partnership between the library and the English Department at the University of Illinois are described. These operations include logistics, benefits, and applications for other institutions. Five major benefits of such a partnership are discussed. A checklist is presented for the classroom instructor with sections on needs assessment, department organization, library organization, and library instruction and orientation. A selected bibliography is included with sections on bibliographies/literature reviews; periodicals/columns devoted to bibliographic instruction; guidelines and recommendations; handbooks; theory, general discussion, and case studies; and librarian-English instructor cooperation. (THC)

Discusses how and why college students commit plagiarism, suggesting techniques that instructors can use to help student avoid plagiarism. Instructors should define and discuss plagiarism thoroughly; discuss hypothetical cases; review the conventions of quoting and documenting material; require multiple drafts of essays; and offer responses appropriate to the type of error. (MDM)

Substance use is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; it is in large part why, among 17 high-income nations, people in the U.S. have the highest probability of dying by age 50. Substance use is also an important contributor to many social ills including child and spouse abuse, violence more generally, theft, suicide, and more; and it typically is initiated during adolescence. It warrants sustained attention. Monitoring the Future (MTF) is designed to give sustained attention to substance use among the nation's youth and adults. It is an investigator-initiated study that originated with, and is conducted by, a team of research professors at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Since its onset in 1975, MTF has been continuously funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health--under a series of peer-reviewed, competitive research grants. The 2017 survey, reported in this report, is the 43rd consecutive survey of 12th grade students and the 27th such survey of 8th and 10th graders. This annual monograph series has been a primary vehicle for disseminating MTF's epidemiological findings. This monograph presents the results of the 43rd survey of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs among American high school seniors and 27th such survey of 8th and 10th grade students. The next monograph in this series will report the 38th such survey of American college students and same-age youth who do not attend college, as well as findings regarding substance use prevalence and trends among adults through age 60. An annual monograph on risk and protective behaviors for the spread of HIV/AIDS2 among young adults was added beginning in 2009. (In years prior to 2009, findings from the study on risk and protective behaviors related to the spread of HIV/AIDS were contained in "Volume II.") [For the report from the previous year "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2016. Volume I, Secondary School Students," see ED578730. For Volume II "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-55," see ED589764. For "Demographic Subgroup Trends among Adolescents in the Use of Various Licit and Illicit Drugs, 1975-2017. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper Series. Paper 90," see ED589759. For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use," see ED589762.]

The present volume presents new 2017 findings from the U.S. national Monitoring the Future (MTF) follow-up study concerning substance use among the nation's college students and adults from ages 19 through 55. The authors report 2017 prevalence estimates on numerous illicit and licit substances, examine how substance use differs across this age span, and show how substance use and related behaviors and attitudes have changed over the past four decades. MTF, now in its 44th year, is a research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated, competing research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health. The integrated MTF study comprises several ongoing series of annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th and 10th grade students (begun in 1991), 12th grade students (begun in 1975), and high school graduates followed into adulthood (begun in 1976). The authors report the results of the repeated cross-sectional surveys of all high school graduating classes since 1976 as they follow them into their adult years (as discussed in Chapter 3, these cross-sections come from longitudinal data). Segments of the general adult population represented in these follow-up surveys include: (1) U.S. college students; (2) their age-peers who are not attending college, sometimes called the "forgotten half,"; (3) all young adult high school graduates of modal ages 19 to 30 (or 19-28 for trend estimates), to whom we refer as the "young adult" sample; and (4) high school graduates at the specific later modal ages of 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. This volume emphasizes historical and developmental changes in substance use and related attitudes and beliefs occurring at these age strata. The follow-up surveys have been conducted by mail on representative subsamples of the previous participants from each high school senior class. This volume presents data from the 1977 through 2017 follow-up surveys of the graduating high school classes of 1976 through 2016, as these respondents have progressed into adulthood. The oldest MTF respondents, from the classes of 1976-80, have been surveyed through age 55 in 2013-2017, 37 years after their graduation. [For the report from the previous year "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2016. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-55," see ED578605. For Volume I "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017. Volume I, Secondary School Students," see ED589763. For "Demographic Subgroup Trends among Adolescents in the Use of Various Licit and Illicit Drugs, 1975-2017. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper Series. Paper 90," see ED589759. For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use," see ED589762.]

Monitoring the Future (MTF) is a long-term study of substance use and related factors among U.S. adolescents, college students, and adult high school graduates through age 55. It is conducted annually and supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. MTF findings identify emerging susbstance use problems, track substance use trends, and inform national policy and intervention strategies. MTF is designed to detect age, period, and cohort effects in substance use and related attitudes. Age effects are similar changes at similar ages seen across multiple class cohorts; they are common during adolescence. Period effects are changes that are parallel over a number of years across multiple age groups (in this case, all three grades under study--8, 10, and 12). Cohort effects are similar changes among those of a similar age or grade in school, that are then maintained as the cohorts age. The key findings for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders surveyed across the coterminous U.S. in 2017 are summarized in this report. [For the report from the previous year "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2016: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use," see ED578534. For "Demographic Subgroup Trends among Adolescents in the Use of Various Licit and Illicit Drugs, 1975-2017. Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper Series. Paper 90," see ED589759. For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017. Volume I, Secondary School Students," see ED589763. For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2017. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-55," see ED589764.]

Engineering students can use a humanistic research project on the poetry of Walt Whitman as the basis for a technical report. Students must first become familiar with the scientific method so that they will have a general procedure for gathering and analyzing data for the project. To use the scientific method, students isolate the problem, observe evidence in order to form a hypothesis, devise an experiment or project that will allow them to collect objective data, and formulate a theory to account for the data gathered. After students understand how to use the scientific method, they must learn the general format for scientific or technical reports. In the Whitman project, students tabulate and analyze data on the vocabulary he uses in "Leaves of Grass," and then write a short technical report that presents the results of their analysis. The project demonstrates the possibility of meaningful interaction between the sciences and humanities. (Additional assignments and exercises are included throughout the text.) (MM)

This paper considers the body of research on adult learning and adult college experiences and outcomes that can inform the planning, development, and evaluation of accelerated degree programs. It addresses many of the issues confronting faculty and administrators as they design accelerated programs using a model of college outcomes developed to explain adult learners' experiences in college. The model, which offers a way of describing and understanding the experience for adults and nontraditional students, consists of: (1) prior experience and personal biographies; (2) psychosocial and value orientations; (3) adult cognition; (4) the connecting classroom; (5) life-world experience; and (6) college outcomes. The model was supplemented by research that asked adult students to define success in learning and in college and to identify the factors that led to their perceived success. These findings were used to develop a set of principles to help college administrators design programs that foster the best results. These principles are grouped according to the components of the model of college outcomes. These principles emphasize considering the past experiences of adult students and designing instruction to emphasize the connections between present instruction and past experience. (Contains 16 references.) (SLD)

This study, which focuses on one college of the City University of New York (CUNY), is in two parts. The first part is a paper titled "Open Admissions and CUNY in Crisis: A Comparison of Remedial and Non-Remedial Students"; the second paper is titled "Factors Affecting Grading Practices." The first study examined the difference between students who received remediation and those who did not need it, and assessed the differential impact of open and selective admissions. Sixteen data tables and 7 figures are included. The study found that students' native language played a major role in determining the need for remediation; that remedial students narrowed the academic performance gap as compared to nonremedial students during the normal 4-year period of college study; and that students with a greater need for remediation required a longer period of retention. The second paper discussed practical concerns of grade inflation. Findings revealed that adjunct faculty gave higher grades than full-time faculty; that faculty rank had only a marginal effect on grading; that grades in the humanities and social sciences were higher than in science and technology; and that the higher the course level, the higher the average grade. (Contains 56 references and 20 notes.) (CH)

This paper is about assisting teachers to identify and help to change and retain deviant students. The major focus is on the instruction and training of teachers on how alcohol and drugs affect a person's body and behavior, and the effective methods for helping to change that behavior. In order to accomplish this objective, the paper is divided into the following separate, but interrelated, sections: (1) Introduction: Teachers Can Make a Difference; (2) A Theoretical Reverberation on Alcohol, Drugs, and Deviant Behavior; (3) The Physiology of Alcohol and Drug Abuse; (4) Politeness Strategies for Communicating with Deviant Students; (5) The Teacher as Decision-Maker; (6) The Teacher as Leader; (7) The Teacher as Conflict Resolver; (8) Conclusion. (Author/EMK)

This paper summarizes seven "truths" imparted about male sex traits and sex-role stereotypes that stem from extant research reflecting primarily a dual-culture perspective. The paper includes relevant research findings and insights from male students that suggest that some of the conclusions about men's communication should be revisited. The presumed truths are: (1) men listen for facts and not feelings; (2) women are presumed to be the intimacy experts; (3) male friendships are rooted in sharing activities while female friendships are rooted in dialogue; (4) assumptions about men's self-disclosure and friendships are based, in part, on what men talk about; (5) when sexual harassment on college campuses is addressed, the focus tends to be on women as victims because of their presumed powerlessness in the professor/student relationship; (6) male students are told of the enormous benefits that will accrue to those who share equally in the household and childcare responsibilities; and (7) men wield the power in society. The conclusions are that teachers need to scrutinize the "truths" imparted to students and identify the male populations being taught and the point in their lives at which educators encounter them. Contains 33 references. (NKA)

This paper describes the Action Research (AR) Team model for joining classroom observations with collegial interaction among university faculty, teaching assistants, and university students to improve pedagogy and the retention of diverse students in higher education. The paper includes a progress report of efforts to develop the model and apply it on a pilot basis at New Mexico State University. In the professional fields in which minorities and women are presently under-represented, science, engineering, and mathematics, the need for student retention efforts is seen to be especially important. The AR teams are described as part of efforts to retain minority students as they attempt to: (1) identify teaching strategies and aspects of the classroom environment and dynamics of classroom interaction that may impede student performance; (2) reduce differential treatment of students and improve the pattern of interactions; (3) increase use of non-stereotypical interactions, materials, and activities; and (4) provide more equitable support and motivation in the classroom for female and minority students. An appendix compares the workforce composition for women, African-Americans, and Hispanics in selected fields of employment and composition for those groups in United States population. (Contains 28 references.) (MAH)

This paper describes and encourages the application of 20 classroom techniques to enhance the retention and success of black male college students. Though retention enhancement programs work best when institution-wide support and commitment are behind them, the techniques described here can be implemented in the classroom with significant results even while lacking all institutional support. The techniques described have all been used extensively by the author, a teacher. They are: (1) learn their names; (2) assign specific required office hour visits early in the semester; (3) use "calling cards" (a system of telephone networking between students"; (4) touch each student (handshakes especially encouraged); (5) use peer tutors and counselors; (6) use collaborative learning frequently; (7) use 5-minute get acquainted sessions (formats suggested); (8) encourage joining of clubs and campus activities; (9) walk them through the campus; (10) take field trips; (11) vary instructional mode; (12) make very short term assignments; (13) set very short term goals; (14) include everyone in classroom discussions; (15) make a scrapbook about successful role models; (16) be fair, firm, demanding, consistent, and predictable; (17) provide all materials from the beginning; (18) be animated in your instruction; (19) teach a memory skill; and (20) be "up beat" and cheerful. Each technique is described in detail with concrete suggestions for implementation. (JB)

In a letter to her mother, herself a former English teacher, a teaching assistant details impressions of her first year in the Writing Program at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). During a semester an instructor gets to know writing students individually in a way that pierces deeply through the veneer of stereotype. The class published seven writing anthologies, and in many of them students put their feelings right on the line. Jay, who likely had an undiagnosed learning disability, wrote about his frustrations with school, and about how he had to work five times as hard as the average student to get only half as far. Brian wrote about the discovery of his learning disability and the frustrations and relief of coming to know his own strengths and weaknesses. Laurie wrote about drug use in her family and alcohol abuse in school. After seeing other students "get published," Shawn finally finished his paper with its first-hand description of the outbreak of war in Belgrade. As the teacher got to know the flesh-and-blood students behind the "types," the whole class became better acquainted through group activities like peer editing, class discussions, and the published anthologies. Both for teacher and students, using portfolio grading (not having to evaluate every piece of writing as if it were finished) was liberating. By the end of the semester, both teacher and students had developed a better understanding of the act of writing and of themselves as writers. (SAM)

The "pining" for a sense of community, for roots, for a connectedness to others is a basic need that is felt but not understood, that is desired but not practiced, in either college settings or the greater society. Thus, the prevalent rootlessness and transience that students arrive with at college (due to a highly mobile society) is never overcome on college campuses because colleges do not practice what they preach. In reality, little is understood about the dynamics of community and the development of a sense of community is actually inhibited through the policies and procedures of institutions of higher education. Students arrive without an understanding of, or first hand experience with, a functional community and never experience anything to the contrary. Four doctoral students combined knowledge, resources, and interests to develop a model for reclaiming community on the nation's campuses as a student project. The end result, a project called "The Future Residential Community," has become the basis for further research into what the components of community are; how they can be implemented; and how a vision that does not have roots in tighter controls, restrictions, and regulations can be demonstrated to all constituencies of higher education. Colleges and universities must begin lessening distinctions such as those implied in viewing students' lives as separate and unintegrated and categorizing them as either inside or outside the classroom. The same philosophy must be applied to distinctions between faculty, administrators, and staff. It is also logical that intentional communities outside higher education be experienced and studied, that the rich history of communal movements be drawn upon, and that model communities from Trappist monasteries to agricultural communes be explored. (ABL)

There is a growing view that students who enroll in developmental courses are less successful in completing their programs than non-developmental students. Nevertheless, even though developmental students as a group ultimately might not be as academically successful as non-developmental students, many of them might still derive benefit from taking developmental courses. In this paper we address the question, "Does taking developmental courses benefit students at "all", in the sense that they are more successful than they would have been if they had not taken developmental courses?" Data for the study consisted of ACT[R] Test and college outcomes data for over 118,000 students who first enrolled in one of 75 two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions. We compared the success of students who initially enrolled in six developmental courses in English, mathematics, or reading with those of students who initially enrolled in associated higher-level courses. We first estimated probabilities of success with respect to twelve outcome variables ranging from performance in the associated higher-level college course to Bachelor's degree completion in six years. The probabilities of success were conditioned on ACT Test score, enrollment status (full- or part-time), college type (two-year vs. four-year), and the grade received in the developmental course (if taken). We then compared the probabilities of success of students who did and did not take the developmental course, but who otherwise were similar. Like others, we found that the developmental students in this study were less successful as a group than the non-developmental students with respect to GPA/persistence over time and degree completion within a fixed time period. Further consideration of time to degree, however, showed that developmental students typically completed a Bachelor's degree in six years at a rate similar to or higher than that of non-developmental students in five years. Particular subgroups of developmental students, as characterized by their ACT Test scores, the grade they received in the developmental course, and their enrollment status benefited from taking the developmental course. In particular, students who received an A (or sometimes a B) grade in the developmental course appeared to benefit from taking it. Moreover, part-time students appeared to derive more benefit from taking developmental courses than full-time students did. The report concludes with a discussion about the practical implications of these findings and possible contributing factors to academic success, such as the quality of developmental instruction, the time needed to complete a degree, and the noncognitive characteristics of developmental students. Appended are: (1) Pooled Descriptive Results; (2) Hierarchical Logistic Regression Models for Predicting Success in College; (3) Differences in Estimated Probabilities of Success for All Students and by Developmental Course Grade; and (4) Estimated Probabilities of Success for Full- and Part-Time Students. (Contains 33 tables, 25 figures and 17 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared with assistance from Justine Radunzel.

One of the important arguments by critics of affirmative action is that it actually hurts the students it is supposed to help by subjecting them to the "stigma" of being admitted under policies explicitly seeking campus diversity. Such students, this theory argues, must feel embarrassed and uncomfortable as a result and would prefer to be somewhere with color blind admissions. Therefore, the critics conclude, it would be better to have more Latino and black students go to less demanding schools with no affirmative action even though those schools have lower completion rates and far less success in placing students in the best professional schools and jobs. There are numerous assumptions buried within this argument, including the assumption that we have some fair way to measure "merit" even though test score selection means ignoring the clear impact of segregated and unequal communities and schools on students' test scores and opportunities to take strong college prep courses. Affirmative action supporters note that students admitted under diversity policies are chosen from a highly qualified pool and research shows they flourish both in college and in their professions and communities as leaders. If the critics were right, advocates of affirmative action would be unintentionally harming students of color. If they are wrong and affirmative action was rejected on that basis, those claiming to aid Latino and African American students would actually be seriously narrowing their opportunities. This paper says that they are wrong. This paper analyzes two very important dimensions of this debate. The first explores extensive survey data to determine whether black students feel better on University of California campuses, where there should be no stigma after 16 years of affirmative action bans. Since all consideration of race has been forbidden for a generation by the state constitution, the stigma theory would suggest that they would feel much more comfortable on campuses under race-blind policies. The second part of the study explores the proposition that black students should be more willing to come to excellent post-stigma campuses in the nation's leading public university system. This study uses unique data from surveys of the University of California campuses and from their enrollment statistics and compares them to the University of Texas at Austin campus and two other selective campuses, one private and one public (whose names are kept confidential at their request). (Contains 102 footnotes.) [Foreword by Gary Orfield.]

This paper presents data covering the representation of African Americans among physics and geoscience degree recipients at each stage of the educational system. The data were collected by several statistical agencies and are here provided in far more detail than has ever been available before. By placing all the data in one place, this paper presents a snapshot of the supply side of physics and the geosciences. In addition to compiling the data from disparate sources into one document, this report also places the education of African American physicists and geoscientists within the larger context of the educational system and social structure. The lack of adequate representation of African American physicists and geoscientists cannot be understood without a thorough examination of the role of African Americans in the educational system as a whole, beginning with high school preparation and extending to the relationship between geographical location and higher education. Then, it is essential to examine the structural barriers some students must circumvent. This paper identifies institutions that have been able to remove or reduce some of these barriers so that we know where we might find solutions to help students overcome these obstacles. This report highlights the striking contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in supplying the scientific workforce of African Americans. It also lists departments that have been successful in attracting and retaining African American students so that they might be used as role models by departments wishing to increase their numbers of African American students. The data in this report allow institutions to evaluate the extent to which they have been serving the science education needs of African American students. These data can be used by departments that have noticed that the racial composition of their majors differs significantly from the composition of the undergraduates attending their institutions. (Contains 17 tables and 5 figures.)

Because there are few instruments designed to measure the specific behaviors and characteristics instructors expect of college students and how well the majority of their students meet those expectations, an original survey instrument has been created to address that need. Focus group interviews were held, and as a result of those interviews, an initial survey instrument was created. The survey was reviewed by the focus group participants and an expert in educational measurement to determine content and face validity. For construct validity and reliability, the survey was pilot tested via the Internet with a link to the survey sent to 250 college instructors who represented various content areas and levels of instruction. The survey and results of the pilot study are included in this paper. Supplemental tabular data is appended. [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.] (Contains 33 tables.)

The Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 95,390 surveys were sent out in 4,841 envelopes; 54,203 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the paper surveys was 57% including late submissions. Instructors' reports were provided to academic and workforce deans on June 26, 2006. The Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEOI) was administered to all full-time and part-time faculty. Approximately 95,390 surveys were sent out in 4,841 envelopes; 54,203 surveys were returned to the Office of Institutional Research. The return rate for the paper surveys was 57% including late submissions. Instructors' reports were provided to academic and workforce deans on June 26, 2006.

The College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) was developed by UCLA Professor Emeritus Dr. C. Robert Pace in the 1970s. First administered by Dr. Pace in 1979, the CSEQ Research Program formally moved its operations to Indiana University's Center for Postsecondary Research and Planning in 1994, under the direction of Chancellor's Professor George D. Kuh. Since then, the CSEQ Research Program has expanded each year in scope and function. More students complete the survey each year, and more institutions are using the survey as part of assessment strategies. In addition, the development of the College Student Expectations Questionnaire (CSXQ) complements the CSEQ in assessing incoming students' expectations of college. Several years ago, the CSEQ Research Program collaborated with the Center for Survey Research at Indiana University to develop and launch web versions of both the CSEQ and CSXQ. This paper represents an updated version of the "Tentative Norms for the Fourth Edition" (Kuh & Siegel, 2000) with a larger dataset as well as complete psychometric information for the Fourth Edition. This report is divided into six parts. Part I describes the conceptual framework, history, and content of the CSEQ. This section also introduces indices that colleges and universities can use to estimate the extent to which students are exposed to three "good practices" in undergraduate education (i.e., faculty-student contact, cooperation among students, active learning), students' capacity for life-long learning, and the quality of student experiences with diversity. Part II describes the psychometric properties of the CSEQ Fourth Edition including information about scale reliability and the factors derived from the Activity, Environment, and Gains scales. Part III is included to help readers understand the Tables and provides some other useful information for comparing local data to these national data. Part IV includes two sections: first, information about the sample and institutions represented in the norms, and second, the norms Tables. References cited in "CSEQ Norms" appear in Part V. Finally, Part VI (Appendices) contains some additional technical information about the development of this document. Appendices include: (1) CSEQ Users Since 1983; (2) College Student Experiences Questionnaire, Fourth Edition; (3) Third to Fourth Edition Changes in the CSEQ; (4) Codebook for the CSEQ Fourth Edition; (5) College Student Expectations Questionnaire, Second Edition; and (6) Institutions Represented in the Fourth Edition Norms. (Contains 19 tables and 17 figures.) [This paper was published by the College Student Experiences Questionnaire Research Program of the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.]

This paper describes the College of Applied Science and Arts (ASA) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) Transfer and New Students Info Web site that responds to the need for high school and community college students, guidance counselors, and parents to explore and plan a program of study that provides the opportunity to enter the workforce while including options to pursue studies for associate and baccalaureate degrees. The Student Support Services program at ASA developed the self-directed Web site to provide Illinois' students with the ability to track their technical high school program of study to an Illinois community college and/or directly to SIUC. The site can help students clarify career options and educational training program options that lead to the career paths they have identified through career self-exploration and assessment activities. (GCP)

The perennial problem of college students indecision regarding their future career is well documented in the professional counseling literature. This paper seeks to outline practical and effective strategies for counseling undecided college students. Another goal of this article is to highlight relevant career counseling strategies for working with culturally different, undecided college students. Krumboltzs "Learning Theory of Career Counseling" is used as a framework for describing these strategies. (GCP)

This paper presents the results of four students' observations of instructors' evaluation practices. The four students (two undergraduates and two graduate students) rated an instructor's evaluation of students using a draft of the Student Evaluation Standards (SES) of the Joint Committee at Western Michigan University. Each student wrote a paper that became part of a family of studies presented at the 10th Annual Consortium for Research on Educational Accountability and Teacher Evaluation National Institute. This paper summarizes those papers, with a brief quantitative overview of the students' observations. Two of the students applied the SES to courses in which they thought the instructor was exemplary, while the other two applied the SES to courses in which they thought evaluation was frustrating and in need of improvement. Students were given a draft copy of the SES, and the ratings generated by the four students were entered into a spreadsheet according to the four attributes of sound evaluation practice (Propriety, Utility, Feasibility, and Accuracy). The ratings of instructors' practices provided by students participating in this study show that there is room for improvement in the field of student evaluation. The SES are capable of providing a foundation on which educators can build solid student evaluation policies and practices. (SLD)

This guide presents an outline of time management tips for counselors and students. Following the introduction, six principles of managing time are listed: (1) analyze how time is used; (2) set goals; (3) divide large projects into small steps; (4) make a "to-do" list; (5) decide priorities; and (6) schedule quiet time. Subheadings define different kinds of time, provide examples of goals for counselors and students, give nine suggestions for making a to-do list, and present guidelines for deciding priorities and scheduling quiet time. Handouts supporting each major principle are provided, including a Daily Schedule, Pie of Life, Guidelines for Setting Goals, Success Print Out, Writing a Paper Exercise, Calendar for Writing a Paper Exercise, and a Time Management Worksheet. Handouts for background reading, including How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, Additional Tips for Effective Time Management, Tips for Counselors, and a bibliography are included. (JAC)

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it investigated preservice and inservice teachers' observed and experienced violence at various educational levels. Second, the study determined by gender, these individuals' knowledge and awareness of violence factors. The subjects consisted of 26 university preservice and four inservice teachers in two sections of an introductory special education class at a small southeastern university. The preservice teachers consisted of elementary, secondary, and K-12 special education majors. The inservice teachers consisted of 2 males and 2 females. A survey questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered. Participants indicated their school safety-violence observations and experiences from grade school through college, and their agreement or disagreement to a minimum of 10 statements listed under five safety-violence factors. The results indicated that subjects had differences in violence experienced in schools. The results also suggested that subjects had similar gender perceptions of school violence, but differences occurred in their perceptions of acts of school violence. Limitations and implications for future research and school safety-violence prevention programs are presented. (Contains 7 tables.) (Author/JDM)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors involved in applying multimedia in teaching English as a foreign language. In particular, it deals with the non-courseware factors affecting the use of multimedia in improving the pronunciation and oral communications skills of students majoring in English for Specific Purposes at the Jordan University for Science and Technology. The factors under investigation are the following: previous instruction in pronunciation using the conventional classroom teaching method, familiarity with multimedia, English proficiency, academic achievement, free time using multimedia, attitudes toward using multimedia, and socioeconomic class. This study showed that using computers, especially multimedia, as a teaching aid in developing the oral skills of English majors is influenced by several non-courseware factors such as students' academic achievement in English at school, their general grade point average, their achievement in oral courses taught at the university, the extent of their computer use, and their attitude towards it. The results show that there are variations in effect of these factors on using multimedia as a teaching aid in improving the oral skills in a foreign language. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/KFT)

This paper examines issues in the postsecondary education of students with brain injuries. It defines the categories of brain injury and describes the impact on an individual's ability to learn and to live independently. Appropriate learning tools and strategies to help these students succeed in postsecondary education are discussed. The paper also offers specific suggestions to students, parents, instructors, academic advisors, therapists, and Disability Support Services administrators. Case studies of two specific students with brain injuries illustrate common pitfalls and obstacles encountered when adjusting to and developing beyond the effects of such injury. Individual sections address: types and causes of brain injury, effects of a brain injury, cognitive impairments, physical and sensory impairments, psychosocial impairments, impact on the learning process, financial impact, comparisons with other disability categories, and education and related services for students with brain injuries. A resource list of organizations, Web sites, and organizations completes the paper. (DB)