Search

This study is based on data collected by the Division of Lifelong Learning at Indiana State University, in fall 2002. The data collected was in the form of a survey questionnaire, mailed to students taking distance courses. The main objective of the study was to analyze student preference for the four types of modalities, designed for the delivery of the distance courses at Indiana State University. It was also aimed at looking at the student satisfaction for the various services provided by Lifelong Learning. The study concluded that significantly more students preferred taking courses via the Internet than via television, videotape, or correspondence. (Contains 10 references and 9 figures.) (Author)

This study compared ISTEP+ (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress) writing test scores before the implementation of a writing improvement program with ISTEP+ writing test scores. The study was conducted two years after such a program was implemented. Data from two groups was collected for this comparison. The first group used was the 1999-2000 North Vermillion Elementary 3rd grade ISTEP+ writing test scores. This group of students did not participate in any writing improvement program. The second group used was the 2001-2002 North Vermillion Elementary 3rd grade ISTEP+ writing test scores. This second group of students participated for two years (prior to taking ISTEP+) in a school-wide writing improvement program. It was concluded that there was a significant difference in ISTEP+ writing test scores at the 0.05 level of significance. It can be further concluded that the writing improvement program did have a significant effect on ISTEP+ writing test scores. Contains 7 references, and 2 charts and 2 tables of data. (Author/RS)

This paper compared the Math ISTEP scores of third graders before the implementation of the Saxon Math program to the math ISTEP scores of the same group of students in sixth grade after implementation. Ex post factor research was used to compare data from the comparison year to the treatment year. Data collected was in the form of ISTEP math scores in third and sixth grades. It was concluded that the implementation of the Saxon Math program had a significant effect on the mean scores in math on the ISTEP test. (Author)

This study compared scores on the Indiana Statewide Test for Educational Progress (ISTEP) for students who received implementation of the Shurley Method program with those of students who did not receive the program. The Shurley method, developed by B. Shurley, is a language skills teaching method aimed at students of all learning styles that helps students merge a strong skill foundation with the writing process. Ex post facto research was used to compare data from the comparison year to the treatment year. Data collected were the individual student ISTEP results in language, language mechanics, and the ISTEP language composite components for 39 third graders and 37 sixth graders. It is concluded that the inclusion of the Shurley Method did not increase student performance in these three areas. Scores of students who studied by the Shurley Method were significantly lower in two of the three subtests. (Author/SLD)

This study investigates juvenile sex offenders and the predetermining factors that are present in their lives, prior to their first offenses. This study will give an overview of theories, children's sexual behaviors ranging from normal to disturbed, and family dynamics of juvenile offenders. The treatment files of boys and young men, currently in residential placement for committing one or more sexual offenses were carefully studied. It was concluded that when a child is exposed to adverse living conditions, has an unhealthy view of sexual privacy, and poor boundaries, sexual acting out is probable. (Author)

A study was conducted to analyze the impact of the Reading Recovery Program on first grade students in Vigo County, Indiana. The program was implemented in Vigo County just last school year (2000-01). For the study, a first-round sample of 51 students who were successfully discontinued from Reading Recovery was measured to obtain information on the progress they made. Students were again tested at year-end to determine continued success. Data were collected by obtaining test scores in reading and writing using a control group and an experimental group. The conclusion was that most of the students did benefit from the Reading Recovery Program and that the program looks to be very cost effective in terms of long-term monetary expenditures. (Author/NKA)

This study compared tenth grade scores on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) assessment in the Lafayette School Corporation in mathematics and language arts. The sample was taken from a high school with a total enrollment of 1,990 students, 296 of whom were considered special needs students. Data were gathered for the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 school years. The ISTEP was instituted as a graduation qualification examination in 2000. The study analyzed the effects of including special education students' scores in ISTEP results. Ex post facto research was used to compare data from the comparison years to the treatment and posttreatment years. Findings indicate that the inclusion of special needs students did not have a significant effect on ISTEP scores. (Author/SLD)

The effect of enrollment in prerequisite courses on success in advanced courses was examined in a study of a sample of students who completed a business cooperative experiences program between 1994-1995 and 2001-2002. Of the 163 students in the sample, 80 completed the prerequisite courses (Technology Lab I and II) before the advanced course, and 83 did not take the prerequisite course. Ex post facto research was used to compare the following factors: students' attendance/days missed; employer and program coordinator evaluations of students' performance; and students' term 1 and term 2 grades. A two-tailed Pearson correlation test was used to identify relationships between individual factors. No relationship was found between students' completion of the prerequisite courses and their success in the advanced course. According to the instructor coordinator, some of the more successful students in the advanced program were the ones who had not taken the prerequisite courses. However, those students had excellent skills, work ethics, and attendance. (The bibliography lists four references. The following items are appended: tables of statistical correlations; descriptions of the study courses; ERIC database entries for two studies on the effects of prerequisites; and the information on prerequisites that is provided to students at Santa Rosa Junior College, California.) (MN)

The Worthington City School District, Worthington, Ohio, purchased, through Mind Surf software, a mathematics software program for two of their four middle schools. Each student was given a keyboard at the beginning of class. If the entered answer is correct, the student sees a green light on the keyboard. An incorrect answer lights a red light, and the student may not proceed until the green light is earned. Because the keyboards are numbered, the teacher can track the progress of each student. The school district hoped that this discourse technology would improve the student's scores on the Ohio mathematics proficiency test. Students in the discourse technology class are those identified as at-risk for failing the eighth grade mathematics proficiency test. Results for the past 5 years, for roughly 800 students each year, show that students who use the technology have benefited and the district's test scores have improved. The cost of the software is high, but student achievement has risen. (Author/SLD)

A study examined whether allowing students to make choices in their reading program significantly increased their self concepts as readers and the value they place on reading. The Motivation to Read Profile was administered to 20 fifth-grade students from a variety of socioeconomic families. After allowing the students to make choices in their reading programs, a posttest was given. Pretest and posttest scores were compared on self concept as a reader, the value placed on reading, and combined self concept and value scores. A significant positive difference was found between the self-concept scores and between the combined scores, but no significant difference was found between the value scores. (Contains 2 tables of data and 8 references. An appendix contains Motivation to Read Profile scores, self-concept scores, value scores, and combined scores.) (Author/NKA)

This study compared the final grades of 118 traditional classroom learners and 81 distance learners to determine whether there was a significant difference in their grade point averages. The study involved the final grades from five graduate courses in Human Resource Development at Indiana State University. Each participating class was taught by the same professor, and each student received the same information. Distance learners used video tapes, the Internet, and the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System network. Students' letter grades were collected and converted to numbers on a 4.0 scale. The numerical grade points for each semester were entered into an SPSS Windows computer application using a two-way Anova test. Data analysis indicated that there were no significant differences between the final grade point averages of the distance learners and the traditional classroom learners. (Contains 12 references.) (SM)

This study examines whether responses to questions concerning teenage sexual activity and teenage pregnancy differ by gender and by the marital status of the respondent's parents. A questionnaire was completed by 231 students attending a college in the Midwest. A number of significant differences were found in the analysis. Subjects from intact families appear to hold more conservative attitudes concerning teenage sexuality and teenage pregnancy than those whose parents are divorced. Subjects from divorced homes viewed early sexual behavior and the consequences of teenage pregnancy less negatively. Studies have consistently shown that subjects from intact families were less comfortable turning to their parents for answers to questions about sex, believing that their parents would disapprove if they knew that their teenager was sexually active. The questionnaire is appended. (Contains 16 references.) (JDM)

A study compared the typing speeds attained by students who learned to type on typewriters with the speeds attained by students who learned on computers in order to determine whether the medium of instruction has any effect on achievement. Data were gathered on the speeds of 585 students from west central Indiana high school business teachers. Of the students timed, 242 learned on typewriters and 343 learned on computers. The study showed that mean keyboarding speeds were higher for students who learned on computers as compared to those who learned on typewriters. Mean keyboarding speeds achieved by students using computers were 30 words per minute, whereas speeds for those using typewriters were 28.8 words per minute. (KC)

This study examined admission rates of student-athletes and students in general at DePauw University (Indiana) over a three-year period. Data on admissions from 1994 through 1996 were reviewed, and it was found that 47 percent of applicants identified themselves as student-athletes and that 82 percent of all applicants were accepted. The results indicated no differences in the acceptance rates for student-athletes and students in general. However, it was noted that the results of the study might have been different had the university been willing to reveal the academic profiles of the incoming freshman class for both student-athletes and students in general. One problem that the study encountered was control over whether or not applicants identifying themselves as student-athletes participated in intercollegiate athletics once enrolled at the university. Data tables and admission statistics are appended; also appended is a copy of a U.S. News & World Report list of the best national liberal arts colleges. (MDM)

This study examined differences between stable (n=107) and mobile (n=39) students attending a three-year middle school in Terre Haute (Indiana). Demographic variables of gender, ethnicity, and family income were considered, in addition to mobility, to assess possible relationships with aptitude and achievement. Achievement was measured by the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) exam, given during the first half of the eighth grade. A correlation was measured between each of the demographic variables and each of the subtests of the ISTEP exam, the ISTEP battery score, and an aptitude score. A significant correlation was found between mobile students and low scores on the language subtest of the ISTEP exam. No relationships between mobility and the math or reading subtests of the exam were found, nor was there a significant correlation between mobility and total battery scores on the ISTEP. Gender was the only demographic variable that displayed a significant correlation to achievement. Aptitude, though highly correlated to achievement, did not exhibit a significant correlation to mobility or demographics. Multiple regression analysis failed to add any significance to the combined predictor variables. Four charts and three tables present the data. (Author/JLS)

A study examined students' achievement increases to determine whether improvement resulted from spending a longer amount of time on language arts. Subjects of the study were 149 freshmen who attended Northeast Dubois Middle and High Schools in Indiana. During the eighth grade, 77 of those students had one 45-minute language arts period in 1992 and the other 72 had two 45-minute periods of language arts the following year. The comparison was based on reading, language, and total battery scores from the statewide Indiana Test for Educationasl Progress (ISTEP); a one-tailed t-test was used to determine the significance of the scores. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in language at the .01 level, and no significant difference in reading or total battery scores at the .05 level. Findings suggest that increasing the amount of time spent in language arts instruction may be a viable way to increase student achievement. (One table of data is included, contains five references.) (Author/CR)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have become a serious health threat to university students. This study evaluated a peer-led intervention program with university students to increase knowledge and attitudes of HIV/AIDS infection and transmission. Subjects were students (n=41) from an undergraduate psychology class (21 females and 20 males). For the intervention, two Peer Health Facilitators presented HIV/AIDS related information, led interactive activities, modeled ways to use condoms safely, and answered questions. A pretest/posttest questionnaire was administered immediately preceding and following the presentation to assess differential changes in HIV/AIDS related attitudes and knowledge. The results showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest. Appendices are: (1) "HIV/AIDS Flip Chart Outline"; (2) "STD Shuffle" (directions for conducting a classroom exercise); and (3) "Knowledge/Attitudes About HIV/AIDS Pre-Test Post-Test." Contains 22 references. (Author/RB)

The preliminary findings of the evaluation of the training program, Creative Problem Solving, are presented. The training was provided through the Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Special Education at Indiana State University. Twenty-one state and county child service coordinators participated in the training on a voluntary basis. Participants completed a pretest measure, the "Facilitator Self-Evaluation," prior to the training and two and four months after the training. Statistical significance was obtained on six dependent variables on the evaluation instrument. However, major concerns (such as high pretest self-evaluations) regarding the validity of the instrument in this situation are raised. (Author/DB)

A follow-up investigation evaluated the adolescent outcomes of 10 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who had been treated 5 or more years earlier at a university school clinic with a multimodal treatment program called the Cognitive Academic Social Treatment program. The study hypothesized that adolescents and parents would have different beliefs about how the adolescent was functioning with respect to impulsiveness, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity. Ten of 65 surveys were returned and analyzed. Independent variables studied included: length and type of treatment, age treatment began, degree of aggression, socioeconomic status of family, and academic services. Dependent variables included family conflict, peer relationships, and school progress. Results indicated that parents reported their adolescents had significantly more conflict in their lives than adolescents themselves reported, suggesting that the strategies taught in the program for coping with problems had not been internalized. Results supported previous findings that multimodal intervention programs in childhood do not have significant positive effects in adolescence. Research on effects of continuous multimodal group therapy (from childhood through adolescence) is urged. (Contains 12 reference.) (DB)

This study investigated the possible causes of the contradiction between the results of two projects. Indiana's Prime Time project compared the achievement of students in large (averaging 26 students) and small (averaging 19 students) classrooms in grades 1 through 3. Results indicated that 3 years in smaller classes had little effect on student achievement. Tennessee's Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) project was a longitudinal study of class-size effects on student achievement in kindergarten through grade 3. The study concluded that small classes (13-17 students) had an advantage over large classes (22-26 students) in reading and mathematics. The present study examined whether students in the small classes in the STAR program really learned more than students in the large classes, and offered four hypotheses: (1) there was a relationship between the methodologies of the two projects and the contradictions in their results; (2) a Hawthorne effect occurred in the STAR program, according to which students in experimental groups tried harder than students in control groups; (3) a John Henry effect occurred in the STAR program, according to which students in control groups did not try harder than students in experimental groups; and (4) the research methodology of the STAR project was no better than that of the Prime Time project. The present study collected information about both projects' methodologies, designs, and circumstances. The study concluded that evidence did not definitively confirm a Hawthorne or John Henry effect, and that the STAR methodology was not better than the Prime Time methodology. (TM)

Both business leaders and parents pressure policymakers to legislate new initiatives to improve schools. One improvement strategy has been to reduce class sizes; another has been to allocate larger school budgets. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the relationship between class size and student achievement and between expenditure per student and student achievement. Data from "The Factbook on Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools 1993" (Mattson 1993) were analyzed. The study correlated expenditures per student, student-to-teacher ratios, and mean Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for the 50 states and the District of Columbia using a computer program that calculated Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficients. The study found a small but insignificant relationship between class size and performance on the SAT, and a significant negative correlation between expenditures per student and SAT achievement. Four tables and six graphs are included. (Contains nine references.) (LMI)

This study investigated the effects of the first year of a state-of-the-art computer-based integrated learning system (ILS) on the learning and attitudes of students and the attitudes and technology skills of teachers. The ILS studied was the Wasatch Educational System, which was introduced in four elementary schools in the Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon, Indiana, during 1990-1991. A total of 1,179 students and 120 teachers participated in the study. Scores of an additional 2,436 students from previous years were compared, making a total of 3,615 individual achievement tests used for the comparisons. Students were pretested on several criteria, including days absent from school, reading achievement, language arts achievement, mathematics achievement, the total achievement test battery, and cognitive skills index. Tests used for comparisons were the Indiana Statewide Test for Educational Progress for grades 1, 2, 3, and 6 and the California Achievement Test for grades 4 and 5. Among the attitudes tested were self-concept, attitude toward school, attitude toward computers, and skills students could do with computers, as well as total scores for all of these affective measures. Teachers were evaluated according to their attitudes toward instructional technology and teaching by an integrated learning system, and their skills in using instructional technology. Results were analyzed by a repeated measures analysis of variance. Almost all of the student achievement and attitudinal variables showed significant gains after the introduction of the ILS. Highly significant gains occurred in the teachers' perceptions of their ability to use computers and the ILS. The study confirmed that the ILS increased students' computer skills and attitudes and positively affected teachers' attitudes toward instructional technology. Appendices contain all statistical data, as well as the questionnaire survey instruments. (16 references) (DB)

Class-size reduction is the subject of much debate in the education community. Findings from research studies on three top class-size reduction programs can help states and schools decide whether reducing class size will work for them. Provided are background information, research findings, and a prognosis for the future for Indiana's Project Prime Time, Tennessee's Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio), and California's CSR (Class-Size Reduction) Program. (Contains 19 references.) (MLF)

The author reviews various current approaches to evaluating pupil achievement, evaluating instruction, and using grades, grade point averages, and class rank. Such issues as the philosophical and psychological bases for selection and use of evaluation instruments, the use of performance objectives, ways to reduce subjectivity in grading, the use of self-scoring tests, criterion referenced measurement, contract grading, and self-evaluation are discussed with the practitioner in mind. (Author/RC)

A study examined the effectiveness of the Writing to Read Program as implemented in the East Gibson School Corporation by comparing scores on locally designed, teacher constructed reading and writing tests of students in the program with scores of those students exposed to traditional instruction. Subjects, 71 kindergarten students and 65 first grade students, used the Writing to Read program, a computer-based system designed to develop the writing and reading abilities of kindergarten and first grade students. The locally designed reading and writing test was administered to a control group at the end of the school year prior to the study. First grade students used the Writing to Read program in the fall semester and kindergartners used the program in the spring. The subjects were then given the reading and writing test at the end of the school year. Results indicated that: (1) kindergarten students in the program scored significantly higher than students in the traditional program; (2) first grade students in the program fared no better than their control group; (3) one kindergarten classroom scored significantly higher than the other in writing, and one first grade classroom scored significantly higher than the other two in reading; and (4) scores on the first grade writing subtests increased as the year progressed but plummeted at the end of the year. (Five tables of data are included; and 15 references, 6 additional tables, and various test instructions are attached.) (RS)

This study examined the relationship between test results of students in PRIMETIME first-grade classrooms in Indiana, and the Smith and Glass (1979) class size/achievement model. The class size/achievement model shows the results of a meta-analysis of research on class size which indicated that as class size decreases, achievement increases. The PRIMETIME project reduced the student/teacher ratio in first grade classrooms to 14:1. The current study examined 10 sets of data collected from over 2000 first-grade classrooms. Only 3 of the 10 studies examined reported a positive relationship between decreased class size and increased achievement scores. The conclusion of this study is that reduced class size is necessary, but not sufficient, to increase achievement scores. The role of teaching methods in small classes as a factor in increasing test scores is discussed, as are other contributing variables which may have affected achievement scores. It is recommended that PRIMETIME be continued, but that teaching methods and materials in smaller classes also be changed to increase achievement. (PCB)

This study investigated the effectiveness of Project PRIME TIME on student learning in rural Indiana schools. Project PRIME TIME, a state-supported program to reduce class size in kindergarten through third-grade classes, was implemented in Indiana schools during the 1984-85 academic year. Subjects were first-graders enrolled in rural schools in western Indiana. Class sizes ranged from 15 to 22 students during the 1984-85 school year. Student scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Stanford Achievement Test, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, Gates MacGinitie Reading Test, Art is Fundamental, and locally prepared basic skills tests were analyzed to determine whether differences existed between classes before and after the introduction of Project PRIME TIME. Results indicated that, of 73 statistical test scores analyzed, 39 showed significant positive effects of the project, while 30 showed no significant differences. Only four test scores showed significant positive differences in favor of larger classes. It is concluded that state sponsored programs to reduce class size can benefit student achievement and teacher efficiency in the primary grades. (CB)

Two self-contained fourth grade classrooms were compared during a 1-year study conducted in a small rural community in Indiana. Pre-test measures consisted of the previous year's third grade scores on the Cognitive Abilities test and a self-developed inventory of attitude toward school and computers. The control group (n=28) received instruction throughout the study via traditional teaching methods with one computer available to the class. The experimental group (n=29), with a student/computer ratio of 2:1, began the year by learning keyboarding and becoming familiar with the computer system and the available variety of software, as well as attending to the traditional lessons with their teacher. After this initial instruction, these students spent a minimum of two hours per day at the computer, either alone, or with a partner, working with software from all areas of typical daily instruction. The measures of posttest performance for the two groups compared computer skills mastered; problem solving ability; and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills Reading, Math, and Composite Subtests. Both the raw scores on these measures and the scores adjusted for differences in intelligence were compared. Student attitudes toward school and computers, and teacher perceptions of student abilities were also compared. Although the experimental group had significantly higher scores on the computer skills test, none of the other measures produced significant results. Five appendixes and two supplemental analyses provide the study data and statistical analyses, sample measuring instruments, and a list of computer skills objectives. Ten references are included. (EW)

A method for improving curriculum and schools through the local development of competency tests in basic skills--the Competency-Rossville Model (CRM)--is outlined. The method was originated in the school system of Rossville (Illinois) and has been tested in five other midwestern school systems. The approach leads the faculty of the school, with the guidance of a measurement consultant, in the development of a series of grade-level tests to measure mastery in basic skills achievement. This method of test development serves to articulate the curriculum; provides a useful, relevant, and appropriate achievement testing program; and provides a management system for the improvement of basic skills instruction. The CRM is compared favorably to the norm referenced testing model. The CRM program includes: (1) inservice instruction of faculty in an alternate model of evaluation of academic achievement; (2) a committee of school faculty formed around use of the Delphi method to confer with their fellow teachers; (3) grade-level representatives in charge of informal committees for each grade level; (4) informal teacher conferences, involving each grade level, to establish a list of skills to be mastered by students; (5) development of test items; and (6) computer-assisted interpretation of tests. This type of inservice development project has been successful in increasing faculty morale, improving basic skills instruction, and improving school achievement testing programs. The project involves faculty actively in curriculum development, results in valid and reliable tests, and provides information that is valuable and useful to teachers. Nine figures are provided, and a sample skill-referenced math test is appended. (TJH)

This study investigated the effects of Teachers Teaching Teachers, a staff development project employing peer coaching methods, on public school educators' attitudes and beliefs. The 6-month project involved 13 teachers, administrators, and other school personnel in the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation (Ferdinand, Indiana). All participants were pretested and posttested on Likert Bipolar Attitude Inventories and Osgood's Semantic Differential Scales designed to measure desirable teacher characteristics. Similar measures were also administered to elementary and secondary students being taught by participating teachers. Results indicated that the mean scores for seven of the nine desired outcomes increased during the project. Significant differences were found for the teachers' perceptions of other persons, attitude toward administrators, and attitude toward differentiated staffing. Two pretest measures were higher than the posttest measures, but these differences were not significant. Significant differences favoring the posttest were found for the elementary and secondary students' perceptions of their teachers' effectiveness. Overall, the results support the effectiveness of Teachers Teaching Teachers as a technique for enhancing positive educator attitudes and beliefs. Included are 22 references and 2 appendices containing summary statistics and measuring instruments used in the study. (MLH)

This study investigated how the Teachers Teaching Teachers project influenced the attitudes and beliefs of public school teachers and administrators. Eighteen educators from the Southwest Dubois School Corporation, Huntingburg, Indiana, participated in the project, which lasted from November 1987 to May 1988. The results support the effectiveness of Teachers Teaching Teachers as a technique for enhancing positive educator attitudes and beliefs. Appended are (1) summary statistics for measures of the study; (2) measuring instruments used in the study; and (3) 22 references. (SI)

This study investigated how Teachers Teaching Teachers, a staff development project, influenced the attitudes and beliefs of public school teachers and administrators. Fifty-two educators participated in the project, which lasted from November, 1987 to May, 1988. Participants were administered pre- and post-measures of Likert Bipolar Attitude Inventories and Osgood's Semantic Differential Scales, which were designated to measure attitudes and values which the project hoped to improve. Pre- and post-measures were also administered to the elementary and secondary students who were being taught by the participants at the time the project occurred. Results indicated that the mean scores for all 11 desired outcomes increased during the project. Significant differences were found for participants' self-concept, attitude toward teaching, and elementary and secondary students' perception of their teachers' effectiveness. The results support the effeciveness of Teachers Teaching Teachers as a technique for enhancing positive educator attitudes and beliefs. Statistical data and a copy of the survey questionnaire are appended. (Author/JD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Teachers Teaching Teachers, a peer coaching program, upon public school educators' attitudes toward various professional and personal factors. A total of 49 educators participated from November, 1987 to May, 1988. At the conclusion of the study, tests were administered to all participants. Two attitude surveys were also administered to students to determine their perception of their teacher's effectiveness. The mean scores were compared to determine the project's effectiveness. The results indicated gains in eight of the 11 tests but none were statistically significant. The three decreases also were not significant. The program appears to be most effective in the area of collegial support and in increasing the students' (grades 5-12) perception of their teachers' effectiveness. Data are displayed in tables and the questionnaires are appended. (Author/JD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Teachers Teaching Teachers, a peer coaching program, upon public school educators' attitudes toward various professional and personal factors. A total of 27 educators participated from November, 1987 to May, 1988. At the conclusion of the study, tests were administered to all participants. Two attitude surveys were also administered to students to determine their perception of their teacher's effectiveness. A TESA Program Evaluation Survey was also administered to the participants. The mean scores were compared to determine the project's effectiveness. The results indicated that the teachers were performing the objectives of the program as demonstrated by the post test scores. The program appears to have been effective in improving teacher attitude, enhancing collegial support, and in increasing the students' perception of their teachers' effectiveness. Project participants indicated general approval of the project and the instruction they received. They were less enthusiastic about lessons on higher level questions, touching, and desisting. Statistical data from the study are displayed in tables and a copy of the questionnaire is appended. (Author/JD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Maintaining Teaching Effectiveness, a staff development model, upon public school educators' attitudes toward various professional and personal factors. The techniques used for the project included a collegial support network and peer coaching. A total of 24 educators participated from November 1987 to May 1988. At the beginning and again at the conclusion of the study, attitude inventories were administered to all participants. Attitude surveys were also administered to students to determine their perception of their teachers' effectiveness. The mean scores of pretests and posttests were compared to determine the projects' effectiveness. The results indicated that the teachers were improving in their performance of the objectives of the program as indicated by the gain in posttest scores as compared to pretest scores. The program appears to have been effective in improving teacher attitude, enhancing collegial support, and in increasing the students' perception of their teachers' effectiveness. Statistical data from the study are included as well as a copy of the survey questionnaire. (Author/JD)

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the initial results of statewide implementation of the PRIME TIME program in Indiana. PRIME TIME is a state-wide program to reduce class size in the primary grades. Mean scores from 65,911 third graders who had completed the Indiana Competency Test in the spring of 1987 after completing 3 years of the program were compared with the scores of 67,987 third graders who had no experience with the program. A difference of only 0.7 points favoring the smaller classes was found on the composite scores of four subtests, suggesting that monetary expenditures for PRIME TIME were not justified by program effects. A test of homogeneity of variance was also performed. Results indicated that the smaller classes caused both high and low scores to regress to the mean. It is concluded that, since smaller classes cost a tremendous amount of money, it is the responsibility of educators to learn when and where reductions of class size are most beneficial to students. (Author/RH)

In order to evaluate the most effective delivery format for providing gifted/talented education, 247 elementary students in gifted programs in Evansville, Indiana, were divided into experimental students, who received instruction in self-contained classrooms of fellow gifted students, and control students, who received instruction in a pull-out program. Pre- and post-measures (about 8 months apart) on the Developing Cognitive Abilities Test (DCAT), writing samples, collage drawings, and post-test measures for the Indiana Statewide Test of Educational Progress (ISTEP) and the California Achievement Test (CAT) measured students' progress. Results from the DCAT and the collage drawing showed highly significant differences favoring the self-contained classroom format. Analysis of the writing samples showed some advantage for the control group. No substantive significant differences were found on the ISTEP or the CAT. Based on the number of significant differences that favored the self-contained classroom, it was concluded that this seemed to be the more effective format, but careful attention is recommended to determine how writing scores can be improved in that kind of format. It is also recommended that other delivery models, such as in-class enrichment, be considered. The major portion of the report is composed of statistical results from the assessment instruments and examples of student materials. Contains 10 references. (JDD)

The study investigated the effectiveness of and attitudes toward two delivery systems (an enrichment pull-out program and a self-contained classroom) for gifted/talented instruction in Southwest Allen County, Indiana. The effects on fifth-grade students (N=38) enrolled in the program and sixth-grade students (N=45) who had experienced the program 1 year prior were compared. A quantitative study compared students' performance on the Developing Cognitive Abilities Test (DCAT) and writing samples. Results indicated that, although some writing sample scores from fifth-grade students were significantly higher for students in enrichment pull-out programs, the differences did not retain their significance when scores were adjusted for differences in ability. The sixth-grade results demonstrated that students in the self-contained classroom had significantly higher scores on the quantitative subtest and on the total DCAT when their scores were compared to the enrichment pull-out. A qualitative study involving administrators, teachers, students, and parents found that the community preference for a delivery system was influenced by the past experiences of parents, by the affinity of parents toward the neighborhood school, and by the number of gifted/talented students in the school attendance district. Appendices contain admission policies and gifted curriculum, survey instruments, subjects' scores, and writing samples. Contains 11 references. (Author/JDD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of reducing the size of first grade classes on students' achievement. Four groups of first grade students who had participated in Indiana's Project PRIME TIME (average class size of l8 or fewer) for 1 year were compared to one class of first grade students who had received first grade instruction in larger classes. Both groups were from the same Indiana school system. The following kinds of test scores were used as the basis for comparison: (1) achievement scores that all students had received on local competency tests in mathematics and reading; and (2) scores received on affective measures of self-concept and attitude toward school. These tests were administered to the students at the end of their respective first grade years. The school year for the larger class group was 1983-84. The school years for the smaller PRIME TIME classes were 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, and 1987-88. When the means of PRIME TIME group achievement and attitudes were compared to the means of the larger class group (non-PRIME TIME), the results showed that there were significant differences in all areas compared. All favored PRIME TIME. Furthermore, the means of PRIME TIME classes of recent school years were generally significantly higher than the means of PRIME TIME classes of earlier years. (RH)

A study ascertained the degree of relationships between scores on each of various reading subskills and overall reading success. Reading subskills were measured by locally developed reading skills tests. Overall reading success was measured by the reading subtest of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). In each of three southern Indiana school districts, task forces of teachers had designed and constructed a series of reading skills for each of several grade levels. In school 1, 501 students were tested in grades 1-6; 189 students were tested in grades 1-6, 8, and 10 in school 2; and in the third school, 89 students were tested in grades 3, 5, and 8. The tests had been field tested and revised. All tests had reliabilities above 0.91. Tests averaged 20 skills per grade level. There were 6 test items per skill for the first group tested and 10 items per skill for the second and third groups tested. Tests were administered to a total of 758 students at the three sites. Results of the subskills tests were compared to the scores of the ITBS. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the amount of relationship between scores on local skills tests and overall reading effectiveness. Results indicated that: (1) phonics instruction in the primary grades did not correlate with reading comprehension; and (2) the use of context clues to determine word meaning was highly related to overall reading effectiveness. (RS)

Whenever performance assessment has been introduced into statewide testing programs, various potentially paralyzing difficulties have been encountered surrounding test accuracy, reliability, validity, or suitability. Programs in some states have been discontinued or placed in jeopardy. It is uncertain whether educators can overcome these problems or reliable tests can be developed. (MLH)

In-space assembly (ISA), the ability to build structures in space, has the potential to enable or support a wide range of advanced mission capabilities. Many different individual assembly technologies would be needed in different combinations to serve many mission concepts. The many-to-many relationship between mission needs and technologies makes it difficult to determine exactly which specific technologies should receive priority for development and demonstration. Furthermore, because enabling technologies are still immature, no realistic, near-term design reference mission has been described that would form the basis for flowing down requirements for such development and demonstration. This broad applicability without a single, well-articulated mission makes it difficult to advance the technology all the way to flight readiness. This paper reports on a study that prioritized individual technologies across a broad field of possible missions to determine priority for future technology investment.