ANALYZING MATH‐TO‐MASTERY THROUGH BRIEF EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of individualized math‐to‐mastery (MTM) interventions, selected though brief experimental analysis (BEA), at increasing math fluency skills for three elementary‐aged females. As MTM has only been investigated as a multicomponent intervention, the present study utilized BEA to identify those specific components that led to math skills gains in the most efficient manner possible. BEA results indicated that for two of three participants only a partial MTM intervention was necessary to prompt fluency gains, while the entire intervention was the most effective for the third. During extended analysis all three participants displayed math skills gains above those seen during repeated baseline assessments. Results are discussed in terms of further refining MTM through BEA procedures so as to individually target math skill deficits by considering both intervention effectiveness and efficiency.     

An Initial Evaluation of the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale‐‐Intellectual Disability

This paper introduces a new scale to measure the life quality of people with an intellectual disability. The Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale‐‐Intellectual Disability incorporates features that reflect contemporary understanding of the quality of life construct and exists in a parallel form for the general population. Psychometric data are presented and comparisons are made between data collected from 59 people with an intellectual disability, the vicarious responses of each respondent's primary caregiver, and 69 university students. It is concluded that the scale represents a useful instrument to measure comparative life quality.     

Mother-infant attachment in adoptive families

Data from 2 separate samples using the Strange Situation paradigm were combined to assess the quality of attachment relationships in adoptive and nonadoptive mother-infant pairs. Infants were between 13 and 18 months at the time of observation. Results indicated no differences in mother-infant attachment between nonadopted and intraracial adopted subjects or between intraracial and interracial adopted subjects. Interracial adoptive mother-infant pairs did show a higher incidence of insecure attachment in comparison to nonadoptive pairs. Mothers of interracial adopted infants also were less comfortable having others care for their babies and perceived less emotional support from extended family and friends for their decision to adopt a child prior to the actual adoption than did other mothers. No relation was found, however, between quality of mother-infant attachment and either perceived social support, infant developmental quotient, infant temperament, number of foster homes experienced by the infant, or infant's age at the time of adoption placement. It was suggested that the higher incidence of psychological problems found among adoptees in middle childhood and adolescence cannot be explained in terms of insecure attachment relationships during the infancy years.     

A secure base from which to explore close relationships

The theory of attachment as a secure-base relationship integrates insights about affect, cognition, and behavior in close relationships across age and culture. Empirical successes based on this theory include important discoveries about the nature of infant-caregiver and adult-adult close relationships, the importance of early experience, and about stability and change in individual differences. The task now is to preserve these insights and successes and build on them. To accomplish this, we need to continually examine the logic and coherence of attachment theory and redress errors of emphasis and analysis. Views on attachment development, attachment representation, and attachment in family and cross-cultural perspective need to be updated in light of empirical research and advances in developmental theory, behavioral biology, and cognitive psychology. We also need to challenge the theory by formulating and testing hypotheses which, if not confirmed, would require significant changes to the theory. If we can accomplish these tasks, prospects for important developments in attachment theory and research are greater than ever, as are the prospects for integration with other disciplines.     

激励学习的学校领导--一份历时25年的研究报告

教育家很早就知道相对于其他校长。有些校长是非常有力的领导者。然而这些优秀的校长具有什么特点呢？很多年来。校长都知道他们必须要成为教育的领导者。但是．教育的领导者，是一个非常空泛的概念。没有什么具体的例子能够解释和说明这个概念。我们一直在试图去规定一些具体的能够让校长们成为有力的领导者的训练。大多数的教育者们认为尽管一些校长毕业于同一门课程或者接受了相同的专业训练。但是他们在各自的学校所获得的成功是不一样的。同样，我们要指出那些试图把别人成功的策略原原本本的用在自己学校的校长们。这样做不会得到任何好的效果，甚至会是负作用。     

Communicating education information to anglo and hispanic populations

The authors wanted to know whether — and how — the Hispanic and Anglo populations in southwestern Texas were receiving information about a new public school program for handicapped youth. Gathering information through personal interviews and bilingual questionnaires, they learned that 54% of Anglos, and 43% of Hispanics, were aware of the program. Of those, about half of both ethnic groups had first learned of it through television spots. But the proportion of Hispanics learning first through social relations was greater (28% compared with 18% for Anglos). Although the per person cost of creating initial awareness through social relations was considerably greater ($43.38 compared with $11.96 for TV spots), it is of interest that a fairly large number of Hispanics receive educational information through social contact with those who hear it from mass media.