Effects of Head Start REDI on Children's Outcomes 1 Year Later in Different Kindergarten Contexts

One year after participating in the Research‐based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) intervention or “usual practice” Head Start, the learning and behavioral outcomes of 356 children (17% Hispanic, 25% African American; 54% girls; M_age = 4.59 years at initial assessment) were assessed. In addition, their 202 kindergarten classrooms were evaluated on quality of teacher–student interactions, emphasis on reading instruction, and school‐level student achievement. Hierarchical linear analyses revealed that the REDI intervention promoted kindergarten phonemic decoding skills, learning engagement, and competent social problem‐solving skills, and reduced aggressive–disruptive behavior. Intervention effects on social competence and inattention were moderated by kindergarten context, with effects strongest when children entered schools with low student achievement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and early educational programs.     

Modeling Change and Variation in U.S. News & World Report College Rankings: What would it really take to be in the Top 20?

University administrators may invest significant time and resources with the goal of improving their U.S. News & World Report ranking, but the real impact of these investments is not well known since, as other universities make similar changes, rankings become a moving target. This research removes the mystique of the U.S. News ranking process by producing a ranking model that faithfully recreates U.S. News outcomes and quantifies the inherent “noise” in the rankings for all nationally ranked universities. The model developed can be a valuable tool to institutional researchers and university leaders by providing detailed insight into the U.S. News ranking process. It allows the impact of changes to U.S. News subfactors to be studied when variation between universities and within subfactors is present. Numerous simulations were run using this model to understand the effect of each subfactor individually and to determine the amount of change that would be required for a university to improve its rank or move into the top 20. Results show that for a university ranked in the mid-30 s it would take a significant amount of additional resources, directed in a very focused way, to become a top-ranked national university, and that rank changes of up to ± 4 points should be considered “noise”. These results can serve as a basis for frank discussions within a university about the likelihood of significant changes in rank and provide valuable insight when formulating strategic goals.     

Transforming the doctorate from residential to online: A Distributed PhD Learning Technologies

This article discusses a systemic change that expanded the doctorate in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas to include a distributed option, delivered primarily online. It provides an overview of the development process from concept to initial implementation. The article examines the specific differences that make the online version different from its residential counterpart. We share both the challenges that emerged as well as suggestions for improvement that have come from our experience.     

Program Readings

Richard C. Burke Instructional Television: Bold New Venture (Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1971—$5.95)

Harold S. Davis (ed.) Instructional Media Center: Bold New Venture (Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1971— $7.50)

Ralph J. Amelio, Film in the Classroom: Why to Use It How to Use It (Dayton, Ohio: Pflaum/Standard, 1971—$4.50, paper)     

Print Media and PR

Sidney L. Jackson's Libraries and Librarianship in the West: A Brief History (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974---price not given, hardback)

Barbara Nykoruk (ed.) Authors in the News (Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1976---$24.00)

Doug Newsom and Alan Scott's This is PRI The Realities of Public Relations (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1976---$12.95 1 with an instructor's manual available as well)

Richard Weiner's Professional's Guide to Publicity (Richard Weinter, Inc., 888 Seventh Ave., New York 10019---$6.95, paper)

Richard Weiner's Syndicated Columnists (hardbound, 154 pages, $20.00)     

General Film Overviews

Andrew Tudor's Image and Influence: Studies in the Sociology of Film (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975---$17.95)

Paul Weiss' Cinematics (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1975---$8.95)

James F. Scott's Film: The Medium and the Maker (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975---$7.95 1 paper)

Douglas Brode's Crossroads to the Cinema (Boston: Holbrook Press, 1975---price not given, paper)

William Kuhns' The Moving Picture Book (Dayton, Ohio: Pflaum, 1975---price not given, paper)

Richard M. Blumenberg's Critical Focus: An Introduction to Film (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1975---price not given, paper)

Axel Madsen's The New Hollywood: American Movies in the 70s (New York: Crowell, 1975---$7.95)

George Rehrauer's The Film User's Handbook: A Basic Manual for Managing Library Film Services (New York: Bowker, 1975---$14.95)     

Film Biography

Gary Carey, All the Stars in Heaven: Louis B. Mayer's M-G-M (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1981 -- $18.50 hardcover).

Wyn Wachhorst, Thomas Alva Edison: An American Myth (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1981 -- $15.00).

Alexander Walker, Garbo: A Portrait (New York: Macmillan, 1980 -- $19.95 cloth).

Henry C. Rogers, Walking the Tightrope: The Private Confessions of a Public Relations Man (New York: William Morrow, 1980 -- $10.95 hardcover).

Scott Palmer, A Who's Who of British Film Actors (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1981 -- no price given).

Tony Thomas, The Films of Ronald Reagan (Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1980 -- $16.95).

Jim Connor, Ann Miller: Tops in Taps, An Authorized Pictorial History (New York: Franklin Watts, 1981 -- $10.95 paper).

Raymond Strait and Terry Robinson in Lanza: His Tragic Life (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: 1981 -- $10.00 hardcover)

Irene Adler in I Remember Jimmy: The Life and Times of Jimmy Durante (New York: Arlington House, 1981 -- $8.95 paper)

Jack Oakie, Jack Oakie's Double Takes (San Francisco: Strawberry Hill Press, 1980 -- $10.95 paper).

Marilyn Henry and Ron De Sourdis, The Films of Alan Ladd (Secaucus, N.J.: The Citadel Press, 1981 -- $16.95).