This study evaluated the hypothesis that gender and behavior, as perceived by teachers, affect judgments of the academic skills of their students. A path model was proposed to describe the relationships among tested academic skill, gender, behavior grades, and teachers' academic judgments. The model was evaluated separately in each of 3 grades (kindergarten-2nd) in 2 locations, with scholastic grades and structured ratings in specific academic skill areas as the dependent variables. Results showed that, after tested academic skill and gender were controlled for, teachers' perceptions of students' behavior constituted a significant component of their scholastic judgments. This effect was more pronounced for the judgments of boys because, in Grades 1 and 2, their conduct was perceived as less adequate than was girls' behavior.

Relatively little is known about the characteristics of inner-city adults who seek assistance from literacy programs. Increased knowledge about this population will enhance the development of more effective programs, as well as policy options. This study describes the characteristics of 280 adults, ages 16 to 63, who came to an adult literacy program that focused on severe reading difficulties. The program, located within a hospital complex in a large, urban area, attracted these individuals through an extensive multimedia outreach effort. Results suggested that the adults who sought help were generally characterized by a vast array of cognitive, academic, and social difficulties. In addition, the extent of these difficulties increased dramatically as literacy level declined. These findings suggest that comprehensive educational, social, and vocational services may be needed to help adults with severe reading difficulties cope with the diverse and severe problems they face.

Fifty-eight reading disabled children referred to a medical clinic for developmentally disabled children were examined on admission and after 3 to 5 years of special educational intervention. As a group, the children showed minimal gains in reading, remaining among the poorest readers for age. However, one-third of the children (mainly the older ones) made sufficient progress which, while slowly achieved, resulted in a minimal degree of functional reading. A high proportion of the children were diagnosed as having neurologic and/or psychiatric disorders which were unrelated to the level of reading failure found within the group. The findings suggested that such children are not representative of the general population of poor readers in the community and that throughout their schooling they require special educational methods, other than reading, for the acquisition of subject matter.

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