Making Every Word Count: Computers and the Web Complicate Vital Research on Frequently Used Language

Word-frequency rankings are part -- albeit just a sliver -- of the vast output from studies of language corpora, or large collections of written and sometimes spoken text. Researchers parse such data to help make sense of our ever-evolving language.

But the results of these rankings differ widely. Taking a snapshot of English in all its diverse incarnations is devilishly tricky and expensive. Computers and the Internet can make research simpler. But they also add to the challenge because they can distort language patterns.

Starting Kindergarten Later Gives Students Only a Fleeting Edge, Study Finds

By the eighth grade, kindergarten's younger students catch up academically with older students. The study, "Kindergarten Entrance Age and Children's Achievement: Impacts of State Policies, Family Background, and Peers" will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Human Resources.  ScienceDaily, August 18, 2008

New Research Center to Focus on Education Technology

The National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies was approved in the recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  Education Week, August 19, 2008