State & Local
Wednesday, Decei
Page 2
The Battalion Wednesday, December 4,1991
Variety aids students, expert says
Police Beat
Grouping high, low achievers
benefits children, study shows
By Susan Maguire
The Battalion
Grouping public school stu
dents with differing abilities, in
stead of grouping them by their
intelligence, helps all students in
the long run, a Texas A&M study
found.
Dr. Bettepat Miller, a recent
A&M doctorate graduate who
conducted the study, said group
ing children with varying achieve
ment levels helps the high-achiev
ing students learn to deal with
children who are not as smart as
they are.
"Grouping kids heteroge
neously gives kids contact with
everybody and teaches coopera
tion," she said.
Miller added that low-achiev
ing students benefit from not be
ing grouped with other low-
achieving students because expec
tations of poor performances from
them are lifted.
"If all the expectations are re
moved, it gives the kids a chance
to dream," she said.
Miller said one of the nega
tives that her research showed
about heterogeneous grouping is
that more intelligent students do
not achieve as much as they
would in an ability-grouped situa
tion.
Also, she said, heterogeneous
ly grouped children were not as
comfortable during class as those
that were ability-grouped.
"But, sometimes you need a
little aggravation to get results,"
she said.
Miller, now principal of West
Main Elementary School in Lan
caster near Dallas, said she began
her study of four Texas elemen
tary schools in Nov. 1990 and fin
ished it last June.
Another finding of her study.
Miller said, is that children are
learning more than their tests
show.
Miller gave the example of
children who have trouble sitting
still and who cry constantly, but
learn how to sit and listen quietly
to the teacher.
"What people don't see is
where they started from," she
said.
"We need to look at authentic
improvement," she said. "Pencil
and paper tests don't measure this
properly."
To help measure improve
ment, Miller said, the teachers in
her school keep a portfolio for
each student that includes sam
ples of the student's and com
ments from the teacher on the stu
dent's progress.
She said another factor in how
much students learn is how the
teachers are teaching.
"How a teacher teaches affects
how much knowledge they (the
students) gain," she said. "The
low-ability kids need encourage
ment, but the high-ability kids ba
sically teach themselves."
Miller said she became inter-
See Grouping/ Page 4
The following was reported to the Texas A&M University Police
Department between Nov. 18 and 22.
Aggravated Assault
• While walking on the west side of the Steed Research and
Conditioning Laboratory Building, the victim was confronted by an
individual with a knife. The victim kicked the subject to escape his
grasp.
• A victim was attacked by three individuals and robbed of $17 in
cash near the mall area of the Harrington Education Center. While
being held on the ground, one of the assailants used a knife to cut
the right side of the victim’s neck.
Misdemeanor Theft
• Someone stole $300 in cash from a sixth floor office in the
Harrington Education Center.
• Three wallets were reported stolen during the period.
• Five bicycles were reported missing during the period.
Public Intoxication
•Two individuals were cited for public intoxication during the period.
STUDENT GOVI
Meeting. 7:30 p
845-3051 for mori
TAU KAPPA: P
members must
Rudder.
CLASS OF ‘95:
first general clasi
Class projects
discussed. 8:30
committee meetir
PRE-LAW SOCI
School of Law w
601 Rudder. C;
4266 for more inf
TEXAS A&M B
meeting. 8:30 p
Keep at 847-40&
UNITED CAMPl
Good meal for $'
Football cham
caroling. 6 p.r
Presbyterian Ch
6940 for more int
UPD stresses
importance
of security
over holidays
At the end of each semester we
see an increase in crime. Fall
semester is especially bad because
of the holiday season.
The importance of securing
property cannot be stressed
enough. Just as important is re
porting anything that seems out of
the ordinary for the time or place
that it is occurring. Reporting sus
picious activity immediately,
helps the University police to aid
you in your efforts to not become a
victim of a crime.
Report crime and suspicious
activity. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
But only half of all crimes are ever
reported and a lot of suspicious ac
tivity goes unreported.
This is too bad, because police
can't do anything if they don't
know what happened. Informa
tion from people like you solve
many crimes and abort many oth
ers.
Even an anonymous tip is bet
ter than no report at all. So, don't
hesitate! Follow this rule: If you
see something suspicious, call the
police fast so that the police can
act fast. The longer you wait, the
harder it is to catch the criminal.
Put the squeeze on campus
crime!
For more information, contact
the University Police Crime Pre
vention Unit at 845-2345 and crime
line at 845-6500.
Richards discusses free trade
Governor hopes to slow U.S., Mexico agreement
WASHINGTON (AP) - Texas Gov. Ann
Richards said Tuesday she will urge Mexican Presi
dent Carlos Salinas de Gortari to put the brakes on
his call for rapid approval of a free trade agreement
with the United States.
Richards said she and U.S. Trade Representative
Carla Hills agreed during a private meeting that she
would "probably visit with President Salinas again
very soon."
"I think that the timing he needs to be looking at
is longer than attempting to get some hurried agree
ment early next year," Richards said. "I just don't see
that as a possibility."
The governor, who in October met with Salinas
in Mexico City, requested the meeting with Hills to
discuss what Texas wants in a free trade pact.
Richards said she doubts an agreement between
the two countries will be ready until after the
November election.
Hills "does not have a target date" for completion
of an agreement, the governor said. "Her feeling is
they will bring it to the Congress when they feel they
are ready to bring it to the Congress."
Despite tough economic times, the United States
must adopt a trade agreement, Richards said.
"We are beginning to try to survive by washing
each others' hair and cooking each others' hamburg
ers and we all know that's not possible," she said.
"Unless we create trading partnerships that make us
competitive with the European Community and with
the Pacific Rim, then I have real long-term concerns
for my grandchildren."
"I have been convinced all along that this free
trade agreement with Mexico is a beginning step for
us. I see it only as opening the door to what is going
to be the largest trade opportunity, and that is to the
South — South America, Central America."
In Advance
Toy drive begins today; sponsors ask students to contribute
A toy drive for needy children in the Bryan-College Station area begins today and lasts until Dec. 12.
A&M students are encouraged to bring toys and other gifts to the Pavilion and place their articles
under a Christmas tree.
The drive is being sponsored by freshman programs in Texas A&M's Student Government. For
more information, call Jan at 847-0792.
Pastor from Estonia gives talk on Christianity, communism
A pastor from the republic of Estonia will speak at 7:30 p.m. today in Lounge D on the Quadrangle.
Pastor Andrus Norak will talk about Christianity in a communist government and the future of Es
tonia after the Baltic state's break with the Soviet Union. Norak's speech is sponsored by the Naviga
tors. For more information, call Mike at 693-9573.
Minor in the Possession of Alcohol
•Two students were cited for minor in the possession of alcohol
during the period.
Driving While Intoxicated
• Two individuals were cited for driving a motor vehicle while
intoxicated during the period.
MSC COMMIT!
OF MEXICAN
(CAMAC): A re<
Mary and Josep
for the baby Jesi
will follow. Callc
start at the All F
Rudder. Call Si
information.
Criminal Mischief
• The driver’s side window of a 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck was
broken while the vehicle was in Parking Area 87.
• A campus organization used chalk to write on the walls and
sidewalks of the Chemistry Mall to advertise an upcoming event.
• A "lollipop” style light fixture on the south side of Walton Hall was
broken by some type of projectile.
STAGE CENTE
“Some Enchant
Hammerstein M
14 at 8 p.m.
Performed at t
Theater located
and Country Sh
846-0287 for me
Felony Theft
• A dark fruitwood console table was stolen from the MSC Basement
storage area.
• An off-duty security officer located a 1980 Chevrolet Corvette
parked on Highway 60 that was reported stolen from College Station
earlier in the day. College Station police personnel were notified
and the vehicle released to their custody.
TRI-BETA BIOl
SOCIETY: Dr.,
spread of killer t
AGGIE PARTI
p.m. in 404 Ru
696-5648 for me
PRE-VET SO(
Hobbs on the tc
in 308 Rudder
more informatio
Consumer advocate criticizes
proposed insurance increases
AGGIE ANTHF
for the semeste
Call Alicia Br
information.
AUSTIN (AP) - Proposed in
creases of 11.7 percent in automo
bile insurance, and 47 percent in
commercial vehicle rates were crit
icized Tuesday by the state's in
surance consumer advocate.
"We haven't been provided
enough information that justifies
an increase after the increase
Texas consumers got a few
months ago," said Geoff Rips, a
spokesman for the Office of Public
Insurance Counsel.
In July, the State Board of In
surance approved increasing pr:
vate passenger auto rates by8J
percent, and commercial rates bj
15.5 percent.
SOCIOLOGY C
upcoming even
Rudder. Call
information.
On the commercial vehici;
proposal, Ripps said, "It seen;
when businesses have been tigh:
ening their belt all across the state
the insurance companies at leas:
ought not to engage in belt loosen-
in g-" , ,
The Insurance Board will take
up the proposals Dec. 16.
TEXAS EN
COALITION C
Amer
Continued from
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Carrie Cavalier
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Sports Editor
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pents in school w
could not help tht
Vandiver sah
most of the stude
sity are from the
university is gr
more than just a f
"Now the uni’'
A&IS
Continued from
He said the gui
lenge A&M offe
ates an asset to
provements coul
"One item I t
for A&M is the i
an honor syster
feel that with the
of the self-study
establish the hor
A&M.
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