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This report summarizes an evaluation of the ESL program in the Des Moines, Iowa, public schools. Five hundred seventy-seven students in Grades 2 through 10 were included in the study. Background data such as age, place of birth, ethnic group, primary language, number of months in Des Moines schools, amount of ESL instruction per week, and reading ability in native language were gathered. At the same time, teachers rated the students on progress in learning English, and the Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) was administered as a measure of oral English proficiency. Correlational analyses and multiple regression were used to examine the relationships of background variables and the learning of English. Results showed that length of time in Des Moines schools was the single best predictor of how well students performed on the BSM. An interaction effect was found between amount of English instruction and length of time in the district. The authors conclude that more instruction in English appeared to be beneficial during the first year of schooling but had diminishing effects during the second and third years. Implications for ESL programs involving Southeast Asian students are discussed. EVALUATION OF AN ESL PROGRAM 473

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In a study of 123 secondary school counselors in three states the authors found significant correlations among tested personality characteristics and supervisor-rated job performance. Counselors rated as effective by supervisors expressed higher job satisfaction, tested higher in tolerance for ambiguity and in self-esteem, and had more congruent personalityenvironment Holland codes than did their ineffective counterparts. Sex, age, years of experience, certification status, and academic degrees held were not correlated with effectiveness ratings. Results were considered tentative and heuristic in nature because many aspects of effectiveness could not be tested.One of the most critical concerns of the counseling profession involves the concept of counselor effectiveness. The aim of this study was to identify particular personality and demographic characteristics of secondary school counselors who were viewed as effective or ineffective.A brief review of several previous studies may be helpful in understanding this article. Wiggins and Weslander (1979) compared the effectiveness of 320 school counselors as rated by three separate supervisors with tested personality scores on the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) (Holland, 1977) and with reported demographic characteristics such as age and employment level. Significant correlations were found between tested personality characteristics and supervisor-rated COUNSELOR EDUCATION AND SUPERVISION

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