The goal of the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) Making Middle Grades Work initiative is to increase the percentage of eighth-graders who perform at the proficient level in core academic subjects and who leave eighth grade ready for college-prep work in high school. This document contains a comprehensive improvement framework to aid in…

This book is an action plan for improving education in the U.S, focusing on the key role of teachers in this improvement. It offers a detailed comparison of the educational methods of Germany, Japan, and the United States. The analysis begins with an international study of mathematics teaching in the three countries that was conducted as part of…

Guidance on the administration, scoring, and reporting of new state tests for teachers and administrators is provided. The tests are designed to track the English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency of students in the 4th and 8th grade. Regents examinations assessing the English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science proficiency of high…

The Alberta (Canada) curriculum for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade French immersion instruction is presented. An introductory section describes the rationale and objectives of the program and provides a brief bibliography. The next section charts the types of discourse on which the curriculum focuses within each language skill area (listening, speaking,…

Developed from a comparison of the writing performance of eighth grade students in Delaware with a representative national group, this writing resource guide provides a detailed description of the state's writing assessment procedure and offers educators guidance in evaluating student writing and improving student writing skills. After describing…

One population at risk of academic failure comprises students who are of average ability, but who score significantly higher in nonverbal aptitude than verbal aptitude. Careful identification and instructional intervention can help these students to perform better. The findings of two studies are presented. The first study was conducted in 1964…

This document, developed by the Illinois State Boaord of Education, identifies five state goals for learning in the fine arts, and provides sample learning objectives for grades, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, which are consistent with the goals. The state goals for learning are broadly stated expressions of what the Illinois State Board of Education expects…

The Music Curriculum Steering Committee of the Greater Albany (Oregon) Public School District 8J developed its own tests and evaluation procedures to accumulate data on music achievement and performance levels from students in third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades. Tests for third and fifth grade students focused on musical notation, listening…

Aligned with its 1998 standards for first- and second-language learning, Alberta Learning has published lesson plans that aim for a closer relationship between learning and evaluation. Each volume in this series presents a specific task for students that involves planning, carrying out and evaluating their work. The task for eighth grade students…

Reports on 2 studies of 48 eighth-grade students in which mnemonic devices and strategies were employed. Finds that both regular and learning-disabled students preferred mnemonic instruction to traditional teaching methods. Concludes that mnemonic methods can help improve student learning of historical information. (CFR)

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows U.S. 4th graders scoring above the international average in both math and science, 8th graders slipping in both subjects, and 12th graders scoring at or near the bottom. Research indicates high expectations, a focused curriculum, better-prepared teachers, and balanced instruction…

This document is the second of two reports of the findings of the 1991 "Sciences...humaines" Assessment for grades 8 and 10 conducted in Franco-Manitoban schools and in French immersion programs in Manitoba, Canada. The report on the French immersion course is presented in parallel French and English versions, and a separate report, in…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a congressionally mandated statistical survey of educational achievement of U.S. students in a variety of curriculum areas and of changes in that achievement over time. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) established new standards for reporting the results that resulted in three…

A study investigated to what extent parental socioeconomic and educational background and college planning variables (familiarity with admissions, aspirations, financial planning) influenced the kinds of characteristics they looked for in colleges. Subjects were 1,332 parents of eighth graders. Results are presented and discussed in the context of…

This document has been prepared to help teachers and administrators in New York plan and execute a mathematics program for grade eight. The syllabus is designed to improve the problem solving abilities of students, while continuing a natural development of mathematical skills and concepts. Problem solving situations are emphasized in each of seven…