As policymakers contemplate expanding preschool opportunities for low-income children, one possibility is to fund 2, rather than 1 year of Head Start for children at ages 3 and 4. Another option is to offer 1 year of Head Start followed by 1 year of pre-K. We ask which of these options is more effective. We use data from the Oklahoma pre-K study…

In this article, Catherine Snow, Twakia Martin, and Ilene Berman describe professional development institutes offered in 2001 and 2002 by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices to familiarize state-level policymakers with research on adolescent literacy and to guide states'…

Supplemental Educational Services (SES), a federally mandated program, is designed to raise student achievement via the implementation of tutoring programs. Unfortunately, although the SES federal legislation has been adopted by school districts nationally, relatively limited empirical evidence from rigorous research studies exists regarding the…

Using data from a nationwide random sample for the 1976-1977 school year, this article studies effects of increasing the amount of math and reading instruction offered to third through sixth graders. All racial groups studied experienced diminishing returns at the observed amounts of instruction during the extended school day. Included are 3…

A survey of 479 graduating seniors from three different high schools reveals the majority of the students were not adequately trained in study skills. Includes a copy of the survey questionnaire. (MD)

This article is not about local governance of education "per se," but rather whether education can be used as a tool to foster citizen participation, particularly that of women. It examines how education might empower women, who are often excluded from local, regional and national governance, to participate in public life. It draws on…

Critiques educational reform movement. Believes that unless the human dimension is improved, all reform proposals will fail. If American public education is to be saved, a better job of teaching the link between public education and a free society is needed. (MD)

Reports on an eight-year longitudinal study of Dutch children on the relationship of the development of reading ability in primary schools with general academic success. Finds that young children with reading problems in primary school keep them throughout their educational career. (CFR)

Analyzes national data and determines that an intercohort decline in vocabulary at all or most educational levels in recent years was closely related to an intercohort decline in newspaper reading. Includes six figures and four tables illustrating these conclusions. (CFR)

A proposal is offered for restructuring the elementary school into two divisions. At the primary level (K-3) the focus would be on acquiring basic skills, while at the upper level (4-6) these skills would be applied to literature, social studies, mathematics, and science. (TE)

Asserts that an increasingly interdependent Europe will require a high degree of literacy and lifelong learning. Maintains that excessive television viewing hinders the development of literacy skills. Recommends more research about literacy issues. (CFR)

Evaluates the report of the Commission on Reading, "Becoming a Nation of Readers," which focuses on giving attention to classroom teaching, testing, and teacher education. It gives recommendations for changes in the way reading is taught and includes the list of 17 recommmendations from the report. (MD)

Promotes the development of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs as a way of educating illiterate parents and nonreading adults in general. Notes several programs of this nature already in operation around the nation. Describes some nonthreatening courseware that is being used to recruit more adults into such programs. (TW)

Discusses the ambiguous attitude toward literacy in ancient Athenian society. Asserts that few Athenian citizens could read, yet reading was regarded as intrinsic to democratic practices. Maintains that the democratic power of writing rests in the active, social interaction of citizens. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the impact of nursery school/preschool education on primary school readiness and achievement of 1,800 English and Welsh children. Finds significant positive effects in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Discusses the effects of nursery school versus playgroup experience and the role of socioeconomic status. (CFR)