The study explored the effects of two kindergarten program organization factors--length of school day and class size--on kindergartners' reading, math and general knowledge achievement at the end of the kindergarten year. Two waves of data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) with an…

Two national studies have recently confirmed that specific kinds of educational experiences provided for children by both parents and teachers, from preschool through high school, can make a significant difference in their reading ability as young adults. Both studies analyzed data gathered from 3,959 high school students in 24 school districts…

A $100,000 appropriation for fiscal year 1986 directed the Washington State Board for Community College Education and the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a pilot program for coordinating the efforts of volunteer literacy tutors. The 12 projects funded by the program recruited and trained 1,473 volunteer tutors and…

This four-section report presents information on the 1982-83 Louisiana State Assessment Program. The major purpose of the program is to assess student performance in reading, writing, and mathematics. Section I discuses the scope of the 1982-83 program, provides highlights of results, and briefly considers test administration and reporting…

The Oxnard School District initiated a Year Round Education (YRE) program beginning in 1976. In 1984 the district maintained eleven YRE schools and four traditional schools. All the YRE schools are on a 60-20 plan with four staggered YRE tracks and a fifth track offering a traditional school year calendar. This cost analysis outlines how the…

Education researchers and policymakers agree that teachers differ in terms of quality and that quality matters for student achievement. Despite prodigious amounts of research, however, debate still persists about the causal relationship between specific teacher credentials and student achievement. In this paper, we use a rich administrative data…

This report analyzes the longitudinal effects of schoolwide Chapter 1 initiatives on student reading achievement in 40 elementary schools in a large urban school district. The analyses find that, compared to control students, first-graders in schoolwide projects showed no achievement effects, second-graders showed positive significant effects,…

In 1999,the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered to students in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 to assess student achievement of the Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics as mandated by the Florida legislature. This report informs administrators, legislators, and the general public about the reading and mathematics…

In 1999, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) was administered to students in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 to assess student achievement of the Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics as mandated by the Florida legislature. This report informs administrators, legislators, and the general public about the reading and mathematics…

This report focuses on the achievement in basic skill areas attained by participants in compensatory education activities in New York State, which has established the priority areas of reading and mathematics. Over 200,000 pupils participated in Chapter 1 reading programs, and over 86,000 participated in Chapter 1 mathematics programs. Ten tables…

This report summarizes the Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS) results for 1984. TABS assesses student achievement in mathematics, reading, and writing, including composition. The criterion-referenced tests are based on stated learning objectives and are administered annually to Texas students in grades 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Grade 3 results…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Senate Approves $5.4 Billion Increase for Education Budget: Large Differences in House and Senate Budget Resolution…

In 1998, Congress authorized implementation of a 3-year pilot breakfast program involving 4,300 students in elementary schools in 6 school districts representing a range of economic and demographic characteristics. The program began in the 2000-01 school year. This lengthy report presents the findings from the pilot's first year. The study had two…

This report summarizes test results from all phases of the Dallas Independent School District testing program at a very global level. District achievement in 1981-82 can be viewed as a general improvement over that observed in 1980-81 which in turn marked a major improvement over preceding years. Appreciable gains were noted particularly among the…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Passes Budget Resolution: Prospects of a Compromise with the Senate Appear Dim; (2) Older Students' Science…