This study examined the effectiveness of a pilot program utilizing practice standardized test questions for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders in an economically disadvantaged school and evaluated the impact of the pilot program on pre- and post-test practice tests in language arts literacy and on the 2009 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge…

This article describes the process used by one high school teacher to incorporate writing into her classroom. The teacher made several modifications to her curriculum to provide her students with opportunities to engage in online research, and produce text for real-world audiences. The students' comments indicate that although they were initially…

Class-size reduction (CSR) initiatives have demonstrated positive short- and long-term effects in elementary grades. Less is known about CSR influence on achievement in middle grades. Thus, we conducted a non-experimental, longitudinal, explanatory study of CSR influence on writing achievement of 3 independent cohorts of students (n = 123) in…

New Jersey is in the process of transitioning to new English language arts and mathematics standards that will better prepare students to be successful in college and their careers. Time, effort, and resources must be dedicated to effective implementation in order to realize the promise of these new common core state standards. This paper captures…

The authors have discovered that working in a writing center setting within the classroom provides pre-service teachers with an opportunity not only to work with student writers one-on-one but also to experience a model of best practice in teaching writing. In this article, the authors describe a program, focusing on the partnership they have…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the length of years of preschool attendance on the academic achievement and retention of third and fourth grade students in high and low achieving schools. The study consisted of the analysis of secondary data, i.e., mathematics and language arts literacy scores as the measurement of academic…

The re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2002, commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), increased the accountability of public schools throughout the United States, holding them individually responsible for the education levels attained by their students as measured by high stakes tests developed and…

The Talent Development High School (TDHS) reform model, with career academy programs, was introduced at Randolph High School. Three academies were implemented, one called the Arts and Humanities Academy (A&H) focused on careers in creative arts, law, and public service; another titled the Business and Industrial Technology Academy (BAIT) was…

This applied dissertation describes the evaluation of a parent-coaching program and how test scores were impacted as measured by the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK). Of the 175 third-grade students in the school district, 25.6% of students, or 44 students, scored less than satisfactory (partially proficient) in language arts…

The result of a move in the State of New Jersey to establish a common core of knowledge and skills in specified high school courses, this paper presents the core course proficiencies for English courses students take to meet high school graduation requirements in English (Language Arts). The paper first briefly discusses the background, purpose,…

THE IMPROVEMENT OF INSTRUCTION IN READING FOR EVERY CHILD IN THE ENGLEWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS THE GOAL. TEACHERS OF INTERMEDIATE AS WELL AS PRIMARY LEVEL PUPILS WERE CONFRONTED WITH SEVERAL QUESTIONS--(1) HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES ARE PROVIDED FOR EACH PUPIL TO EXPRESS HIS IDEAS IN A DIGNIFIED FRAMEWORK TO ONE OR TWO OF HIS PEERS, TO HIS CLASS,…

Literacy assessments are transforming the contexts of secondary instruction. This article reports how literacy assessments are shaping the instructional choices of nine English Language Arts teachers who work in three different states in northeastern United States--New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Through interviews, the teachers reported…

The staff of the Individualized Language Arts Diagnosis, Prescription, and Evaluation Project, a funded ESEA Title III program, has developed methods based on a diagnostic-teaching framework designed to analyze students' writing skills for grades 1-12. The program structure also provides teachers with methodology for developing and reinforcing…

Since Achieve's first report in 2000, New Jersey has revised its Core Curriculum Content Standards in language arts literacy and math. In 2004, at the request of the governor and commissioner of education and with the encouragement and support of New Jersey United, a statewide business and education coalition, Achieve reviewed the state's revised…

The purpose of this study is two-fold: it determines and describes quantatively the current status of multiple-elective programs in English in the public schools of New Jersey, and it analyzes and appraises qualitatively--using case study--two-semester elective programs for grades 11 and 12, the predominant pattern of course offerings of New…