This brief provides a summary of the results of a project designed to help build the collective capacity and increase the impact of programs working to improve K-3 reading outcomes in New York City public elementary schools (the "K-3 reading improvement sector"). The first phase of this project identified all of the programs working in…

This is a case study of a Greek-American young adult and a New York City non-profit Day Habilitation consumer who was diagnosed with various developmental disabilities. The methods used for therapeutic and educational interventions included Gustav Heckman's version of Socratic Method called Socratic Enquiry used in individual sessions (one-on-one)…

English language learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing population of students in U.S. schools, and, unfortunately often experience lower levels of reading and spelling achievement than native English-speaking students. There is growing evidence showing that early reading interventions, which have been effective with native English-speakers, can…

This study examines differences in English language comprehension, reading fluency, and executive functions among Spanish-English bilinguals with reading difficulties. Reading difficulties examined included general reading difficulties, defined by low word reading and reading comprehension, and specific-reading comprehension difficulties, defined…

We apply "value-added" models to estimate the effects of teachers on an outcome they cannot plausibly affect: student height. When fitting the relatively simple models that are widely used in educational practice to New York City data, we find the standard deviation of teacher effects on height is nearly as large as that for math and…

This article proposes to extend the revised transactional theory of reading that I introduced to JBW readers in 2012. That revised theory, building on Rosenblatt's distinction between efferent and aesthetic reading, described a third reading stance I named "deferent" to designate the tendency of struggling student readers to defer their…

The recent focus on improving college completion rates has resulted in the paring down--or complete removal--of semester-long developmental education courses. Considering the magnitude these policies have on placement, teaching, and learning outcomes, this study examined faculty observations (N=420) about students' current and longitudinal college…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to ascertain the perceptions of second- through fourth-grade teachers' knowledge of inference, strategies used by teachers for developing inference, and the instructional tools that teachers use to teach their students to make inferences. The participants in this study were eight…

Across disciplines, faculty members face a common challenge of finding methods to get their students to complete assigned course readings. It becomes an even larger task to develop strategies whereby students are also engaging in deep reading that promotes critical thinking. Reading positively impacts students on a number of variables, and when…

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being,…

This article informs about a multidisciplinary learning community targeting first year students from diverse cultural backgrounds at an urban community college. The combination of English, art, and philosophy of art in a "Creativity Cluster" offers an excellent opportunity for great teaching and learning experiences. Yet, how can faculty…

The growing availability of data linking students to classroom teachers has made it possible to estimate the contribution teachers make to student achievement. While there is a growing consensus that teacher quality is important and current evaluation systems are inadequate, many have expressed concerns over the use of value-added measures (VAMs)…

The New York State Education Department, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, developed a "Striving Readers project" to address the literacy needs of early adolescent struggling readers in middle school. The goal of the project was to implement and examine the impact of a one-year comprehensive supplemental…

In the summer of 1975 a program to improve reading and mathematics skills for pregnant school age girls was implemented in New York City. The program was designed to provide continuity of instruction in reading and mathematics from spring to fall for girls who were at least two years behind in reading and mathematics achievement. The summer…

OBJECTIVES WERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER A TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICE COULD TEACH 5-YEAR-OLDS TO READ, OVER WHAT INTELLIGENCE RANGES THE INSTRUMENT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE, WHETHER NEGRO CHILDREN FROM A RECENTLY CLOSED SEGREGATED SCHOOL WOULD RESPOND, AND WHETHER THE DEVICE COULD TEACH MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN. SUBJECTS WERE 22 KINDERGARTEN PUPILS FROM ONE…