The program is primarily designed to provide bilingual education for pupils, in grades K-6, with limited English-speaking ability. Due to parental requests, approximately 16 percent monolingual English-speakers have been accepted into the program. Of the 529 children enrolled in the program, 89 percent have Spanish surnames. Objectives for the…

Approximately 1,225 Mexican American and Anglo American children in grades 1-6 (ages 6-14) from California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas were tested using school achievement and IQ standardized tests and four Piagetian-derived measures (Cartoon Conservation Scales, Water Level Task, Figural Intersection Test, and Serial Task). The field study's…

This fourth in a four-part series on why academic achievement gaps exist describes the Minority Achievement Committee scholars program at Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio, a powerful antidote to the achievement gap between minority and white and Asian American students. It explains the need to break down stereotypes about academic…

In Texas, which has minimal child care standards, extensive alternative care arrangements were associated with pervasive negative effects in third graders. Children with the alternative care background received more negative ratings from parents and teachers, poorer grades, lower standardized test scores, and more negative sociometric nominations…

The validity of grades given by secondary school teachers was studied. Two teacher-originated measures of performance and one independent standardized measure of achievement were examined. The teacher-originated grades were final examination grades (FINALs) and end of the semester marks (MARKs) for over 40 courses at all secondary levels. The…

Student performance in grade 3 was evaluated based on instructional practices, classroom materials, and computer use in grades 1 and 3. This longitudinal study of primary education in Texas was initiated during the 1995-1996 school year when data were collected from first-grade teachers. Teachers provided information not only on teaching practices…

A state-mandated outcomes assessment test for certification of teachers has been administered in Texas since 1986. At Southwest Texas State University, which produces the most certified teachers in the state, the assessment showed that its students were not also among the best. In response to this situation, a presidential committee conducted…

Comprised of 60 pre-K-6 classrooms, the program was designed to provide bilingual education for pupils who have limited English speaking ability. Program objectives were to: prevent their educational retardation by instructing them in Spanish while developing their command of English; enhance their understanding and cognitive development in both…

Comprised of 27 classrooms from grade levels 1-6, the program was primarily designed to provide bilingual education for pupils with limited English speaking ability. However, due to parental requests, almost 16% monolingual English-speakers were accepted into the program. Of the 717 pupils participating in the program 84.6% were Mexican American.…

This paper explores three programs that are innovatively helping U.S. immigrant students become educated, productive, full-fledged citizens. New York's International High School at LaGuardia Community College, which serves immigrant students only, has extremely high attendance and graduation rates. A top priority is increasing personalization for…

Discusses the impact of accountability on educational quality at the state level, exploring various Texas student performance measures over the past decade that show improvements in school performance for minority and impoverished children. Discusses data from Texas Assessment of Academic Skills scores, National Assessment of Educational Progress…

This review looks at the reform movements in the nation's two most populous states--Texas and California. Both states are in a desperate pursuit to demonstrate student competency of standards and achievement by way of student performance on standardized tests to meet federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) compliance. In examining the accountability…

Although the SAT has traditionally been the standardized test of choice for Texas students, nearly a third of the college-bound population in 1998 opted to take the ACT in addition to the SAT. Because most universities now accept both the SAT and the ACT, many testing experts believe taking both exams is a growing trend due to increased pressure…

Texas college students must pass all three sections (reading, writing, and mathematics) of the state-mandated Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Test or must enroll in remedial course work. Over 98,000 TASP scores from 73 community, junior, and technical colleges for the academic year 1996-1997 were analyzed to ascertain if less-prepared…

Examines reasons why African-American and Hispanic-American students tend to have lower average scores than do white students on standardized mathematics and reading examinations, using data from a study of teachers' basic skills in Texas involving almost 900 school districts. Teacher-related factors that improve student performance are discussed.…