The state-by-state comparisons of results on the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) present the literacy community with some good news and a bit of a puzzle: scores have improved, but the results cannot provide answers as to why one grade or state is doing better or worse than in the past. State-by-state results show that…

The responses to two questionnaires by the principals and 186 randomly selected teachers from 40 elementary schools from Hillsborough county (Florida) provided the data for a study that examined whether principals of schools demonstrating high and low levels of student reading achievement differed in leadership behavior and/or demographic…

According to results of the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), teachers of fourth- and eighth-grade students were using a variety of assessment methods to measure their students' progress in reading. At both grades, teachers' reports indicated that in comparison with multiple-choice questions, written paragraphs were used…

This document is comprised of four consecutive issues (Winter 1998-Fall 1999) of a newsletter published quarterly to provide information on current research and practice to early childhood professionals teaching in the primary grades in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Montana. The winter 1998 issue focuses on retention in the early grades,…

The seven articles of this special issue comment on the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Assessment Reading Literacy Study conducted from 1989 to 1991 in 31 countries. Project design and test instruments are reviewed, and results from the Nordic countries are presented and explored. (SLD)

This issue of "ETS Policy Notes" discusses gender differences in educational achievement. The first article--"The Gender Gap in Education: How Early and How Large?"--discusses the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which first measures achievement at age 9 years. Gender differences at that age are generally…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 25 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) reading comprehension and visual creativity; (2) family interaction and reading achievement in high school males; (3) conceptual tempo, Piagetian level of…

This issue of "Forum for Reading" contains four essays of interest to reading instructors at two-year colleges. Joan Gregg, Beth Pacheco, and Serena Nanda discuss the benefits for students of providing thematic unity in reading courses. The essay considers the selection of a theme, such as rebellion, identity, or family, that will lend…

Noting the continuing concern about reading standards, reading processes, and methods of teaching reading, this booklet reviews current research in reading. Sections of the booklet discuss: (1) research on reading processes; (2) how fluent readers recognize words; (3) what beginning readers need to know about language; (4) what beginning readers…

This collection of descriptions of research at the Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged Students opens with "Center Seeks To Improve Education for Disadvantaged Students," a discussion of the mission of the Center to improve schooling for the disadvantaged through new knowledge and practices produced by rigorous…

Most African Americans in urban areas are trapped in schools that are below the national norms for reading, mathematics, or both. These young people are not only shut off from written information about their own cultural heritage, but they also are least likely to learn much about others. The majority of African Americans in the United States are…

A study was conducted to determine if participation in a pre-first grade transactional program would be more effective than grade repetition in enhancing first grade readiness. The transition program emphasized the acquisition of academic and behavioral skills necessary for a successful first grade experience. Students in the program were trained…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. Among the topics covered in the 26 titles are the following: self concept and reading achievement; eye movement patterns and reading ability; psychological and neuropsychological measures of performance of children with variations in…

The escalation of youth violence is one of the major public health concerns of the United States. Many factors today make juveniles more likely to commit, or to become victims of, violent acts. Drugs, the availability of guns, and the emergence of gang problems in all regions of the country are among the causes of youth violence. Prevention of…

This document comprises the entire output for the journal for 1998. The first article is in the form of a modified excerpt from an article by Donna I. Ali of the University of Calgary on "Multiple Intelligences and the Writing Process: Some Implications for Teaching." The article investigates why writing is difficult for some and easy for others,…