Redefining the federal government's role in kindergarten through grade 12 education, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is designed to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. The act is based on four principles, the first of which is stronger accountability for results, entailing creation of…

Mentoring programs enrich children's lives, help meet their need for positive adult contact, and provide one-on-one support and advocacy. Positive mentoring experiences have proved to be an effective tool to help youth overcome the risk factors that can lead to problems such as educational failure, dropping out of school, and involvement in…

Reducing the number of students in a class, especially in the early grades, is one approach educators have taken to improve student achievement. Class-size reduction programs have been implemented at the state, district, and individual school levels. This pamphlet defines class-size reduction, provides an overview of class-size reduction research,…

This Language Arts Framework provides a description of what students should know and do in English, language arts, and reading classrooms, kindergarten through twelfth grade. The framework addresses the interrelatedness of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing. The intent is to raise expectations for student performance, provide…

This supplement is designed as a resource for helping students read and respond to literature and other forms of print. It notes that kindergarten through third graders are expected to: develop an ability to read with increasing fluency and understanding by using writing and a variety of other reading strategies; and read, interpret, and respond…

Block periods of 75, 90, 100 minutes, or longer require good teachers to continue to develop and improve their teaching skills while keeping the student engaged over a long period. The fewer class meetings in the semester or year, and the rich potential for creativity and innovation provided by the longer period all combine to offer a challenge…

This guide discusses preparing volunteer tutors for success in educational environments and describes the startup year of these programs. Research and experience in the field suggest that a good beginning is key to the long-term survival of new programs. The startup year is the most challenging. It requires leadership to muster the energy and…

For young adolescents, the link that exists between learning during the school day and opportunities for educational and social growth in the afterschool hours warrants attention. By implementing the connections of this link, young people will be able to utilize the proper skills, experiences, and guidance necessary to become contributing members…

Identifies the vital aspects of U.S. and world history, and of the related social sciences, to be offered to all Washington D.C. public school students. Identifies the essential learning for the preparation of each student as an effective worker, citizen, and person. Provides in detail the seven content standards for history. (CMK)

Designed for persons in schools or community agencies who wish to implement a program for at-risk youth that emphasizes the development of leadership skills, this replication guide represents 2 years of program refinement. While the strategies described here can be managed by either a school or agency, this guide was written from the perspective…

Teaching methods are recommended for dealing with particular learning and study problems experienced by students using a format which includes a statement of the learning problem, a description of a method for dealing with that problem, correct and incorrect examples of the use of the method, and an explanation of why the method works. The…

This supplement is designed as a resource for helping students in grades four through eight read and respond to literature and other forms of print. It notes that fourth through eighth graders are expected to: read independently with fluency and for meaning using a variety of strategies; and read, analyze, and respond in written and oral language…

Discusses the recent trend of blaming parents for the academic failure of their children, and describes how some programs are attempting to make parents more responsible for their child's performance, a practice that in one case provoked a negative reaction from parents. The author discusses criticism of this new trend and explains why its…

The article discusses strategies for parents to help their children improve math skills. It examines graphing skills and looks at three types of graphs (line graph, bar graph, and pie chart). Various simple activities illustrate what all scientists and mathematicians do when conducting experiments or developing mathematical models. (SM)

This article presents procedures, forms, and instructional techniques used to increase achievement of learning-disabled students through measuring and controlling task difficulty during classroom instruction time. These techniques are especially recommended for classrooms using individualization and small group instruction. (Author/PB)