This report presents a summary of data and information compiled from projects for educationally deprived children in the state of Montana funded by Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Achievement data is presented for reading and mathematics. An analysis of pre- and post-test data indicates that students in the reading programs made…

Noting that the achievements of boys have been the subject of growing concern in England for a number of years, this booklet indicates some ways to improve the achievement of boys in literacy. The booklet focuses on work in secondary schools and is based on visits to 14 mixed secondary schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas. It begins with a…

This report presents preliminary results from four sets of tests that are part of the North Carolina state testing program. The Grade 3 Pretest is a multiple choice reading and mathematics test administered to students at the beginning of third grade. This pretest was administered to more than 102,000 students in the 1999-2000 school year, and…

This report provides a partial description of a whole school change project that has taken place from 1996-2000 at Hartsfield Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida. The primary focus of the report is on reading instruction and achievement. This is a partial report in that many variables contributed to the success of the reading program, and…

Discusses two major misconceptions about reading shared by many teachers, students, and parents: reading instruction should take place in the elementary schools, and only those students having problems need help in reading. It offers suggestions for integrating the teaching of reading skills with the teaching of physics content. (SK)

Presents an in-depth description of one school's successful online mentoring program which is focused on middle school students reading below grade level. Discusses program specifics; role of college mentors; online discussions; test results; and results summary. Includes a sample calendar of assignments and samples of messages between student and…

Describes the successful use of the beginning reading program called Sing, Spell, Read, and Write (SSRW) in Aberdeen (Mississippi) elementary schools. Using a whole language rather than basal reading approach and emphasizing phonics and total immersion, SSRW has been instrumental in dramatically improving achievement test scores and in combating…

Describes one New York City teacher's project to establish a book store in school offering quality, low cost titles to children. Covers the funding process, physical set-up, parent involvement, staffing with student workers, stocking the store, hours of operation, and positive student and parent response. (JB)

Explores whether scale economies in a single statewide, nonproperty-tax-supported district differ from studies in more traditional settings. The sample consisted of 179 randomly selected Hawaiian elementary and middle schools enrolling sixth-grade students. Stanford Achievement Test scores for grades three and six were used. Smaller schools had…

Explains how one Houston (Texas) educator (Thaddeus Lott) has turned failing schools into laboratories for learning. It describes how Lott used a charter giving him freedom to train staff, develop a curriculum, and make hiring, firing, and promotion decisions at four schools to improve reading and math skills. Concluding comments address the…

Discusses a project developed at Damiansville Elementary School (Illinois) to improve reading scores on state reading tests and encourage students to improve reading achievement. Topics include funding; the Standardized Tests for Assessment of Reading; the Accelerated Reader program; planning; the role of the library; and community participation.…

The Alabama Reading Initiative is a public-private consortium promoting a research-based approach to literacy instruction. Its goal is 100-percent literacy. Use of the approach at one middle school involved development-, practice-, and demonstration-oriented professional development and deep faculty collaboration. The effort resulted in a dramatic…

Describes a program in which preservice teachers served as tutors for at-risk first, second, and third graders in a tutorial model incorporating play and phonological awareness activities using puppets and comprehension strategy instruction using manipulatives. Finds that the program improved reading achievement for children at the first grade…

Describes strategies one elementary school used to improve the reading and writing skills of a group of low-performing second-grade students, including scaffolding, modeling, needs-based instruction, book-rich environment, cross-age reading, books shared with family members, and student motivation. (PKP)

This is the 10th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…