Year after year, the goal of educators, parents, and concerned citizens throughout Alabama is to provide this state's children with the highest level of quality education possible. The future of Alabama's businesses, industries, commerce, labor force, arts, humanities, and countless other areas are determined by the education that is provided to…

Recent workplace literacy initiatives for limited-English-proficient (LEP) employees in Illinois have resulted in employer interest in the measurement of adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) achievement, particularly in the area of reading comprehension. Employers are requesting that evidence of a language minority employee's reading ability…

The second edition of this British publication provides details of recent developments in the assessment of reading attainments and the analysis of reading processes. The book begins with a description of various types of reading tests and assessment techniques with consideration given to the purposes for which normative, criterion-referenced, and…

This bulletin presents a description of the general education subtests of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination. Information is provided on: (1) competencies and skills tested in the reading subtest; (2) general subtest and item specifications of the writing tests--methods used in evaluating writing ability and rating rationales for…

In the Netherlands, explicit beginning reading instruction usually starts in grade one. The children learn grapheme-phoneme correspondences, blending, and phonemic analysis. However, some children experience difficulties in beginning reading that the existing educational procedures are not adequate to resolve. One possible solution being…

This yearbook includes a summary of the research in reading that has been conducted in recent years, and also contains many ideas that have practical implications for the teacher in the classroom. The essays are divided into six major sections: research review, college and adult programs, teacher education, programs and practices, test materials,…

Among techniques which can be used by foreign language teachers to help learners use multiple-choice tests (after reading a text) to become better readers are: have students attempt to answer questions before reading the text; rearrange the order of the questions; and have students make up multiple choice questions. (CB)

In her most noteworthy policy speech since taking office in January, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings outlined how she would give states new flexibility to implement the 3-year-old law. The Department of Education will entertain proposals from states to waive rules under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The department also will…

This yearbook contains the papers presented at the third annual meeting of the Southwest Reading Conference for Colleges and Universities as well as additional articles of interest written by members. Topics considered: reading in the college curriculum, evaluation of the tachistoscope in reading improvement programs, recent research relative to…

The approach taken to testing reading comprehension in a Bombay University English program is described. A distinction is drawn between communicative and communicational teaching approaches. Reading skills and the traditional techniques for teaching them are examined, and sample reading comprehension test items using the communicational approach…

This article describes a reading improvement program operating in elementary schools near Copenhagen. Students take an annual reading test. The classroom teacher and the reading specialist review class scores to identify special-needs students and to plan reading program changes. General reading progress has been improved by this method. (SJL)

Students in New Hampshire will not be alone when they will take their new state mathematics and reading tests. Their fellow students in Rhode Island and Vermont will be taking the same exams along with them. This article reports that New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont have joined forces to create reading and math tests in grades 3-8. They…

About two years ago, Ohio's school district, like many other districts nationwide, was beginning to feel the first effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Reading scores at many of Ohio's elementary schools were unacceptably low, and one school in particular--Fairmount Park Elementary School--had been labeled as "in need of…

This article discusses how President's Bush's proposals to expand educational accountability from the elementary and middle grades to high schools would mean more testing for teenagers, individual student plans to promote achievement, and financial incentives for teachers to help students meet their goals. Mr. Bush's campaign proposals, unveiled…

The Hawai'i State Assessment is an annual testing program that measures student progress on Hawai'i's reading, writing, and mathematics standards. This handbook provides all Department of Education personnel at the school, complex area, and state levels with information about participation in the Hawai'i State Reading and Mathematics Assessment…