The 10th anniversary of Common Core's launch offers the opportunity to take stock of the impact these nearly national standards have had on student learning, as well as their future prospects. In this article, Morgan Polikoff shares his view that the standards movement in general, and Common Core in particular, have achieved all they are going to…

The Common Core State Standards, released in 2010, were rapidly adopted by more than 40 states. Champions maintained that these rigorous standards would transform American education, but the initiative went on to encounter a bumpy path. A decade on, what are we to make of this ambitious effort? What kind of impact, if any, has it had on the…

In an afterschool space, desks are grouped in fours. In the center of each group is a seemingly random assortment of materials, including uncooked spaghetti, spiced gumdrops, and a small cardboard square. After a brief introduction to the activity, a staff member posts the challenge on the wall: Using only these materials and working together as a…

This report summarises Year 6 pupils' attainment in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) survey of 2016 in Northern Ireland and explores the context of that attainment. PIRLS is an international comparison study of reading at ages 9-10. PIRLS has a five-yearly cycle. Northern Ireland took part in PIRLS for the second time…

The authors used a multiple-baseline-across-behaviors (i.e., word lists) design to evaluate a computer-based flashcard intervention on automatic sight-word reading in a 4th-grade student with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Immediately after the intervention was applied to each of three lists of sight words, the student made rapid…

This paper addresses the use of e-materials in learning. Under pressure from the public, which is becoming increasingly conversant with IT, schools and also other non-formal types of learning are changing into e-classrooms and e-learning. Among parents and teachers, too, there is a widespread opinion that e-learning is more motivating and is more…

This paper proposes a model of effective instruction and intervention for English Learners (ELs) within a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. First, we review literature on effective instruction for ELs and how RTI can address the needs of these students. Then, we describe the PLUSS model, which integrates research on effective instruction…

The Numeracy Intervention Research Project (NIRP) aims to develop assessment and instructional tools for use with low-attaining 3rd- and 4th-graders. The NIRP approach to instruction in addition and subtraction in the range 1 to 20 is described. The approach is based on a notion of structuring numbers, which draws on the work of Freudenthal and…

The purpose of this case study was to determine if two samples of health education literature (one in print media; the other in electronic media), and published by the same health education organization, provided the requisite reading level for their intended audiences: immigrants and native speakers with a fourth-grade level of literacy. A…

Student perceptions of classroom environment can provide useful criteria for evaluating educational alternatives. The My Class Inventory (MCI) was used with 588 3rd- to 5th-grade students in Texas in evaluating the effectiveness of instruction using a textbook, science kits, or a combination of both. Various analyses attested to the factorial…

A major purpose of this study was to establish and test a procedure for evaluating drug education curricula that allows for a more objective view of the effectiveness of drug education materials and the instructional delivery system. A major focus of the study was to determine the extent to which the Discover Curriculum affected student outcomes.…

This document reviews the goals and accomplishments of phase two of a three-year project to develop state-studies materials for Virginia schools. It is presented in seven chapters. Chapter I introduces the project idea, reviews the first phase of planning and evaluation design, and explains the project goals for phase two, materials development.…

A cost benefit study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a computer assisted instruction/computer management system (CAI/CMS) as an alternative to conventional methods of teaching reading within Chapter 1 and DPPF funded programs of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools. The Chapter 1 funded Compensatory Language Experiences and Reading…

The third and final phase of a three-year project to develop state-studies materials for Virginia is described in this report. The third phase involved continued pilot testing of fourth-grade materials, development of drafts of seventh-grade materials, and exploration of plans for dissemination. The report comprises six chapters. Chapter 1 reviews…

To facilitate career education by reducing sex-role stereotyping of occupations, a project developed multi-dimensional packages including toys and teaching modules for three grade levels: preschool (ages 3-4), second grade (ages 7-8), and fourth grade (ages 9-10). Public Action Coalition on Toys (PACT) produced the toys for the project. (Modules…