Studied the effects of student socioeconomic status (SES), using free- or reduced price-lunch as a measure of SES, on student performance on the Arkansas Fourth Grade benchmark Examination. Results from about 32,000 students indicate that direct comparisons of schools without regard to percentage of free and reduced lunch participation would not…

Suggests that good fourth-grade teaching is an expert activity--a complex activity that is not amenable to scripted materials, standardized lessons, or any one-size-fits-all plan for the organization of instruction. Shows that the 30 exemplary teachers discussed produce superior educational gains as measured on standardized achievement tests--not…

Data relating to an intermediate-grade student with learning disabilities were collected when the student was being served in a resource room and during full-time mainstreaming. Data included achievement measures, classroom observation data, and school adjustment data. Data do not show significant improvements in reading achievement when in the…

This book is a study of the impact that changes in living environments (i.e. from homelessness in a shelter to a family's own dwelling unit) have on the academic achievement of school-age children. The study samples seven cases of public school children in grades 5 through 8 during the years 1988 to 1991. The children lived in the same shelter and…

Summarizes results of 1990-91 study of pilot program (SHAPE) using a multiagency approach to provide individualized support services to at-risk middle-school students. Presents detailed case analyses of three selected students representing three target groups. Students having difficulty adjusting to school demands resulting from moderate family…

Comparison of two fourth-grade teachers who effected different patterns of achievement (either expected achievement or high achievement) among their students (including those with learning disabilities or low achieving) found important differences in terms of pacing and format of instruction, student involvement in the lessons, motivation,…

The Baltimore School and Family Connections Project is a collaborative effort to design comprehensive partnership programs and evaluate their results. This case study explores one school's efforts to involve middle-grades students and their families in learning activities at home during the summer break. Marginal students who worked on the home…

This paper first explores the problem of increased cultural diversity in public education and then offers suggestions and guidelines for educators in the creation of an anti-biased classroom and curriculum. Case studies of two Hispanic students illustrate the role of acculturation and the middle school classroom setting and curriculum on academic…

This monograph presents the case study of four fifth grade boys involved in a writing program designed to teach reading skills and to address the following questions: (1) Are reading and writing really related in any practical sense? (2) What effects might humane, process-oriented writing instruction have on student achievement, self-esteem, and…

This book provides an in-depth examination of the strategies, structure, and operation of intervention programs for minority and female students in mathematics and sciences in grades 4 through 8. In Part 1, Chapter 1 discusses the barriers to female and minority participation in mathematics and science and the need for intervention. Chapter 2…

Notes that young adolescents arrive at school greatly influenced by their home environments and are then influenced by school experiences. Notes that students with risk factors at home and school have difficulty succeeding. Recounts story of a young adolescent male to illustrate impact of school and home on school performance, highlighting the…

This study is part of a larger study of teachers' use of curriculum materials in planning and teaching fifth-grade science. The study focused on one of nine teachers observed teaching "Communities," an activity-based unit from the SCIIS science program (a revision of the original Science Curriculum Improvement Study).…

Data were gathered, using pre and posttests and interviews, on the learning of individual students during a seven-week unit on a science topic (conservation) in a fourth grade classroom. Case studies of the learning experiences of each child, based on recordings and detailed observations of all class activities, were used to predict student…

This is a study of two sixth-grade classes at Bayshore Middle School (Middletown, New Jersey) who were enrolled in a 7-week keyboarding class. The first class met from October 31 through December 23, 1994; the second class met from January 3 through March 1, 1995. The instruction of the first group was teacher directed, and the students typed from…

The Accelerated Schools Project has the overall purpose of creating the best schools for all children so that every child has the opportunity to become a creative, critical, and productive member of society. The project represents a philosophy and a process for transforming conventional schools into accelerated ones where powerful learning…