The purpose of this quantitative study was to provide school district leaders and policymakers information of the impact grade configuration had on academic performance using math and ELA ILEARN scores over a three-year period. The study included data from 585 schools that were classified into four groups: Elementary Setting, Intermediate Setting,…

Two developments in teacher expectation research formed the basis for the current study. First, researchers have begun investigating the self-fulfilling prophecy effects of teacher expectations on a variety of psycho-social outcomes in addition to the effects on academic achievement. Second, researchers have started to realize that some groups of…

KIPP Delta College Preparatory School (KIPP: DCPS), an open-enrollment charter school, opened in 2002 in Helena, Arkansas. Since its opening, KIPP: DCPS students have consistently outperformed their peers in the Helena/West Helena School district, and moreover, recent test scores suggest that white students and minority students are achieving at…

The hypothesis that social comparison processes mediate the relation between ability-grouping practices in mathematics and students' achievement expectancies was tested in a sample of 452 sixth-graders. Achievement expectancies depended on both the type and level of their ability-grouping assignments. The implications of this effect are discussed.…

Describes a study which compared the effects of a keyboard learning approach and a traditional general music approach on sixth-grade general music students' music achievement, attitudes toward music, and self-concept regarding music ability. (Author/RM)

A factor analysis of eight subtest scores and three subtotal scores of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) Forms showed one common factor, and did not lend support to the usefulness of subtotal scores or subtest scores. (Author/GK)

The effect of family involvement in mathematics homework on student achievement was studied (N=74). Different levels of prompting for family involvement were used with three sixth-grade classes of the same instructor. Involvement and achievement were measured. Findings indicate that the prompted groups were more involved; this level did not…

A sample of 503 sixth-grade students participated in a study assessing the relationship between modality of inference and spelling achievement. Each student completed the Dictation Spelling Test and the Modality of Inference Instrument; scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills were also available. The Modality of Inference Instrument was…

Evaluated classroom guidance unit on preparation for examinations that combined study skills training and counseling support in structured or leader-directed format in group setting. Failing sixth graders (N=47) participated in either the experimental program or no-treatment control program. Experimental students were found to have significantly…

This paper summarizes research relevant to the Austin Independent School District's proposal to move sixth graders from an elementary school (K-6 or K,4-6) to a middle school (6-8) grade grouping. A summary of the evolution of middle-grade education is presented. Three areas affected by grade organization are discussed: academic achievement,…

Analyzes the effects of selected deletion patterns, blank conditions, and scoring modes on the cloze test performance of sixth-grade students. (FL)

This study was a secondary analysis of data collected by staff of the Program for Complex Instruction (PCI). The purpose of the larger study was to investigate the effect on learning gains of having students know the content and performance standards on which they will be judged as well as the effect of using evaluation criteria. This study looks…

Examined self-esteem related to earned grades, achievement test scores, and other factors among all regular fifth- and sixth-grade students in one intermediate school. Findings seemed to reaffirm importance of self-esteem to academic school success. School Form of the Self-Esteem Inventory scores were more predictive of grades than were composite…

This study considered the effects of gender and cognitive processing capacity on achievement of students at an intermediate school. The capacity test developed by J. M. Furukawa (1970, 1977), which requires examinees to recall word pairs immediately after a brief exposure, was modified for use with these students. The test was adopted because it…

The predictive validity of the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) was examined with a sample of 212 sixth-grade students and 214 seventh-grade students. Correlation coefficients between the SPM and the California Achievement Tests of Reading, Language, and Mathematics ranged from .34 to .60. (Author/LMO)