Achievements of 9, 13, and 17-year-old students are assessed in ten learning areas. Categories include basic skills (reading, writing, and mathematics), general subject matter (social studies, citizenship, science, and career development), and humanities and fine arts (literature, art, and music). (Author/DB)

Discusses research findings that indicate that while basic reading skills are improving noticeably at the lower grade levels, there is cause for concern about the decline in more advanced levels of reading comprehension at the higher grade levels. (Author/JG)

A nonexperimental ex post facto comparative study in the Jackson Area Career Center (Michigan) determined the correlation between basic skills grade levels indicated by standardized tests and success or failure in auto mechanics classes. In addition, the study determined whether the grade level of achievement in basic skills is correlated with…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) office of Research and Evaluation presents Basic Skills Achievement, 1981-82 (BSA). The BSA answers the following questions: (1) How does AISD student achievement compare to student achievement nationwide? (2) How does AISD's 1981-82 student achievement compare to the achievement of students in past…

Research studies on class size date back to 1900. Common sense has suggested that small classes lead to greater academic achievement, but most research on the effects of class size on achievement have been inconclusive. Furthermore, the financial costs and political consequences of reducing class size have generally prohibited the adoption of…

Three aspects of problems, issues, and questions facing curriculum development teams, local authority advisors, and teacher trainers interested in helping teachers in the United Kingdom (UK) construct and shape an effective economics curriculum are examined. First, in an investigation of the curriculum context dimension, the paper predicts that…

The educational assessment of basic skills in Michigan has grown from a needed source of information on achievement to an integral part of statewide efforts to improve school achievement. The educational assessment program first provided information to address two important educational questions: "What is the level of basic skills achievement…

Argues that all teachers need to teach basic skills in their subject areas. Article makes suggestions for the improvement of students' reading, understanding, and written work in the social studies classroom. Suggestions include previewing textbooks for potential problems, use of oral reading, and teaching main and subordinate idea distinctions.…

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised (PPVT-R) and the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) (reading, mathematics, and language subtests) were administered to 61 elementary school students in semi-rural Louisiana. Moderate positive correlations were found between PPVT-R scores and all CTBS subtests except mathematics computation. (GDC)

A study of nearly 30 urban elementary schools indicates that school composition (including race and socioeconomic background, school social structure, and certain social climate variables) explains more than 83 percent of between-school variance in reading achievement and 65 percent in mathematics achievement. (Author/GC)

Changes instituted by a new superintendent in 1975 and credited with improving student achievement and the educational climate include establishment of measurable goals, a curriculum stressing basic instruction, staff development activities, a diagnostic testing program, differentiated courses offering remedial instruction, teacher redistribution,…

Queried a number of secondary school principals as to their opinions on why test scores have declined. A number of responses are listed here, along with a suggested plan for the improvement of instruction. (Editor)

This report describes youth employment and training programs run by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) in summer 1999. The MPRB operates the Teen Teamworks program, which helps teens acquire appreciation for connections between academic, social, judgment, and job skills. MPRB has identified changing social and economic needs as a…

Results from the third national mathematics assessment indicate that scores on low-level skills did not decline from the previous assessment, but no improvement was found on applications items. Comments by Shirley Hill, past president of NCTM, and from a report from the National Academy of Sciences are included. (MNS)

Reports on a study of reading and writing practices within a community environment. Concludes that literacy has different meanings for members of different groups, with a variety of modes, functions, and uses. Points out that these differences have yet to be taken into account by policymakers. (JMF)