Differences in Iowa Tests of Basic Skills scores were compared between Rhode Island fourth and eighth graders, and between parochial and public school students. This final report is organized in four major sections, plus appendices. The interviewing component activities are described in the first section, and clustered under six areas: convening…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Graduation for All, A Right and a Responsibility: National Campaign to Focus on Increasing High School Graduation…

Multi-Age Teaming (MAT) programs were implemented at Crabapple and McNair Middle Schools in Fulton County, Georgia, in the fall of 1993, and at Camp Creek Middle School in the fall of 1994. An important goal of these programs was the creation of school families within schools with multi-age teams of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. At…

This article chronicles one special educator's process of implementing adaptive instructional strategies in her middle school language arts classroom. Paige Michalski crafted adaptations for her students with disabilities in the curricular area of digital storytelling (Banaszewski, 2002; Dunn, 2000). Digital storytelling involves telling stories…

The status of middle grade students (grades 6, 7, and 8) was studied in the New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools. The district is faced with major challenges in addressing the overall needs of middle grade students and the impact of early retention in grade that has resulted in several overage students. Most sixth graders are in elementary…

This action research study examined the problem of the loss of commitment to schoolwork by middle level students as evidenced by missing assignments; late work, incomplete work, or both; and an attitude of indifference on the part of the students. The study also reviewed a variety of strategies to improve student learning and students' view of…

The paper describes a study to measure the relationship of teacher expectations to student characteristics and academic achievement. Specifically, the study assessed the validity of principles regarding teacher expectations set down by sociologists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis. Bowles and Gintis maintained that teacher expectations are…

The results are presented of the validation study of reading and mathematics criterion referenced tests, administered to South Carolina students in grades 3, 6, and 8. This testing was mandated by state law to field test a competency based assessment program. The study was based on three activities: (1) test selection; (2) content validation; and…

A longitudinal evaluation of language arts and mathematics achievement for grades 5 to 8 in the St. Catharines, Ontario school system over a forty-year span is presented. The comparison is based on three different studies conducted from 1933 to 1938, from 1952 to 1954, and from 1975 to 1977. Secondary contributions--the effects of changes in…

This document presents key educational statistics for Alaska's elementary school through college students. The report presents state-level data on Alaska's K-college education, including demographic distribution across each educational level, participation and success in Advanced Placement, percentage of students taking high-level courses, school…

This report compares Arizona's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how Arizona is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American, Latino, or low-income students and their…

This guide explains how employers can support math and science achievement in U.S. schools. Section 1 reports data from Third International Mathematics and Science Study regarding the math and science achievement of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 worldwide. Section 2 establishes a link between academic achievement and workplace success through…

This study examines the relationships between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models indicated that discussion-based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall…

The impact of school racial context (percentage of Anglo students in school and degree of Anglo peer group integration) and student background characteristics (sex, race, educational attainment of father of school racial context differed for Blacks intentions was addressed. A random subsample of Anglo (1,367), Black (1,172), and Hispanic (430)…

This report compares California's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how California is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American, Latino, or low-income students and their…