The Pittsburgh Public School district is one of many urban school systems across the country that is struggling to boost student performance and regain the respect of its community. Achievement gaps are wide; student achievement is low; and public confidence is fragile. To begin addressing these issues, the Council of the Great City Schools…

The Reading/K-5 Language Arts Program of the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District is directed by its mission statement to provide a quality educational program to a diverse community of students where all are expected to learn. In 1996-97, the elementary instructional materials selection committee studied students' achievement…

To determine the effects of a hot breakfast program on elementary school students' academic achievement, absenteeism, and lateness behaviors, a study was undertaken of standardized achievement test scores for 23 second-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at an elementary school participating in a district-wide breakfast program. Specifically, the…

To enhance understanding of classroom climate effects on language achievement at the elementary level, this exploratory study examined cross-level interaction effects between student characteristics and student achievement. A classroom climate scale, developed for this study, was administered to 942 students in 22 schools across Tennessee.…

This study examines the relationship between the amount of time sixth graders reported spending on homework and their achievement gains on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) between the spring of 1988 and the spring of 1989. Selected for participation were one or two classes in each of 30 public elementary schools in Chicago. Of the 30 schools,…

This two-part volume provides a theoretical study of determinants of success in education and reports on an empirical study of competition in language and mathematics for students in the highest grades of Polish grade schools in 1976-77. The empirical study investigated factors associated with outstanding success in educational endeavors. Of…

The central aspect of Connecticut's agenda for educational equity and excellence is the implementation of statewide mastery testing in mathematics and language arts. The program, designed for grades four, six, and eight, assesses the skill levels of students by measuring their performance on learning objectives they should have mastered in lower…

The second phase of a three-part research and development plan, this study investigated the relationship between teacher performance on the Black English Tests for Teachers (TTBE) and specified sets of teacher behaviors and pupil achievement as measured by curriculum-specific tests in language arts. The study involved 27 teachers from two schools…

THE PROGRAM'S PURPOSE WAS TO RAISE PUPIL'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, INCREASE THE PROCESSIONAL GROWTH OF THE STAFF, DEVELOP PUPIL POTENTIAL, BRING ENRICHMENT TO BOTH CHILDREN AND THE COMMUNITY, AND DEVELOP A WHOLESOME, HARMONIOUS, AND INTELLIGENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY. STAFF EVALUATIONS OF THE PROGRAM REVEALED DEFINITE…

This paper explores criteria for judging teaching effectiveness in the language arts. The author argues that a number of studies have been concerned with viewing pupil-teacher interaction during instruction, but few have focused on this interaction during the teaching and learning of specific language arts lessons. There is a need for establishing…

Concludes that the higher the cognitive level reached and maintained by the teacher during an instructional session, the higher the mean performance of pupils following an instructional session. (Author/RL)

This booklet of academic standards spells out what students should be able to do in Grade 9 English/Language Arts. The booklet gives examples to help students understand what is required to meet the standards and comes accompanied with a list of 10 things parents can do to help their child get a good education. It outlines the following seven…

Reviewed in a following article by E. Hugh Rudorf, "Review of 'An Investigation of First-Grade Spelling Achievement' by R. L. Cramer, pp. 238-40. (SW)

Effects of multiage grouping on achievement and self-concept were explored. No significant differences were found between children in multiage and single-age classrooms on any of the achievement measures. Multiage classrooms had higher mean scores on one of the six factors of the self-concept scale, Happiness and Satisfaction. (Author/GK)

The effects of cognitive style matching on achievement in language arts and its relationship to student teacher interaction were investigated in a study. Cognitive similarities of teachers and students were associated with some interaction patterns but not with student achievement. (JN)