This document discusses the development and implementation of alternative performance indicators (APIs) to assess the educational progress of children with disabilities in Wisconsin toward model academic content standards. It begins by describing the alternate assessment process, the definition of APIs, and the process of developing APIs.…

There is consensus in the United States that schools are not succeeding. This paper presents recent research in mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and the arts to discuss ways in which to improve instruction and learning in these areas. Featured topics include cooperative learning, problem solving, use of technology, whole…

Through a comprehensive review of various afterschool programs across the United States, this resource provides a practical overview of the research and best practices that can be easily adapted and applied in the development of highly effective afterschool programs. chapters focus on: (1) "Why Afterschool Programs?" (benefits, challenges, and…

Whether grades earned in reading, mathematics, and language by 158 second graders when learning environmental accommodations were made in the areas of light, sound, temperature, design, and mobility differed from grades of control group students without these accommodations was studied. Control group students had higher mathematics and language…

We are in the midst of what amounts to a national experiment in how best to attract, prepare, and retain teachers, particularly for high-poverty urban schools. Using data on students and teachers in grades 3-8, this study assesses the effects of pathways into teaching in New York City on the teacher workforce and on student achievement. We ask…

Authentic assessment is the process of gathering evidence and documenting student learning and growth in an authentic context. Authentic assessment can do a better job than more traditional forms of assessment in informing educators and parents about a student's real achievement. The first chapter of this book presents an overview of authentic…

This study was designed to provide the Palm Beach County School District with an independent evaluation of the educational program for kindergarten through grade three. Chapter 1 discusses the study design and methodology. Chapter 2 reviews current literature on such topics as nonpromotion and delayed entry; screening, assessment, and placement…

This book is a teachers' guide to the "Primary Learning Record." The "Primary Learning Record" is a development of the "Primary Language Record," which has provided teachers with strong support for their record-keeping of children's language and literacy progress and development. It offers a clear format for…

Teachers from the Austin Independent School District were identified as providing exemplary instruction to elementary Hispanic limited English proficient (LEP) students based on a comparison of predicted versus actual achievement scores in reading, language, and math. Predicted performance was based on equations generated by stepwise linear…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the effectiveness of a linguistically based and a nonlinguistically based spelling program on the spelling competency of elementary pupils; (2) the effectiveness of spelling…

Evaluation results of 1981 compensatory education programs for fifth through ninth graders in Baltimore, Maryland public and private schools are presented in this report. The program provided compensatory mathematics, reading, and language arts instruction for educationally disadvantaged students, and made available supportive guidance and health…

The broad purpose of this study was to investigate some ways of predicting the language arts achievement of kindergarten children in order that their academic needs more nearly may be met. The Metropolitan Readiness Test (given to 16 subjects at the end of kindergarten) and the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Primary I, the Purdue Perceptual Motor…

This report evaluates the 1968 Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I programs in the State of Maryland. The emphasis of the programs was on language arts and reading skills for educationally disadvantaged students. Evaluation is partially based on local evaluation reports from administrators, parents, pupils, lay citizens, and community…

This article describes an unusual program that has been developed without the use of federal funds, a new high school English curriculum that is in its third year of operation. In all, 50 courses are offered for students' pre-registration. Each student chooses six nine-week, one-quarter credit courses. He is assured of being enrolled in a minimum…

In the school year 2000-2001 students in Grade 10 took the Graduation Exit Examination for the 21st Century (GEE 21) Language Arts and Mathematics tests for the first time. For GEE 21, student scores are reported in terms of five achievement levels: Advanced, Proficient, Basic, Approaching Basic, and Unsatisfactory. This booklet is part of a…