This descriptive study investigates the variability in the curriculum pacing decisions of classroom teachers. The effects on the reading achievement and performance gains of first and second grade students in a compensatory education program program are examined. Data were collected from: (1) the Metropolitan Readiness Test results used to select…

During the 1975-76 school year, all second and third grade pupils in California were tested in reading achievement and all students in grades six and twelve were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Reading scores for second and third graders have been improving since 1966, but the 1975-76 scores show little…

The Reading Component of the Minneapolis Schools' 1973-74 Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) Project was designed to improve reading comprehension among the poorest-reading students in eight desegregating public junior highs and the poorest-reading junior-high-age students in six nonpublic schools. The Reading Component not only met, but surpassed,…

The general emphasis of Project LONGSTEP was on the identification of changes in student achievement that occur as a result of intensive educational innovation. This report focuses on three groups of students: those who started out as first-graders, fourth-graders, and sixth-graders in 1970-71. Its primary purpose was to analyze overall…

"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) States Showing Some Reading Improvements: Early Grades Raise Scores, but Older Students Continue to Struggle; (2)…

The Council of the Great City Schools has prepared this fifth edition of "Beating the Odds" ("Beating the Odds V)" to give the nation another look at how inner-city schools are performing on the academic goals and standards set by the states for our children. This analysis examines student achievement in math and reading through spring 2004. It…

The James Irvine Foundation launched the Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL) initiative in 1999 with the goal of improving the academic achievement of children in the lowest-performing schools in five California cities. In 2004, CORAL adopted a more targeted approach toward reaching this goal by integrating a regular…

In October 2002, Sebastian River High School in Florida developed a literacy system that includes all faculty and staff members. The literacy system identifies roles, responsibilities, and actions for everyone, including daily literacy-related nonnegotiables for all teachers. Now, students who have a history of failure are posting gains of one…

This White Paper summarizes findings from an extensive literature review that was conducted to identify the most promising models and approaches for meeting the needs of low-income children, youth, and families during the summer months. Special attention is paid to summer learning programs that serve diverse, urban low-income children and youth.…

This study compared the inclusive PIER program (French acronym for program intervention with at risk students), which was implemented in 13 third grade classes in Quebec (Canada) and compared with 13 third grade classes using a traditional resource room pull-out program over the course of a full school year. A total of 165 at-risk and 441 non…

The Connecticut Mastery Test testing program assesses essential skills in mathematics and language arts, including listening, reading, and writing, for grades 4, 6, and 8. For grade 8, student achievement is measured and reported in relation to specific learning objectives (criterion-referenced) that students can reasonably be expected to have…

A new elementary retention policy was implemented in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in 1981-82. The AISD Board of Trustees requested a three-year study of the impact and effectiveness of the policy. This report describes results from the second year of the study, including the effect of the change in policy on staff development,…

Contained here are the technical appendices to the report on Project LONGSTEP's methodology and findings. The general emphasis of Project LONGSTEP was on the identification of changes in student achievement that occur as a result of intensive educational innovation. Its primary purpose was to analyze overall differences in achievement growth among…

The 1974-75 in-depth study was designed and conducted as an exploratory investigation of program and contextual factors related to achievement. The study was conducted in conjunction with the National Evaluation of the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA). The analysis of school success was guided by a conceptual model that identified four key…

An alarming trend of low performance and legal problems dogged the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) in the early and mid-1990s. In 1997, the Maryland State Legislature adopted a law creating a partnership between the sate, city and BCPSS, creating a new Board of Commissioners to run the school district. Under this leadership, serious…