The effects of homogeneous ability grouping versus heterogeneous grouping on the reading achievement of 18 slow learners at the first grade level are studied here. Two matched groups, each containing 9 pupils classified as slow learners from reading achievement based on Metropolitan Reading Test scores, are placed in homogeneous and heterogeneous…

If American schools are to be held accountable for pupil achievement, a reliable means of determining the difference between a child's actual achievement and his learning potential must be found. This study examines the utilization of composite measures of a pupil's base level of performance as effective predictors of learning expectancy. In…

Data generated through the National Assessment of Educational Progress's regular and special reading assessments during the 1970s indicate that the reading performance of historically lower-achieving students has risen considerably. Unfortunately, the significance of the data has not been fully explored by the news media. (PGD)

Describes "What Works in Reading?," a study of the variables that contribute to reading achievement. Provides an analysis of the study's impact, and examines why its findings were translated into policy. Isolates and discusses factors associated with research utilization. (CMG)

Concerns that higher standards and demanding high-stakes tests will disadvantage students who have attended weak, unsuccessful, or under-resourced schools have typically been met with the counter-claim that poorly prepared students will be provided with the extra help and support they need to succeed. Efforts to provide extra help are in their…

Low-income fifth and sixth graders who had completed the full three years of a first- through third-grade Direct Instruction Follow Through program were tested. Students appeared to retain the knowledge and problem-solving skills they had mastered in the primary grades. (Author/BW)

The first year (1986-87) of a measurement-driven and feedback-driven instruction project being conducted in Israel was evaluated. Criterion-referenced tests developed for the evaluation were administered to students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in 26 schools. Positive effects were found on achievement in reading comprehension and arithmetic. (SLD)

Many states now use large-scale testing programs as a major mechanism in their educational accountability efforts. With the mandated participation of students with disabilities in large-scale testing programs, it is possible to use large-scale testing results to examine special education efficacy at the school level. We used special and general…

This article presents three related evaluation studies looking at the effectiveness on achievement and motivation of Reading Together, a cross-age peer-tutoring reading program. The effects on tutees, tutors, teachers, and parents were monitored. The advantages of Reading Together began to accrue during the second and third phases of the program.…

Shifting focus from typical data and information about the status of educational achievement in the United States and about gaps in achievement among the nation's students, this report undertakes investigation of less-frequently-asked questions. As required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), educators are continuously monitoring whether more…

The tables presented in this document show the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) results for the past two years. Twenty-four tables show results as percent at each performance level and percent passing, as well as percent of students tested. The tables shown in this document include: (1) Mathematics Grade 3; (2) Reading Grade 3; (3)…

This article presents the results of an 11-year longitudinal study of the impact of America's Choice comprehensive school reform (CSR) design on student learning gains in Rochester, New York. A quasi-experimental interrupted time-series approach using Bayesian hierarchical growth curve analysis with crossed random effects is used to compare the…

The students and teachers at Hoover High School in San Diego, California, have made significant progress in their quest to meet accountability standards and ensure that all students learn to read, write, and think at increasingly complex levels. In 1999, Hoover High was the lowest performing high school in the city of San Diego and one of the…

The applicability of a standardized performance measurement procedure is critically investigated, in order to assess reading growth for students with severe reading difficulties in a longitudinal design. To establish an appropriate growth model, several approaches are reviewed. Among them, a simplex model is chosen and tested with various…

For the third year, six Massachusetts communities incorporated computer assisted instruction (CAI) into their regular Title I programs, for students in grades 1 through 9. It was hoped that CAI would produce reading and mathematics gains over and above those which are characteristic of more conventional Title I instructional approaches. A pretest,…