Underachievement in education and the exploration of its factors have been in constant interest in educational research for years. According to McFarland et al., 2017) previously conducted research has found a relationship between family risk factors and negative educational outcomes which include low academic achievement, student retention, and…

This quantitative study sought to determine relationships between third through fifth grade boys' and girls' perceptions of connectedness to their school community and between their behavioral outcomes. This study also sought to determine the effect of students' perceptions and gender on their numbers of discipline referrals incurred. Students'…

Spelling words can be scored using a wide variety of scoring methods that vary in prerequisite phonological knowledge required by the scorer, as well as the complexity of scoring rules used in assigning scores. Two of the simpler spelling word scoring methods (i.e., Words Spelled Correctly and Correct Letter Sequence) typically used by most…

Although spelling skill progress has typically been studied within the context of students' responses to written story starters (Deno, Marsten, & Mirkin, 1982; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2011; Hosp, Hosp, & Howell, 2007; Shinn & Shinn, 2002), there has been little research conducted within a curriculum-based measurement framework that has…

Literacy, the ability to read and write, is of great importance to the success of students throughout their lives. The problem the study addressed was low literacy achievement levels of third and fourth grade students. The information gained from this study was important because it helped staff members at the research site identify the impact of…

The achievement gap between White and African American students on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) is an educational phenomenon that has been around for generations and yet to be fully understood or eliminated. This study investigated the difference in school climate perceptions between African American and Caucasian (sic) elementary school…

"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) "Nation's Report Card": Reading Scores Flat for Fourth Graders; Eighth Graders Improve by One Point; (2)…

This paper presents the appendices to the "High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act" report. It contains the following appendices: (1) Example of Context for Assessing State-Level Stakes Sheet--Connecticut; (2) Example of Completed Rewards and Sanctions Worksheet--Connecticut; (3) Directions…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized test scores are the indicator used to hold schools and school districts accountable for student achievement. Each state is responsible for constructing an accountability system, attaching consequences--or stakes--for student performance. The theory of action implied by this…