One of a series of studies examining Louisiana's compensatory education program, this study investigated four assumptions upon which a skill-specific intervention program was based. Framed as questions, these assumptions are: (1) Is retention effective for students who do not know basic content for a given grade level? (2) When is retention most…

This booklet was prepared for the parents of fourth-grade children who are participating in Chapter 1 programs in Louisiana. Activities which will give children practice with each of the mathematics skills on the fourth-grade Louisiana Basic Skills Test are included. For each skill there are at least two pages of practice, plus a test question…

This booklet was prepared for the parents of fifth-grade children who are participating in the Chapter 1 programs in Louisiana. Activities which will give children practice with every mathematics skill which must be learned before going to grade 6 are included. For each skill there are at least two pages of practice plus a test question similar to…

The legislation mandating Louisiana's Basic Skills Test was consistent with federal legislation in specifically including special education students. The development of policy alternatives for the testing of these students, however, was a complex process. Related issues include: (1) inclusion/exclusion of special education students, (2)…

As part of Louisiana's minimum competency program, the Basic Skills Test (BST) was administered in grades 2 through 5. Student promotion rates in these grades between 1980 and 1985 were examined. Results showed that, in all four grades, the percentage of students retained to repeat the grade increased slightly. The BST was the main, but not the…

A statewide study in Louisiana revealed that third, fourth, and fifth graders who participated in 30-minute elementary school foreign language programs in the public schools showed significantly higher scores on the 1985 Basic Skills Language Arts Test than did a similar group that did not study a foreign language. Further, by fifth grade, the…

The longitudinal effects of Louisiana's Compensatory/Remedial Program upon student performance were assessed using data from four administrations of the Basic Skills Test (BST) between 1982 and 1985. Language arts and mathematics tests were administered in grades 2 through 5. Scores increased slightly between 1982 and 1984, and declined in 1985;…

Program implementation is stressed in this final report of a three-year Basic Skills Learning Centers (BSLC) Project designed (1) to improve basic skills in reading, math, and reasoning and (2) to serve a target population of Spanish-speaking children from nonurban schools in five southwestern states. Section I is the annual report for 1978-79 and…