This study examined the relationship of two climate constructs in academic optimism and organizational climate as each relates to school effectiveness. Academic optimism is an academic environment comprised of three dimensions: academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust (Hoy, Tarter, & Hoy, 2006). The Organizational Climate…

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006 findings highlighted concerns about reading literacy teaching quality in South African primary schools (Howie et al., 2007). In response, the national Department of Education (DoE, 2008a, 2008b, 2008c, 2008d) has emphasised instructional practice improvement. However, little…

Teacher effectiveness and evaluation using student growth measures is a popular reform strategy in education. Teachers can make a difference in student academic growth, but a question that begs an answer is how to go about measuring this impact. This study examines models of teacher effectiveness and the development of hierarchical linear models…

The influence of the MACOS curriculum on the attitudes of fourth grade students toward objectional practices was examined. Control groups and experimental groups completed attitudinal inventories. The attitudes of both control and experimental groups were similar, showing that studying MACOS curriculum does not cause children to become more…

States that more use should be made of simulation games in elementary school social studies classrooms because pupils enjoy games and can learn a lot from playing them. Describes a simulation game which is modeled on the function of a zoning board. Objectives and evaluation are discussed. (DB)

This resource package has been prepared as a means for distributing not only the results of the 1978 British Columbia Assessment of Written Expression but also to provide educators with clear, well-organized, classroom-ready materials which will assist them in teaching and evaluating the skills of written expression. It contains all of the test…

Change efforts undertaken by schools and districts as a result of obtaining data from the October 1976 testing of 40 mathematics objectives for fourth graders in Delaware are briefly described. End-of-the-year results from 13 districts which gave posttests in May 1977 are also presented. Data are reported by total score, strand, and objective. A…

A test, developed to measure important skills in fourth-grade mathematics, was given to a representative sample of about 8,000 fourth-grade students in Oregon in February 1976. In the first section of this document, findings and interpretations of the test data are reported briefly for five mathematics content domains: geometry; arithmetic;…

The Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) is the state's measure of student progress in achieving the challenging academic expectations, known as "Learning Results," adopted by the Maine Legislature in 1997. This report of student performance in writing, reading, mathematics, and science and technology provides a status report of student…

In this study, fourth-grade special education students (n=78) and general education students (n=403) took a large-scale statewide test using standard test administration procedure and two major accommodations addressing response conditions and test administration. On both reading and math tests, students bubbled in answers on a separate sheet (the…

Reports fourth-grade results in a statewide science assessment program in Minnesota for grades 4, 8, and 11 and a comparable study conducted in Minneapolis. Suggests that hands-on, materials-centered elementary science programs properly managed and accompanied by inservice education are effective. (DC)

Under contract with the Oregon State Department of Education, Educational Testing Service (ETS) assisted in the preparation of a fourth grade reading assessment test based on, or modified from, Instructional Objectives Exchange materials. ETS produced test books, answer sheets, and all required ancillary materials necessary for test distribution…

The basis for this report is an assessment by teachers, administrators, students and parents on how well Oregon's fourth graders are reading. The project was specifically designed to reflect concerns and goals which Oregon citizens regarded as relevant to their children's education. The first section of this report discusses the background of the…

The results of the Washington Elementary Educational Assessment Project (WEEAP) are presented in this report. The purposes of the Assessment project were (1) to assess the reading and mathematics achievement in Washington elementary schools by sampling fourth and sixth grade students in randomly selected school buildings; (2) to identify…

In response to citizens' need and right to know about how North Dakota students perform in mathematics, the Department of Public Instruction and the North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics administered a criterion-referenced mathematics assessment in grades 4 (1,298 students) and 8 (1,475 students). Also included were items from the…