The comparability of various assessments of literacy achievement and growth adopted for use by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) was the focus of this study. Renaissance 360 is the universal screener used by campuses throughout the district. In contrast, Benchmark Running Records (BRR) are campus-specific, and each campus is able to…

In this column, the three authors address the teaching of ELs within the content areas. Specifically, they highlight the difference between having language and content objectives, utilizing small-group work to maximize involvement, and inclusion of beginning English speakers into the learning process. Currently there is a gap of 36 points between…

Current literature in the field of foreign language describes the benefits and challenges of elementary foreign language programs that meet several days a week over the course of a year, however little is known about elementary school foreign language programs that provide daily instruction within limited time frames of several weeks during the…

The curriculum guide for the Dade County public schools outlines the content and design of a sequential language arts program. The guide provides structured and unstructured reading experiences for systematically developing Spanish decoding skills, comprehension and interpretation skills, and habits and tastes in reading literary materials. For…

Designed for use with unit nine of the grade three social science strand, this supplement and ditto packet contains visual aids to help the teacher carry out the activities described in the teacher's guide to this strand. Seatwork for individual students as well as material for group activities is included. Language on materials to be used in the…

The results of a longitudinal evaluation of an innovative educational program in bilingual immersion at the San Diego City Schools are presented. The program's goals emphasized the acquisition of communicative proficiency, in English and Spanish, for both native-English-speaking and native-Spanish-speaking students. Using a quasi-experimental…

This guide is designed to provide teachers and reading tutors with an easy-to-use and practical guide to selecting and using reading assessment tools that (1) provides descriptions of reading assessments for English and Spanish speaking students that can be used to diagnose and identify their reading skills and abilities; (2) helps teachers find…

In order to determine the concurrent validity of the Language Assessment Scale I as a measure of English language proficiency, test scores were compared to teacher judgment as reflected in a rating scale. Scores correlated .73 with a quantitative measure of teacher judgment. (Author/CTM)

Data on language competence and language use were obtained for 99 Spanish/English bilingual elementary school children (kindergarten through fourth grade) from Albuquerque. The children's language skills were assessed by teachers, interviewers, and the children themselves. The teachers and the children also estimated the extent to which the…

Instructional and assessment activities for grade 3 social sciences are presented in this teacher's guide to unit nine of the social sciences strand. Focus, objectives, and materials for each activity are given in English and Spanish, with teacher instructions only in Spanish. The unit expands the conceptual field of the child in terms of the…

The unit's instructional and assessment activities focus on the community. Specific attention is given to four spiraling questions pertaining to the individual, his alternatives, his initiation of change, and the results of change. Focus, materials, and objective for each activity are in Spanish and English; teacher instructions are in Spanish…

Focusing on the community, this Spanish as a Second Language unit provides the English-dominant child with the structures and vocabulary needed for effective communication in a bilingual environment. The instructional and assessment activities help the child build concepts in his new language through formal and informal language experiences.…

Comparability may be obtained for the Language Assessment Scale and the Bilingual Syntax Measure through a change in classification strategies which will also improve the equivalence of the tests and their correlation with achievement. Use of the tests along with teacher ratings should then provide meaningful criteria for classification.…

Two readers, supplementary illustrations, and a ditto pack constitute this supplement to unit nine's language arts for third graders. Visual aids and materials for both seatwork for students and for class activities are presented; the teacher's guide to the unit provides the timetable for presentation. Kits 33 and 34 are based on the reader…

The study examined the expressive language, receptive language, and articulation skills of 30 Spanish speaking Puerto Rican children (ages 5-12 years) with language disorders (identified by fluent Spanish speaking evaluators). Results indicated both structural and pragmatic difficulties with little impact of English on their language development.…