Praise and criticism data were collected during a two-year correlational study of a selected sample of second- and third-grade teachers chosen for their consistency in producing student learning gains averaged over four years, and these data were analyzed to determine the effect that praise, criticism, rewards, and punishment had on learning…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving listening skills in order to improve academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of sixth- and eighth-grade students of three upper/middle class communities located near a large Midwestern city. The problem of poor listening skills was observed when students…

Accelerated Schools are built on the strengths of school staff, students, parents, and communities with the goal of bringing at-risk students into the educational mainstream by the end of elementary school. During the 1990-91 school year, 53 schools are participating in the Accelerated Schools Program, including statewide networks in Missouri and…

Describes actual classroom projects that allowed fifth graders with special needs and learning disabilities to become adept at navigating and searching for information on the Internet. Presents feedback from students on their experiences using the Internet and finds that these classroom projects improved student reading and writing skills. (JMV)

This study examined the effects of a monthly calendar of homework activity on the attitudes of 129 elementary school students and 5 beginning teachers. Results showed that attitudes of students using the homework calendar improved significantly from preassessment to postassessment; teachers were positive toward the program. (SM)

Evaluated the "ThinkerTools Inquiry Curriculum," a computer-enhanced, middle school science curriculum, to determine the impact of including the Reflective Assessment Process. Found that students' performance improved significantly on both physics and inquiry assessments. Controlled comparison revealed that students' learning was greatly…

Two studies involving 29 third-grade teachers found that overall, teachers used whole class instruction for reading and the same materials for all students, including students with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities made little academic progress and their attitudes about reading did not improve over time. (Contains…

Investigates fourth-grade students' achievement following a model unit on American Indian music that utilized four different instructional approaches. Suggests implications for instruction with American Indian music regarding instructional approach, authenticity of instrument materials, learning from a native guest artist, and music teacher…

Twenty primary-aged students with learning disabilities were tutored by nondisabled students in grades 3-6. Tutored students' performance on single-digit addition facts improved compared to a no-treatment control group. There were no significant differences between two tutoring procedures: a counting-on approach and a rote-memorization approach.…

A study described the 1992-93 Chapter 1 Children's Art Carnival (CAC) Chapter 1 Reading and Writing Program and assessed the effectiveness of its implementation. The program is an intensive holistic reading and reading-oriented arts program for Chapter 1-eligible students who have scored below the cutoff point in a standardized reading test or…

This guide presents the components and implementation phases of the Technical Assistance Center's Chapter 1 Program Improvement Process. The goal of this process is to improve the achievement of educationally disadvantaged students. The following components are discussed: (1) teamwork; (2) informed decision-making; (3) vision setting; (4) research…

A practicum intervention designed to improve the basic skills of second and fourth graders by means of computer-assisted instruction was implemented. The intervention focused on improving students' mathematics and writing scores on the Student State Assessment Test (SSAT), a test administered state-wide to third and fifth graders every year. Staff…

A guidance counselor and chair of an elementary school's special services team implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to improve the school attendance of 107 kindergarten through fifth grade students who were chronically absent. While 49 percent of the truant students lived in an inner-city housing project, 62 percent lived in…

The Austin Independent School District Office of Research and Evaluation (AISD-ORE) has recently completed a three year study of the effects of retention on elementary students. As in other studies comparing the academic achievement of elementary retainees and similar students not retained, findings indicated that promoted students generally show…

The National Literacy Project was implemented in its first cohort of schools from autumn 1996 to summer 1998. Participating schools introduced a Literacy Hour, based on specific learning objectives, as the main means of literacy teaching. The project was evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research, by means of: tests of reading;…