Voluntary national exams in reading (grade 4) and mathematics (grade 8) would mobilize Americans to increase student achievement. Tests would be overseen by a public, independent governing board, based on respected National Assessment of Education Progress frameworks and standards, and given to individual students. Results would be released…

The reading attainment of 1,329 primary school children was analyzed to see if literacy standards changed since the introduction of Britain's National Curriculum. The relative stability of attainment across cohorts contrasts with the prediction that the curriculum would raise standards. (SK)

In one study, reading comprehension data for 62, 739 students from an Accelerated Reader learning information system was merged with the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) teacher-effects database. Results show that teachers should have students read as much as possible, gradually increasing books' challenge level. (Contains 115…

Investigates causes of high and low reading achievement among elementary students using a causal model. Finds support for the model. Notes an implication of the model is that teaching and learning relevant to improving listening comprehension and word identification proximally affect verbal knowledge and pronunciation knowledge, and distally…

This article aims to present strategies and discussion about how teachers can adapt the curriculum in order to provide authentic needs-based programmes. Identifying students' strengths and needs gave us clear directions as to what we needed to teach. In this article, the research team discuss how they successfully raised the reading achievement of…

The causal effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on children's reading activities and reading achievement were assessed in a randomized experiment involving 331 children in Grades 1-5. Children were pretested in the spring on a standardized test of reading achievement (Stanford Achievement Test, 10th ed.), on the Elementary Reading…

This report describes student performance in third grade Reading Comprehension and fourth grade Reading and Writing from the spring 1998 administration of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP). In this second administration of CSAP, all third and fourth grade students in Colorado were accounted for. The report provides policymakers,…

A study investigated the attitudes toward reading of Western Kansas students in grades 1-6. Of the 156 students in the sample, 45 participated in the study group while 111 constituted the control group. The independent variables were participation status, achievement in reading, gender, socioeconomic class status, intelligence test scores, and…

This pamphlet provides current information about the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Reading. In addition to describing the purpose and goals of the NAEP, the pamphlet discusses the reasons for assessing reading, the 1992 NAEP in Reading (including recent changes), the guidelines used to create a framework for reading…

A study examined: (1) whether a relationship exists between self-concept relating to reading and reading performance of school children in grades three and four; and (2) whether it is possible to identify the four types of self-concept proposed by M. Levesque and derived from Staats Paradigmatic Behaviorism (positive-realistic,…

The potential for school improvement in schools and districts that score well above state and national averages was explored. Based on elementary reading and mathematics data from a collaborating district, it appears that a three-step school improvement logic can effect improvements in "good" schools. The first step is to collect…

Explores the ability to decode phrases and clauses, using children at three developmental levels to determine the effects of syntactic structure on the eye-voice span. (RB)

Presents and discusses findings from exploratory research on the effect of grouping and pace on reading acquisition. (RB)

Describes an instructional program which applied the incentive theories of performance contracting--but with individualized, diagnostic-based instruction both designed and conducted by the teachers. (RB)

This study investigated the directionality of the relationship between self-esteem and reading achievement in 286 students in Lynchburg, Virginia. During the first year of the three-year study, subjects were fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the SRA Achievement Series subscales were administered; sex and…