Reading comprehension--the ability to understand the meaning of text--is a foundational ability that enables children to learn in school and throughout life. Children who struggle with reading comprehension in the third or fourth grade are at high risk for dropping out of school, with detrimental effects on their future employment, income, and…

Each year millions of young people graduate from high school and enroll in colleges and universities across the country, and many of these students are underprepared for the demands and academic rigor of college-level courses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences in graduation rates between students…

This study of eighth graders investigates the effects of Kindergarten attendance on (1) Basic Skills Test (BST) performance and (2) the incidence of grade retention (non-promotion). To accomplish the first purpose, over 64,000 eighth grade pupils in the public schools of Tennessee were administered the BST. On each answer sheet of the BST pupils…