The present study examined outcomes on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program/Achievement Test (TCAP/AT) for the KIPP:DIAMOND Academy (KIPP:DA), which is in its second year of operation. Importantly, as in Year 1, a rigorous quasi-experimental research design was employed, in which each KIPP:DA student was individually matched to a highly…

Research has offered evidence that teacher candidates are continually frustrated by a perceived conflict between the ideas expressed in methods course and the practices they see in classrooms where they carry out their observations and practicums. The hypermedia tool Reading Classroom Explorer (RCE) was developed in response to this problem.…

The U.S. Department of Education's Strategic Plan 2002-2007 (2002) established an objective to "reduce the gaps in college access and completion among student populations differing by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability while increasing the educational attainment of all." Upward Bound, which made its first awards in…

Identifying low self-esteem as the underlying factor contributing to poor school attitudes, negative self feelings, difficulty making friends, and difficulty in working independently and completing assignments, this action research project evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention incorporating cooperative learning and teaching to the…

No Child Left Behind is one of several factors motivating more and more high schools to work with their students to stay on track to graduating within four years. Unfortunately, research shows that neither by themselves works especially well: retention and social promotion are expensive failures. They are ineffective in improving student learning…

In spring 1988, Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), in Palos Hills, Illinois, implemented "College Success," a course to increase student academic performance and improve college retention. Students in the course learned a variety of techniques to help them succeed in college, including note-taking skills, time management, memory…

This paper reports the evaluation of a project undertaken by the Sarawak Education Department to improve the quality of education in upper primary classes in rural Sarawak, Malaysia. The project is known officially as the Programme for Learning Enrichment, and commonly as the Van Leer Project, after the international agency which provides the main…

The REACH-6 program was a concerted effort by the Houston (Texas) school district to revamp the instructional quality in six of its elementary schools, with the primary purpose of improving the schools' student academic performance. This report describes the academic performance of the students in the REACH-6 program on the TEAMS and MAT-6 tests…

First-year evaluation of the Career Education Plus (CE+) project at Minot High School (North Dakota) was conducted. CE+ is an alternative educational program that provides career education learning opportunities for students in grades 9 and 10. Generalized project objectives were as follows: to provide for competencies in basic skills; to enhance…

This book details research from January 1975 to December 1977 on the three-year BBC Adult Literacy Project and the government-funded Adult Literacy Resource Agency (ALRA). Chapter 1 sets forth these three research objectives: effectiveness of the campaign (including the broadcast element) in reaching and holding the adult sub-literate,…

The Conecuh County, Alabama, Experienced Based Career Education (EBCE) project, based on the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) model, was evaluated for the period of October 1, 1976 to September 30, 1977. Assessment instruments gathered data in the areas of basic skills, career development skills, and life skills from twenty-three…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention for improving student engagement in the learning process. The targeted population consisted of first, third, and fifth grade students in a small, traditional, middle class community, located in central Illinois. Evidence of non-engaged behaviors were documented from teacher…

Research shows that many primary grade students need extra-year options and benefit from them as they start their schooling. This book provides information about school readiness and transition programs in the United States, documenting the need for and success of such programs as a countermeasure to grade retention, as well as the negative…

The American Field Service (AFS) Impact Study has documented that adolescents in AFS programs show greater increases in learning and competence than could be expected through the normal maturing process. Research findings on how people learn and under what circumstances explain why an AFS experience accelerates learning. For example, it is known…

Central Savannah River Area Cooperative Educational Services Agency (CSRA CESA) implemented a career education project for grades K-12 in the Columbia County School System to develop a replicable model for incremental improvements. The major emphasis was the infusion of career education activities into the teaching of basic skills. Program…