Attainment of grade-level reading proficiency by fourth grade is pivotal to student academic success. In fourth grade, students shift from learning to read to reading to learn where they gain the ability to use their reading skills to access knowledge. Despite the connection between fourth grade reading proficiency and future academic success,…

The Summer Active Reading Programme aimed to improve reading skills and particularly comprehension by raising children's engagement in, and enjoyment of, reading at the transition from primary school to secondary school. The programme was delivered by Booktrust, an independent charity that aims to change lives through engaging people with reading.…

The "skin, scale, feather, and fur" program was designed to provide children in the New York City public schools with knowledge about various animal species and their place in the animal world. Teacher and paraprofessional staff along with the Staten Island Zoo Personnel developed activities and instructed children at the zoo. They also…

The rationale, implementation, and impact of the Promotional Gates Program are reported by a New York City Board of Education executive director. The program combines a stiffened promotion policy with special remedial services for students failing to meet minimal standards at grades four and seven. (MJL)

This brief paper reports on the results of the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in U.S. history for grades 4, 8, and 12. The themes addressed in the assessment were intended to ensure that all major branches of historical study were covered and that emphasis on various areas was balanced. Themes include: (1)…

This book reports on the 1994 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in geography for grades 4, 8, and 12. Students performance is summarized on a scale ranging from 0 to 500 with the achievement levels of Basic, Proficient and Advanced for each grade. Major findings for the nation include: (1) The Proficient level was…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was developed by the Arts Education Consensus Project to establish objectives for assessing arts instruction in elementary and secondary schools. The project identified objectives for arts education in general and individually for dance, music, theater, and the visual arts in grades 4, 8, and…

A summary of the findings from the 1989 British Columbia (Canada) Assessment of Social Studies is presented. The extensive revision of the curriculum undertaken since the last social studies assessment (Aoki, Langford, Williams and Wilson, 1977), resulted in a relatively progressive and challenging curriculum. A few modifications are proposed in…

The first segment of a long-term educational assessment plan, for which this three-part report was compiled, called for a study that would survey the status of English language arts programs in the province of British Columbia and serve as a pilot for future assessment programs. This portion of the study presents results from the third phase of…

This report presents findings from an evaluation of Philadelphia's Children Achieving reform agenda, which was designed to improve the Philadelphia public schools. Between 1995-1996 and 2000-2001, interviews were conducted with hundreds of teachers, principals, parents, students, district officials, and civic leaders. Researchers sat in on…

Early results from the Vermont Portfolio Project, which evaluated the progress of fourth and eighth graders in reading and mathematics using samples of student products, suggests that improvement is still needed in both subjects. Many factors will influence this pilot project's future direction, including availability of resources and development…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2001 geography results show student improvement since 1994 at grades 4 and 8. The average score of twelfth-grade students, however, has not changed significantly when compared to 1994 results. This colorfully illustrated and easy-to-read report, which highlights findings of "The Nation's…

The methodology and results of an assessment designed to determine the status of educational quality in grades 4, 8, and 11 social studies programs of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DODDS) is summarized. The assessment was part of the DODDS five-year curriculum development cycle comprised of the following phases: (1) development of…

The first segment of a long-term educational assessment plan, for which this summary report was compiled, called for a study that would survey the status of the English language arts in the province of British Columbia and serve as a pilot for future assessment programs. This summary presents the highlights of the original three-part report that…

The Promotional Gates Program was initiated in the New York City Public Schools in order to set and maintain citywide curriculum and performance standards, identify students unable to meet the minimum standards, and provide remedial instruction. Under this program, the promotional policy sets "gates" at grades 4 and 7; students unable to…