School youth have been increasingly involved in the dangerous abuse of volatile inhalants. The basic reason to inhale substances is to reach an altered state of consciousness. The 12-17 and 18-25-year-old age groups had the highest rates of inhalant abuse in 1993. Among eighth graders, almost one in five (19%) said they have used inhalants and 5%…

The purpose of this report is to increase understanding of the achievement levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), what they are, and what they are not. NAEP is a survey of American students' knowledge and skills in different subjects at grades 4, 8, and 12. NAEP combines the samples of performances to provide…

This planning grid for teaching visual arts in grade 8 in Delaware schools outlines the following six standards for students to complete: (1) students will select and use form, media, techniques, and processes to create works of art and communicate meaning; (2) students will create ways to use visual, spatial, and temporal concepts in creating…

Tested experience with diversity as the key to teaching tolerance by studying 2,184 eighth grade social-studies students attending 7 public and 24 private schools in New York City and Fort Worth, Texas. Private schools currently perform slightly better at encouraging interethnic friendships and developing support for democratic norms. (Contains 23…

This report includes information from the National Indian Education Study of American Indian/Alaska Native students in grades 4 and 8 on the 2005 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. The national sample includes both public and private schools (i.e. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Defense Education…

Newark, New Jersey, once called "The Worst American City," is a city that has lost 36 percent of its population since 1930 (from 442,000 to 280,000) and is now more than half black and nearly 40 percent poor. It is a city, reported the "New York Times," where "budgeting is a Rube Goldberg morass with a deficit…

This report evaluates the effectiveness of a reading program known as "The Reading Renaissance/Accelerated Reader Program" as implemented at Gardner Middle School in San Manuel, Arizona, during the period of April 1997 to April 1998. Before the program was implemented, students were achieving at a low level in reading. Students in the…

This report, one of six volumes presenting the results of Georgia's statewide testing program, provides test results for the eight grade by school category and, within categories, by school. The categories, totaling 48 for individual schools and 48 for systems, were devised in an effort to make comparisons between schools and systems more…

Examines seventh and eighth grade U.S. history textbooks (seven from the 1930s, seven from the 1950s, and seven from the 1980s) to determine changes in presentation of religious content over the decades. Limits investigation to the Colonial Era 1606-73. Concludes few significant differences appeared. (SLM)

The annual event dropout rate describes the proportion of students who leave school each year without completing a high school program. The event dropout rates for the school year 2004-2005 of 1.68% for grades 7 through 12th and 2.40% for grades 9 through 12th are at the lowest levels in the past ten years. The event completion/graduation rate…

Intended as a resource for instructional planning, this grade 8 language arts curriculum guide purposes to promote greater student achievement through alignment of the written, the taught, and the tested curriculum, and to promote broader and higher levels of thinking through objectives, activities, and strategies which integrate content and…

The relationship between the degree of assimilation of Mexican Americans and the school system they attend was examined. Seven basic types of assimilation were studied--cultural, structural, marital, identificational, attitudinal, behavioral, and civic assimilation. A questionnaire was administered to 8th grade students in 9 public and 9 parochial…

These unit planning grids for grade 8 music education in Delaware public schools outline nine standards for students to attain in music. Standards cited in the grids are: (1) students will sing, independently and with others, a varied repertoire of music; (2) students will perform on instruments, independently, and with others, a varied repertoire…

In the spring of 2000, public school eighth grade students will be assessed for the first time on the Colorado Model Content Standards for Science. This guide was developed to help educators prepare for the upcoming Colorado science assessment. The purpose of this book is to provide a window into eighth grade science assessment. This guide is…

Investigates the approach to citizenship education within the Seattle (Washington) Public Schools when Japanese American citizenship status was being questioned. Addresses the World War II era experiences of Japanese American students, focusing on two primary source documents: (1) a 1930's curriculum guide; and (2) a collection of classroom…