Drawn from a 1983 conference that focused on reading in the school, at home, and at work, the papers in this collection deal with reading strategies, assessment, programs, methods, and materials. Topics covered in the 17 papers include the following: (1) focused instruction for reading exposition, (2) repeated reading, (3) teacher interruption…

Fourth, seventh, and ninth grade students in Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I programs were tested with the reading comprehension subtests of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, at each of two levels: on-level for each respective grade, and an easier out-of-level form. Approximately half of these students were found to be…

Contained here are the technical appendices to the report on Project LONGSTEP's methodology and findings. The general emphasis of Project LONGSTEP was on the identification of changes in student achievement that occur as a result of intensive educational innovation. Its primary purpose was to analyze overall differences in achievement growth among…

An alarming trend of low performance and legal problems dogged the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) in the early and mid-1990s. In 1997, the Maryland State Legislature adopted a law creating a partnership between the sate, city and BCPSS, creating a new Board of Commissioners to run the school district. Under this leadership, serious…

The "High School Feedback Report" prepared by the State of Florida's Department of Education provides pre-and-post-graduation data for public high school graduates throughout Florida. These data were used for this present report which contains individual data reports for all M-DCPS regular high schools and charter high schools graduating…

This paper presents the appendices to the "High-Stakes Testing and Student Achievement: Problems for the No Child Left Behind Act" report. It contains the following appendices: (1) Example of Context for Assessing State-Level Stakes Sheet--Connecticut; (2) Example of Completed Rewards and Sanctions Worksheet--Connecticut; (3) Directions…

There is continuing controversy about the optimal or appropriate age at which children should start school. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between age and achievement. It is an attempt to evaluate the hypothesis that older students fare better academically than their younger classmates. Findings indicate that on average…

With the specter of No Child Left Behind hanging over their heads, educators should be wary of using disaggregated data to track selected populations of students and their progress through school. Such data can be misleading by showing that students are doing well, although they may be taking classes that are not challenging. Although the myth of…

The North Carolina Annual Testing Program, established by the 1977 General Assembly to assess the effectiveness of the educational process in North Carolina, involves the administration of a battery of norm-referenced tests to students in grades 3, 6, and 8 to measure skills in reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies. This…

All second- and third-grade students in California public schools were tested in reading achievement, and all sixth and twelfth grade students were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Second- and third-grade achievement gains were reported on the California Reading Assessment Program Reading Test over an eleven-year…

This document is a study of standardized tests by sub-group, ranking the states according to scores divided (in turn) by gender, race and ethnicity, location of school, family income, parental education, teacher qualification and experience, limited English proficiency, special education participation rate, and per-pupil spending. The tests…

This paper offers facts and figures on Utah's state of education for 2007. This paper contains the following: (1) Core CRT Language Arts Testing; (2) Core CRT Mathematics Testing; (3) 2006 Public Education General Fund--Funding by Source and Expenditures by Function; (4) 2006-07 Public School Enrollment Demographics; (5) Public Schools by Grade…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized test scores are the indicator used to hold schools and school districts accountable for student achievement. Each state is responsible for constructing an accountability system, attaching consequences--or stakes--for student performance. The theory of action implied by this…

Section 1008.30 (formerly 240.117), Florida Statutes, requires the State Board of Education to develop and implement a common placement testing program to assess the basic computation and communication skills of students who intend to enter a degree program at any public community college or state university. Every year the State provides reports…

This paper offers facts and figures on Utah's state of education for 2005. This paper contains the following: (1) Education Contacts; (2) Utah State Board of Education members; (3) Value of Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) for the 2004-05 school year; (4) Per Pupil Spending in Perspective (2002); (5) Public School Enrollment per district (October…