This review of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test--Revised (often used with learning-disabled students) notes the addition of a Written Expression subtest, replacement of most items to reflect current curricular content, and use of updated norms. The test also measures: general information, reading recognition, reading comprehension,…

Thirty-three gifted fourth graders received writing strategy instruction and were given a goal of learning to use the strategy of writing paragraphs. The children who received feedback on their progress achieved better writing outcomes and transfer than children who did not. These children judged their self-efficacy for writing improvement higher…

Two experiments involving 60 fifth graders and 40 fourth graders investigated how goal setting and progress feedback affect self-efficacy and writing achievement. The process goal with progress feedback had the greatest impact on achievement outcomes. Self-efficacy was highly predictive of writing skill and strategy use. (SLD)

Reviews classroom-based studies on alternative literacy assessment. Suggests that alternative assessments in some cases tapped elements of the reading process that are more difficult to assess through traditional testing practices and created an impetus for some teachers to explore certain instructional issues. Finds little information on the…

A Colorado elementary school used its assessment program to measure everything that affected student performance; they then changed or cut anything that did not improve achievement. Teachers routinely instructed and pretested each child at his/her achievement level. The result: high gains on the 1998 Colorado State Assessment. (MLH)

Studied children's perceptions of what constitutes good writing to see how those might better inform the teacher's instruction. Found that when supported by peers and teachers, the children were able to balance their need to produce conventionally correct writing with their need to make writing interesting to themselves and others. (Author)

Finds that (1) children taught in Spanish did not differ from those taught in English on English reading and writing but were significantly stronger on Spanish reading and writing; (2) being taught literacy in Spanish contributed to performance in Spanish reading comprehension; but (3) being taught in English did not have the same positive effect…

This publication contains Arizona public schools' academic standards for high school. The contents of this document contain: (1) The Arts Standard 2006--High School; (2) Comprehensive Health Education Physical Activity Standards 1997--Proficiency and Distinction (Grades 9-12); (3) Foreign and Native Language Standards 1997--Proficiency and…

Adult education standards are the cornerstone for quality teaching, quality learning, and quality lives. The Arizona Adult Education Standards Initiative (Standards Initiative) represents a proactive effort by Arizona's adult education community to ensure rigor and consistency in program content and student outcomes for adult learners throughout…

A study investigated the effect of word processing on the quality of children's writing. Subjects were 32 fifth-graders in a public school in the suburban town of Livingston, New Jersey. One sample had access to computers in their classroom everyday for writing. The other sample group used computers once a week in the lab; their daily writing…

Noting that statewide writing assessment shows the achievements of Oregon students over the last decade, this booklet explains the results for the 1993-1997 assessments and provides papers illustrating the work that Oregon students in grades 8, 10, and 11 produce on the state test. The booklet's chapters are: (1) The History of Writing Assessment…

A program was implemented to help improve 12th grade Honors English students' writing skills through conferencing. The targeted group consisted of 13 students who experienced difficulties in writing effective written pieces. Their writing included fragments, run-on sentences, and improper use of punctuation. On the Stanford Achievement Test given…

The influence of goal setting and progress feedback on self-efficacy and writing achievement was investigated for 60 fifth-grade children (33 girls and 27 boys) from three classes in two elementary schools. The sample included 37 White, 20 Black, two Hispanic American, and one Asian American students. The students received writing strategy…

A study analyzed the degree to which an African American verbal tradition (Black English Vernacular) survives in the writing of Black students across a generational time span. A total of 867 essays from the 1984 and the 1988/89 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were subjected to primary trait and holistic scoring analysis, and…

A study examined how college students wrote a critique of a sociology article; which features of written critiques were valued most by professors in the discipline; and whether students' educational level and status predicted the quality of their critiques. Subjects, 32 students enrolled in an upper-level sociology course, read and responded by…