Title I programs focus on improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged. This document is the sixth in a series designed to provide: (1) consistent, reliable indicators to allow analysis of trends for each state over time; (2) high data quality for comparability from state to state; and (3) accessible indicator formats. The state…

Prepared by the office of the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian, this manual describes the components and basic start-up steps of successful volunteer literacy programs. The 17 short sections provide an overview of the following topics: (1) purpose and mission; (2) determining need in your community; (3) recruiting students; (4)…

In this research study, the type and nature of reading instruction provided for talented readers was investigated through use of in-depth qualitative comparative case studies. A team of researchers conducted multiple observations in 12 different third and seventh grade reading classrooms in both urban and suburban school districts over a 9-month…

Achieve was asked by the Washington State Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, and the Partnership for Learning to conduct a study of the 10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The intent of the study was to compare the content, rigor and passing scores on…

Although grounded in theory and research, this book is a practical text that specifies how to assess students and how to use assessment results to provide effective instruction for low achieving readers and writers. Forty sample lessons, described in step-by-step fashion, cover virtually every major skill or strategy. The emphasis is on teaching…

The Study of Adult Reading Acquisition (SARA) is a longitudinal research project designed to measure the development of reading subskills in adults enrolled in instructional programs. The study participants are all students enrolled in a variety of adult education sites and settings, including correctional institutions, community-based programs,…

This paper explores two questions: (1) Do private schools produce greater academic achievement or attainment than public schools? and (2) Does this evidence provide guidance on the potential impact of voucher plans? Based on recent experimental evidence, it finds that Catholic elementary schools have modest effects on the mathematics achievement…

This report presents data on the performance of New York City public schools over the past 5 years. Only 70 percent of students complete high school, either by obtaining a diploma or a GED, within 7 years of initial enrollment. Only 44 percent of black students and 39 percent of Hispanic students, complete high school within 4 years. While passage…

This report provides a summary for the years 1993 through 1997 of district and school-level results in Washington on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, fourth edition (CTBS/4) for grades 4 and 8 and the Curriculum Frameworks Assessment System (CFAS) for grade 11. For grades 4 and 8, the average national percentile scores in reading,…

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…

Commissioned by the College Board's National Task Force on Minority High Achievement, this report documents recent national progress in advancing the achievements of elementary-aged minority children, the potential for replicable whole-school reform designs to contribute to this advancement, and the individual, classroom, and school…

Community School District 23 (CSD 23) in Region 5 of the New York City public schools serves students who reside in central Brooklyn. The district enrolls approximately 12,800 students in grades K-8 in 18 schools. Scholastic READ 180 is one of several reading interventions that the district is using to improve student performance. The staff of…

Funded by an award from the state of Pennsylvania, Quaker Valley School District launched a Digital School District initiative, a program to equip every student in the district from 3rd through 12th grade with a laptop computer, set up wireless networks in all district buildings, and provide wireless Internet connections in all of the students'…

Based on the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach, the Content Area Program Enhancement (CAPE) model fosters a collaborative environment among teachers and administrators to improve achievement for English language learners. In three predominantly Hispanic middle schools in south Texas, CAPE improved reading and mathematics scores for all…

To explore question-answering strategy differences between young "good" and older "poor" readers, 60 fifth and sixth grade good readers and 60 ninth and tenth grade poor readers responded to questions about passages read and reinspected. Strategies used were inferred through analysis of response errors. Implications for reading…