This paper illustrates similarities and differences between two international surveys that assess adults' skills: the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and the Skills Towards Employment and Productivity (STEP) survey. In particular, the paper highlights the issues that can arise for researchers interested to…

Coherent mental models for successful comprehension require inferences that establish semantic "bridges" between discourse constituents and "elaborations" that incorporate relevant background knowledge. While it is established that individual differences in the extent to which postsecondary students engage in these processes…

The "5Essentials Survey" is one of the few validated instruments to measure school climate. Schools that are strong in at least three of the five essential supports are up to 10 times more likely to experience substantial gains in students' math and reading scores. More than 6,000 schools nationwide have administered the…

Following a high-quality early care and pre-K experience, the kindergarten-through-third-grade years set the foundation upon which future learning builds; and strengthening this continuum creates opportunities for later success. Key components of a quality experience in K-3 include school readiness and transitions, kindergarten requirements,…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this quantitative study examines the impact of reading test scores as it relates to high school completion for American students with emotional behavioral disability characteristics. By analyzing the impact reading test scores have for this population, educational leaders…

Evidence is growing that physical activity can impact cognitive functioning. This study examined the associations between physical activity, sedentary behavior and attitude toward physical activity on measures of literacy. Community literacy center participants (n = 20, mean age = 9.5 yrs.) wore accelerometers for three days and completed the…

Oral reading fluency (ORF) assessments measure how quickly and accurately students read within one minute. They are widely used at the elementary level; however, due to the typical structure and class sizes in middle schools, such individualized assessments are less feasible and, therefore, less frequently used. Two exploratory studies…

Introduction: Teachers and researchers often need to evaluate word decoding skill in groupwise and in a short time. The LEO-1-min test is created to measure word reading through a lexical decision procedure where the examinee identifies pseudowords in a list of frequent words. Objetive: To examine the reliability and validity of LEO-1-min, a…

In this investigation, differences in the reading performance as a function of degree of economic disadvantage for Texas Grade 3 students were examined. Data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency on all Texas Grade 3 students for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 school years. In all analyses, statistically significant differences,…

Standardized tests provide information about student achievement that are vital to understanding how well students are learning the state standards. The problem addressed in this study was the underachievement of 52% of third-grade students in the target district in English Language Arts on a state standardized test. Poor reading skills can cause…

During music reading, performers create expectations of the upcoming music. When these expectations are violated due to changes in the notation, performers have to adjust their reading and adapt their motor responses to match this new information. In this study, we examine how selected background, outcome, and process measures reflect the…

The overlapping waves model put forth by Robert Siegler emphasizes variability, adaptive choice, and gradual change in children's problem solving. These concepts were applied to emergent reading of an alphabet book with pages of three difficulty levels. Ninety-one kindergartners completed tests of emergent literacy. Twice, about 12 weeks apart,…

Reading comprehension tests vary in format and characteristics, which may influence the extent to which component skills are involved in test performance. With students in Grades 6 to 8 with reading difficulties, dominance analyses examined the differential importance of component reading and language skills (word- and text-reading fluency,…

Self-efficacy, the system of beliefs that individuals possess which enables them to exercise control and actions when faced with a specific task, is an essential component to language learning, as it has the potential to promote the self-regulatory capacity required for successful language acquisition and performance. One way in which…

Learning at home not only provides written assignments that are changed in electronic form but must also reflect student learning outcomes at home. Likewise, researchers use literary reading to avoid students getting bored with learning Indonesian language literacy and character education. However, improving literacy skills is not just reading…