Investigates the impact of a literature-based program on children from minority backgrounds. Finds that children in the treatment group did better on all literacy measures except for the standardized test, where no differences were found. Finds no differences between the performance of children in the school-based program and the home- and…

A national study examined the essay performance of 17-year olds (n=288), relating their written composition and writing motivation scores to 9 previously studied educational and environmental influences on learning (e.g., age, motivation, mass media, peer groups, home). Results indicate that writing performance is much less predictable then…

Identifies problems inherent in writing assessment. Suggests that the measurement of minority students' test results can pose difficulties. Cites the practical impossibility of finding objectively true answers to some questions and of making value-free assessments of what students learn. Highlights conflicting views of writing teachers and writing…

Compares Singapore students' composing behaviors and abilities in (1) hand-written and (2) computer essays using a spelling checker. Results indicate that the spelling checker benefits those students whose initial writing ability is poor and whose writing is blocked by an emphasis on the mechanical aspects of writing. (Author/AEF)

Describes the work of the Literacy Unit of the New Standards Project and uses that description to raise a broader set of issues about assessment in the K-12 English language arts. Notes that the performance assessment uses on-demand tasks lasting three to five days and involves the reading of a selection and writing of an essay and portfolios. (RS)

Uses a control class to compare student attitudes about writing and performance as writers. Finds that students in the Internet-based classes contributed to their journals more frequently, reported a greater increase in their enjoyment of writing, and demonstrated greater improvement on initial and final timed writing samples as compared with the…

Describes a study of how portfolios are used in grade seven with particular attention to three conversations between a professional writer and students who use portfolios. Argues that portfolios must not be static compilations of work but rather ever-evolving organic creations. (TB)

A study identified social, educational, and demographic characteristics of 30 postsecondary students who demonstrated strong reading and writing skills. Factors included were parental involvement in early education and educational decisions, extensive family communication, early exposure to and intensive experiences with reading and writing, and…

Summarizes research on gender differences in writing, and challenges readers to reconsider how these are understood. Looks at the use of violence and humor versus sincerity in boys' writing. Argues that, rather than seeing these differences as deficits, the cultural materials boys bring to the classroom should be acknowledged and engaged. (SR)

This paper summarises findings and lessons from a recently conducted evaluation of an adult functional literacy program in Ghana. The study attempted to assess learners' literacy and numeracy skills, and ascertain participants' knowledge and skills in various development aspects as well as their impact. The literacy and numeracy skills assessment…

It is essential for students to think clearly about fundamental biological concepts. One of the benefits of writing is that it promotes and enhances thinking. If students can write clearly, they are thinking clearly. Writing helps to connect new knowledge with prior knowledge and promotes the construction of knowledge. Writing-to-learn activities…

This article presents a comprehensive model of daily, classroom informal writing assessment that is constantly linked to instruction and the characteristics of proficient writers. Methods for promoting teacher, student, and parent collaboration and their roles in dialoguing, conferencing, and reflection are discussed. Strategies for including…

The primary purpose of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The "Digest" includes a selection of data from both government and private sources, and draws especially on the results…

The tables presented in this document show the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) results for the past two years. Twenty-four tables show results as percent at each performance level and percent passing, as well as percent of students tested. The tables shown in this document include: (1) Mathematics Grade 3; (2) Reading Grade 3; (3)…

In the mid-1980s, partly through new developments in curriculum and instruction, a new assessment option has arisen under the banner of alternative assessment. The basic idea appears in several guises: "authentic assessment" (implying that standardized tests are not authentic), "performance tests," and "portfolios." The goal of writing portfolios…