This booklet presents Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards in the area of English language arts at grades 4, 8, and 12. The content and performance standards represent the best thinking of language educators and interested members of the public. They were drawn from two years of work in Wisconsin's standards development projects, from the Modern…

This study compared cognitive, social, and affective progress of students in a multi-graded classroom and a single-graded classroom. Participating were teachers in kindergarten/first, first, and second grade classrooms and a random sample of their students at two suburban Virginia schools. Five teachers taught in single-graded classrooms and one…

This action research describes a program for improving writing skills. The targeted population consisted of first and third graders in two middle class communities in the southern suburbs of Chicago. The need for improvement in writing skills was documented through observation checklists, writing samples, and surveys. Data revealed a need for…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for kindergarten students begins with a note to students and another to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. It helps students understand what is required to meet the…

This paper presents the alignment of Oregon's content standards with the Certificates of Initial Mastery (CIM), Certificates of Advanced Mastery (CAM), and the Proficiency-based Admissions Standards System (PASS). After some background, a timeline, and definitions of 4 terms used in the paper, it presents charts that align common curriculum goals…

This manual contains information regarding the administration of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program's tests in writing and mathematics problem-solving. Parts of the manual address (1) background and preparation for testing; (2) administering the writing assessment; (3) administering the mathematics problem-solving assessment; (4) local rater…

This study investigated differences in the writing styles of African American and European American test takers using a portfolio entry assessment as a means of examining writing style, focusing on language choice, rhetorical style, and organization. The portfolio entry was from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Middle…

This report provides analysis and discussion of the 1996 Rhode Island State Assessment Program performance for grade 4 in mathematics, writing, and health education. It addresses the effects of accommodations and the inclusion of all students in these state assessments, examining some of the characteristics of tests administered to students with…

This paper presents highlights from the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment, which was given to a national sample representative of all students at grades 4, 8, and 12 and to state samples representative of all students at grade 8 in the 40 participating states and jurisdictions. It begins with questions and…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Alabama eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the Southeast region of the United States and the nation (using data from the…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Arizona eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the West region of the United States and the nation (using data from the NAEP…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Colorado eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the West region of the United States and the nation (using data from the NAEP…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Delaware eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the Northeast region of the United States and the nation (using data from the…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Hawaii eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the West region of the United States and the nation (using data from the NAEP…

In 1998 for the first time, the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) administered a writing assessment at the state level. This report describes the writing achievement of Kentucky eighth-grade students and compares their overall performance to students in the Southeast region of the United States and the nation (using data from the…