Few elementary students on the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are scoring at grade level or higher on the ACT Aspire reading assessment. To better understand factors associated with the reading proficiency of CNMI grade 3 students, stakeholders there asked the Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific to examine the demographic…

As an independent school district, Houston Independent School District (HISD) contracted with four operators of seven External Performance Contract Campuses, or contract campuses. Houston ISD contract campuses receive funding through the district. HISD has implemented a comprehensive performance accountability and compliance monitoring system that…

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact, implementation and costs associated with a one-semester elective lab course in 9th grade, Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA) Lab, which seeks to improve students' reading achievement, particularly for those from economically disadvantaged communities. This study used three cohorts…

"Learning A-Z" contracted with Empirical Education to study the effectiveness of "Raz-Plus" in Milwaukee Public Schools during the 2016-17 school year. "Raz-Plus" is a literacy program that includes leveled books, skills practice, and digital activities and assessments. This study focused on 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade…

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) currently offers free, full-day prekindergarten programs to all eligible students within the district's attendance boundaries. This evaluation compares the academic achievement of third-grade students who were previously enrolled in HISD prekindergarten programs during the 2011-2012 school year to…

By 2030, most jobs will require some training beyond high school (a four-year degree, a two-year associate degree, or some type of industry credential). The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board established the 60x30TX Plan to focus collective attention on meeting this need. Progress has been made in the last decade, but COVID-19 has…

HIPPY [Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters] was designed to assist parents from disadvantaged backgrounds with educational opportunities to prepare their children for school. HIPPY targeted children in 70 Houston Independent School District (HISD) elementary schools during the 2017-2018 academic year. This figure reflects an…

The goal of HISD [Houston Independent School District] prekindergarten programs is to offer the youngest learners strong foundations built on solid concept, as well as individual and group discovery. The program curriculum focuses on beginning literacy, numeracy, social emotional development as well as supporting the individual linguistic and…

The "Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students" (Texas State Plan) represents the accountability plan for measuring the performance of districts in providing state-mandated services to students identified as gifted/talented (G/T). The State Board of Education approved revisions in July 2019. The Texas State Plan…

Since 2007, nineteen Houston Independent School District (HISD) campuses have partnered with Literacy Now to offer the Reading Intervention program. The Reading Intervention program provides individualized, small group reading tutorials for at-risk students in kindergarten to second grade to create proficient readers by the end of third grade.…

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning…

Speaking in front of the Education Writers Association, Secretary Betsy DeVos said that decades of reform efforts and increased social spending, both inside and outside of schools, "hasn't ultimately improved anything for any students, particularly not for the most vulnerable students." This seems to be a standard refrain from DeVos, and…

The Improving Basic Programs effort in Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and achieve, at a minimum, proficiency on state…

The Title I, Part A program is designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and achieve, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and assessments. The program's goal is to provide supplemental funding for educational programs and…

This report contains the 2016-2017 evaluation on the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)/Home Visiting Grant program. HIPPY is a school readiness program that helps parents prepare their preschool children for academic success. A total of 762 children ages 3 to 5 and their parents participated in the Houston Independent…