The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships that may exist among mean scores on the math and reading portions of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) of eighth grade gifted students of different gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Significant changes have been made to Georgia's gifted identification procedures over the last…

This study sought to ascertain the specific assessment strategies used by middle- and high-school choral directors in Georgia to evaluate sight-singing. Data was further gathered to determine which assessment practices choral directors considered to be the most effective. Although there had been previous studies that attempted to determine the…

This paper reports on a standard-setting method designed for complex performance assessments with multiple performance categories. The method studied, the Analytical Judgment Method, involves panelists' making analytical classification decisions for each of the test's components individually. It also allows for discussion and reconsideration of…

The influences of writing tasks and gender on the quality of student writing of black and white eighth graders were examined. Data from statewide writing assessments of 170,899 Georgia students indicated both writing tasks and student characteristics were significant predictors of writing quality. There were both racial and gender differences. (SM)

The 1989 Georgia Survey of Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Use was conducted in 373 schools throughout Georgia. The stratified random sample was obtained from schools that participated in the 1987 survey (in which 93% of the school systems in Georgia participated) and were selected randomly from strata based on size of community and geographic…

This newsletter focuses on strategies middle grades schools are using to prepare more students for success in high school. This is part of a series of newsletters describing best practices for implementing the HSTW, MMGW and TCTW (High Schools That Work, Making Middle Grades Work, Technology Centers That Work) school improvement models. The series…

Describes the creation of a theater-based program for eighth-grade students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (Georgia) Schools. Chronicles the efforts of playwright Ed Shockley to write a play focusing on teen violence and aimed at eighth-grade students. Concludes that the program and the play succeeded in accomplishing their goals. Relates three…

Intended to familiarize persons with the scoring standards and criteria used for the 8th grade version of the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Writing Test, this scoring manual is in eight sections: (1) an introduction to the scoring dimensions and scale points; (2) definitions of the four scale points; (3) definitions of scoring dimensions and…

The purposes of this paper were to: (1) demonstrate prinicples of sound classroom level instructional planning at a time when there is increasing concern for teacher accountability; (2) present a sample seventh-grade social studies lesson that illustrates portfolio planning competencies as stipulated by the Georgia beginning teacher assessment…

An important component of sound middle school education is a commitment to providing coordinated advising and counseling services in the school setting. This handbook describes how middle school professionals can develop small group advisory support for each student. Known variously as home-base, advisor-advisee, or teacher advisory (TA) programs,…

Middle school teachers in Georgia (392 of 600 surveyed) had considerable knowledge of at-risk learner characteristics. They were least knowledgeable about grade level most dropouts attain, number of grades failed by dropouts, range of dropout IQ, and when the highest incidence of dropping out occurs. (SK)

Examines relationships between implementation of select affective middle school program elements and criterion-based student achievement in math, reading, and writing. Finds strong relationships among the achievement measures used and between school articulation strategies and the achievement measures. Suggests some affective program elements…

This monograph advances the middle school educational philosophy and explores its special contribution to secondary schooling. The first chapter attributes middle school origins to experimentation with various junior high school grade configurations serving young adolescents since the 1920s. The next two chapters address middle school rationale…

Research conducted in Georgia reveals that pupils in school buildings with modern facilities attain higher achievement than pupils in buildings with older facilities. All public schools in Georgia containing eighth grade students were classified as non-modernized, partially modernized, or modern according to results of questionnaires administered…

Fifty instructional modules designed to improve newspaper reading skills were field tested in this study. During a 50-day period, modules were used by Wilkes County, Georgia teachers as they saw fit in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade classes primarily for 338 students with poor reading skills. In summary, the effectiveness of the instructional…