A study explored the question of how bilingualism and biliteracy affect metacognition. The strategic reading processes of eight bilingual Latina/o grade six and seven students who were identified as proficient English readers were examined. For comparative purposes, smaller samples of monolingual Anglo students who were proficient English readers…

Since its inception in 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been regularly assessing the nation's students in public and private schools, serving as a barometer of educational attainment. This report in brief is excerpted from "NAEP 1992 Trends in Academic Progress," which presents trend data in science,…

This report summarizes the level of academic achievement, and the extent of racial and gender gaps in that achievement, of students in North Carolina's Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). The comparison was conducted using 1993 End-of-Grade (EOG) tests; low income group EOG test performance; 1993 writing tests and high school writing…

Anecdotal evidence from teachers who teach in bilingual or second language settings indicates that there is a potential for loss of subject matter. This loss is particularly troubling within the context of science learning. This article reviews several projects aimed at developing an understanding of the implications of bilingual instruction in…

In a 5-year longitudinal study, the home literacy environments of 60 preschool children in Canada were assessed. Over the preschool and early school experiences of these children, they were administered various measures of meta-literate awareness and later, standarized reading measures, to determine the nature of the home environment's influence…

The All-Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program was implemented in the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools in January 1972 to provide a full day of instruction to prepare underachieving kindergarten pupils for first grade. The ADK is an individualized, language-based program that reinforces the skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in the regular…

The Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) Program was implemented in selected Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools to improve students' level of achievement by providing an additional half day of kindergarten. This extra half day gave pupils time to participate in more language enrichment activities and more group learning. Activities were designed to: (1)…

A year long study used data collected from 3 teachers and 15 students (in the first, third, and sixth grades of a rural midwestern school) to illustrate the relationships between students' understandings, strategic actions, metacognitive awareness, motivation in reading, and teachers who embrace instructional complexities. The complexities…

The purpose of this study was to compare the reading achievement of third graders who had attended kindergarten for one year with that of third graders who had been given two years of kindergarten. A review of the literature revealed that the majority of studies in this area showed that the practice of retaining students did not serve the intended…

The effects of strategy fading and progress feedback on children's achievement outcomes were investigated. Forty-four fifth graders with reading-skills deficiencies from 2 elementary schools received instruction on locating main ideas. Children were taught and verbalized a strategy, and some faded the verbalizations to inner speech. Half of the…

A diagnostic evaluation was conducted on Thomas, a fifth-grade student, to identify levels of reading and major word identification strategies. Initial testing conducted at Thomas' home revealed that he appeared to have an unusually positive attitude toward reading, considering the difficulties it had presented him since kindergarten. Learning…

This study compared the effects of multi-age classroom strategies to those of traditional classroom strategies on the academic achievement of fourth grade students in reading and math. Standardized test scores from 20 fourth-grade students in two multi-age third- and fourth-grade classrooms were compared to the scores of 20 students from 7…

A hearing was held to consider the issues involved in funding the administration's proposals for certain educational testing. After opening remarks by Senators Kennedy (Massachusetts) , Specter (Pennsylvania), and Harkin (Iowa), the Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, spoke about the proposed tests. The Clinton Administration and Secretary…

An action research project stresses the need to incorporate various methods of teaching to develop a firm reading foundation. Self-esteem also plays a crucial role in developing enthusiasm to learn. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in clustered classrooms in a growing, middle class community located in central…

This book is a collection of ideas submitted to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) by elementary and middle school principals of 1996-1997 Blue-Ribbon Schools selected by the United States Department of Education. Each of the ideas presented offers a way for the teachers to raise students' reading levels and give them…