Reviews empirical studies that have been conducted on program evaluation in large United States school districts. Provides information for use in assessing and improving evaluation studies and systems at the precollege level and in providing direction for further research. Sixty-seven footnotes are appended. (IW)

The following objectives for a k-12 multicultural program are discussed: (1) celebrations, (2) curiosity quest, (3) ethnic group contributions, (4) similarities among groups (case study approach), (5) consciousness raising, (6) communication, and (7) caring. Also examined are additional factors to consider in developing such a program, e.g.,…

This Yearbook begins with Robert J. Rickelman's presidential speech, "Predicting the Whether: Lessons Learned from the Past," which focused on looking at the "History of the College Reading Association" in order to predict some possible (the "whether") courses for the future of the organization. The author relied…

The days following September 11, 2001, were characterized for many by a startling clarity, as if someone had applied a magnified lens to life's everyday routines and every moment, every gesture, every word exchanged with friends, colleagues and family was more nuanced and precious than before. The decision to publish this volume of essays was…

This document is the Virginia Board of Education's "Reading First" application. Funding of this grant request will provide the commonwealth the capacity to award local educational agencies sixty to seventy- five school level subgrants that are based on model classroom and professional development criteria. The document contains 2…

How do some students extract complex information from advanced reading materials while others struggle to find the meaning of even simple passages? What characteristics do strategic readers exhibit that others don't possess? Unlocking the cognitive strategies of exceptional readers means finding ways to teach every student to read strategically,…

Students in gateway business, math, and science courses at Northern Arizona University receive non-passing grades (grades of D, F, and W) at high rates. To identify possible trends in demographic groups that receive DFWs and to investigate why students receive DFWs in these courses, a student survey was administered to 719 students in 7 gateway…

In order to improve students' opportunities to learn, educators need tools that can assist them to reflect on and analyze their own and others' teaching practice. Many available observation tools and protocols for studying student work are inadequate because they do not directly engage educators in core issues about rigorous content and pedagogy.…

This edited collection addresses the growing need for ideas and methods conducive to holistic educational practices and aims to encourage more personal growth in students too often distracted by the background noise of war, violence, racism, and environmental deterioration. The contributors are working teachers and professors who have integrated a…

This document provides guidelines for the inclusion of English Language Learners (ELLs) in K-12 assessments. Twenty questions and answers are provided, along with a list of references. The following are appended: (1) Placement Tools for English Language Learners; (2) Definitions; (3) Typical Bilingual Program Designs; (4) Typical ESL Program…

Electronic portfolios represent an assessment measure with strong potential for providing feedback about student performance to improve curricula and pedagogy, determining individual students' mastery of learning and providing feedback for improvement, and actively involving students in the assessment process. This study examined the relationship…

This book presents both the practice and theory of best leadership practices in high-poverty schools. Authors Linda Lyman and Christine Villani take a unique approach by inviting readers into two high-poverty elementary schools where they will experience, through in-depth case studies, how two extraordinary principals model and practice their…

A synthesis of the literature identifies content enhancements used by general education and special education teachers, who collaborate and co-teach in science and social studies. This paper will provide general and special education teachers at the middle school and secondary level with numerous content enhancements for effectively teaching…

This paper represents a brief case study of delivering online examinations to a worldwide audience. These examinations are delivered in partnership with a commercial online testing company as part of the Industry Master's degree at Charles Sturt University (CSU). The Industry Master's degree is an academic program for students currently employed…

This study was designed to fill the "implementation measurement" gap. A methodology to quantitatively measure the level of Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) implementation that can be used across a variety of CSR models was developed, and then applied to measure actual implementation of four different CSR models in a large number of schools. The…