This report examines the impact of instructional programs funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act on the academic achievement of students served in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District during the 1989-90 school year. The Chapter 1 programs provided supplemental remedial instruction in reading/language…

Considering that the lower ability student in the seventh and eighth grades faces problems of emotion, identity, and self-motivation, there is a need for a more activity-based, exploratory curriculum that gives students responsibility for their learning and living. An interdisciplinary local studies approach was adopted for this six-week unit…

Arguing that the use of peer groups in a writing classroom theoretically supports the goals of the paradigm shift from emphasis on written product to writing process that has occurred in recent years, this paper examines the complexities confronting teachers who attempt to use groups for instructional purposes. Following a brief introduction, the…

The construction of objective tests for native language reading comprehension is described. The tests were designed for the early secondary school years in several kinds of schools, vocational and non-vocational. The description focuses on the use of the Rasch model in test development, to develop a large pool of homogenous items and establish…

Developed as an introduction to computer programming using an Apple microcomputer, this document presents teachers and students with: (1) essential vocabulary used in the BASIC language; (2) syntax; and (3) programming techniques. Simple hands-on activities designed to guide the learner through beginning BASIC programming skills and fundamental…

The discourse of Mexican-American preschoolers during sociodramatic play was investigated to learn what the children knew about the social world and how this knowledge was organized in their speech. The theoretical framework for the study was derived from two sources: the psychological construct of the script and the sociolinguistic view of play…

This study examined the role played by particular intellectual and physical environments on concept formation, focusing on conceptions concerning heat in a group of non-western subjects living in the interior of southern Africa (N. Sotho and Tswana peoples). In addition, these conceptions were examined in three contexts of the subjects' cultural…

In the fall of 1981 Kendall Demonstration Elementary School issued to its teachers new curriculum guides in four areas: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. In Language Arts the implementation was more comprehensive than in the other areas. This report describes curriculum evaluation activities conducted at Kendall during…

The Secondary Curriculum Improvement Program (SCIP) operated at two levels: at the school-site level, schools were encouraged to develop a coherent plan for assisting teachers in the implementation of mastery learning in their classrooms; and at the system-wide level, SCIP focused on staff development activities designed to encourage the use of…

Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the Office of Educational Assessment/Instructional Support Unit evaluated the 1985-1986 New York City Board of Education's Comprehensive Instructional Management Systems-Communication Arts (CIMS-CA) Project. The 1985-1986 CIMS-CA aimed to (1) implement an integrated communication arts program for…

The approach used to teach English in Japanese high schools is evaluated from the perspective of the skills needed for the university entrance examinations. The tests are examined for item type and for the skills and learning processes needed to answer them. An extensive graded reading program is most appropriate to prepare students for these…

One of a series designed to help districts refine and upgrade their current curricular offerings, this resource guide deals with the development of a unified K-12 language arts curriculum that combines the four major language arts components of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Following a brief foreword and list of acknowledgments, the…

The articles in this journal issue explore current theories of the reading/writing relationship and practices in writing instruction. The titles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Cognitive Processes in Writing and Reading" (Roderic C. Botts); (2) "Brainstorming and Writing" (Brock Dethier); (3) "Group Writing:…

In spring 1984, the Language Arts Department of University College, University of Cincinnati, began requiring all third-term Freshman English students to pass an exit test in order to receive credit for their final English course. The exit exam, which was part of a joint effort with the other five English Departments within the University,…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) exit level test was first administered to all eleventh grade students in October 1985. A make-up testing was conducted in January 1986. This report contains the results of the May 1986 retesting of approximately 3,200 11th-grade students who had previously failed to master either the…