The purpose of this study was to determine whether a teacher can use one type of assessment to evaluate students' abilities fairly. The question is whether or not alternative assessment strategies are necessary to meet students' individual needs. The research, conducted with 28 fifth-grade students, compared their traditional and alternative…

This study examined the use of written reflection to investigate student teachers' active instructional knowledge during mathematics mentoring. Participants were 30 preservice teachers in a Science/Math Integration methods course. They participated in Community Mathematics project field experiences, which occurred prior to the full student…

In 1997 the Board of Education of the Durham (North Carolina) Public Schools passed a policy that required all students performing below grade level on the Eighth Grade Competency Test in either reading or mathematics to attend summer school and demonstrate progress in order to be eligible for promotion to the next grade. This requirement was…

This study examined the collaborative planning and decision making of a grade level team of elementary teachers. The purpose of the case study was to determine the level and nature of interaction among teachers who participated in grade level team planning meetings during the school year. Eight fifth grade teachers in a mid-South suburban school…

This report describes a program for improvement of student social skills to include respect for self and others, conflict resolution, and self-control. The targeted population consisted of first, fifth, and seventh graders located in northwestern Illinois. The problems of deficiencies in social skills were documented. Data were collected from…

This report discusses the findings from an evaluation study of the Learning Without Limits program in the fifth grade at Riverdale Elementary in the Shelby County Schools district, Memphis, Tennessee. The overall purpose of the evaluation was twofold: (a) to provide formative evaluation data to Riverdale School to use as a basis for improvement…

The effectiveness of three teaching styles in promoting motor skill acquisition and social skill development were examined in 96 fifth-grade students. Styles B, C, and E from Mosston's "Spectrum of Teaching Styles" appeared to be beneficial in helping students learn motor skills. (CJ)

The predictive validity of reading attitude, field independence, locus of control, and demographic variables for reading and mathematics achievement was investigated. Expressed Reading Difficulty, field independence, and locus of control all contributed substantially to the regression equation. (Author/CM)

Describes some of the ways early adolescents respond to reading and thinking tasks and details the development of procedures for observing and analyzing children as they complete such tasks. (FL)

Evaluated effectiveness of environmental education (EE) in northern New York public schools, determining the extent of EE curriculum/instruction, ascertaining problems previously reported in the literature as hindering implementation of EE, and examining relationships between EE and environmental knowledge of fifth-graders and relationships…

Reports the findings of a study that replicated work done in the early 1970s concerning the media preferences and reading interests of intermediate grade children. Shows that the reading interests of boys remained much the same, with those of girls changing. Both groups continued to prefer television over print media. (FL)

The influence of student task interest and of usable performance feedback on the effectiveness of verbal reinforcement was investigated in fifth graders who received approval, disapproval, or neutral reinforcement. Neither reinforcement nor reinforcement-task variable interaction provided enough motivation to improve accuracy of task performance.…

Subjects were immediately tested on a reading passage, and received feedback after 30 minutes or one day, or no feedback. After a week, subjects identified their original responses to three types of test items. One-day delay of feedback gave better results than the 30-minute delay. (GDC)

The Estes Reading Attitude Scale evidences good internal consistency and solid convergent validity. It is a useful global reactive assessment of school-oriented attitude toward reading in intermediate grades. (Author/SB)

Describes how, in one Texas fifth-grade classroom, Shared Inquiry book discussions were taught and implemented over a six-month period in connection with the Junior Great Book Series. Discusses solutions to the dilemma of grading these active class discussions, and reports that scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) tests were…