This report presents results for three years of trial school-district-level reading assessments in NAEP at grades 4 and 8. Five urban public-school districts voluntarily participated in NAEP in 2002 and 2003: Atlanta City, City of Chicago School District 299, Houston ISD, Los Angeles Unified, and New York City Public Schools. In 2003 four…

The chapters in this collection explore alternative assessment and give specific examples of successful efforts by teachers to develop their own systems of assessment. Taken together, these chapters are a rejection of the ranking and separating of students according to test scores, and an argument for richer forms of mixed alternative assessments.…

This report discusses the findings of a survey of the 50 states that investigated how state graduation requirements apply to students with limited English proficiency (LEP) and whether students with LEP receive a standard diploma upon completion of their studies or some type of modified exit document. Results found a minimum graduation requirement…

In response to new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this issue describes the promising special education research that is helping all students participate successfully in large-scale testing programs. The first article, "State-Wide Assessment Programs," discusses the new provisions in IDEA that…

This publication explores the experiences of Latinas in the United States' educational system, utilizing the concept of "possible selves" to investigate the lives of Latinas in school, at home, and with their peers. The concept of "possible selves" articulates the interaction between Latinas' current social contexts and their…

This report from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) examines the status of publicly funded voucher programs, issues affecting the voucher movement, and program research. No legislature in the five member states served by SEDL has adopted vouchers, but several private programs are in place. Proponents claim vouchers offer an…

This report describes a program for improving the retention of science concepts and motivation through the use of technology. The targeted population consisted of seventh grade students in a suburb of a large Midwestern city. The problem, due to lack of access to technology, was documented through student surveys, teacher observation, previous…

Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

The Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) is a consortium of ministries of education in southern Africa. This bound report--one of seven--presents the research results and policy suggestions that emerged from implementation of SACMEQ's initial educational policy research project. The report looks broadly at five…

An updated study of Kentucky school district performance since the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA) added 4 years of accountability data; compared the performance of various districts; and explored district financial and teaching resources and their impacts on performance. After the initial years of change…

This collection of papers reports research on the effects of bilingual learning on the ability to speak two languages and the ability to acquire full literacy in both. There are 12 chapters in 4 parts. Part 1, "Background," includes (1) "Assessing the Effects of Bilingualism: A Background" (D. Kimbrough Oller and Barbara Zurer…

This study analyzed data from statewide criterion referenced competency tests (CRCTs), used to determine whether a child is retained in grade, investigating whether trends and differences in scores across Georgia for students from similar family backgrounds could be linked to failing this test twice in elementary school. The study explored whether…

Case studies of five small and isolated rural schools in the Southwest focused on their ability to fully implement Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSR) programs over the 3-year period of their federal grants. Data were gathered via interviews with school personnel, classroom observations, document reviews, and telephone interviews with…

Although the emphasis elsewhere is on learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder as possible causal factors for high dropout rates and associated student deficiencies in adult education (AE), a project explored an alternative etiology: intention deficit disorder. The hypothesis was that higher level "executive" regulatory…

Essays on the language and literacy of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners, intended for teachers of limited-English-speakers in the mainstream classroom, include: "School Success for Secondary English Learners" (Yvonne Freeman, David Freeman); "The Everyday Surprise: Nourishing Literacy" (Carole Urzua); "Cross-Age Tutoring and ESOL…