The purpose of this study was to evaluate French programs in Alberta. Evaluation teams visited schools in four jurisdictions; each school jurisdiction provided a representative sample of 50 non-Francophone students at each of the grades 6, 9, and 11, and a sample of 25 dropouts from the program in each of the grades 6 and 11. Tests and…

This brochure highlights key concepts of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) "Thinking Mathematics" courses. Citing adherence to No Child left Behind Act (NCLB) mandates, these courses are: (1) based on scientific research about how children learn mathematics; (2) designed to increase teacher mathematical knowledge; (3) provide a…

This study presents preliminary findings from research developing an instructional quality assessment (IQA) toolkit that could be used to monitor the influence of reform initiatives on students' learning environments and to guide professional development efforts within a school or district. This report focuses specifically on the portion of the…

The 18 papers in this anthology have been grouped into four sections, arranged partially by topic. These papers have been selected to represent the ideas and views put forward at the 2004 RELC International Seminar on "Innovative Approaches to Reading & Writing Instruction" held April 19-21, 2004. Of the 18 papers contained in…

In this article, the author proposes and discusses a collection of ten governance habits of boards of trustees that distinguish the average board from those that perform with excellence. They are interconnected, interlocking, and systemic. In the aggregate, the benefits of these habits are greater than the sum of their parts, because they function…

Achievement in literacy and numeracy by Australian 14-year-olds was examined by analyzing data from the following studies conducted between 1975 and 1998: the Australian Studies in School Performance; the Australian Studies of Student Performance; the Youth in Transition Survey; and the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. During the study…

This book integrates current second language teaching and learning theories and instructional strategies, helping to make mainstream educators aware that language minority students, especially those who are not totally proficient in English, need special attention, appropriate assessment, an appropriate language environment, and a challenging…

This project involves the collaboration of researchers with 24 teachers in a study aimed at investigating and improving the vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of 4th and 5th grade students for whom English is a second language. Cross sectional and longitudinal data were collected on various aspects of vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary…

This report summarizes the initial findings from the 2004-2005 evaluation study of the program titled Building Academic Vocabulary (BAV). The theory and research supporting the development of this program are articulated in "Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement" (Marzano, 2004). Briefly, the basic assumption underlying the BAV…

Reports on an experimental investigation of the effects of a systematic, story-reading-aloud program on some language variables in preschool and first-grade children. Results indicate that both age groups significantly increased their language comprehension and expressions when listening to stories read aloud, either at home or at school. (25…

Explores the effects of the attitudes and culture of Israeli-Jewish English-language students on their reading comprehension. Eighth-grade students read stories in Hebrew and English and answered questions both about the stories and their own attitudes. Reveals that culturally familiar texts boost reading comprehension scores. (MJP)

After describing the principles of culturally compatible education, the characteristics of Native American and mainstream narrative discourse are compared, and teaching the structure, content, and style of mainstream narratives is advocated. A program designed to facilitate Native American elementary school children's abilities to comprehend and…

To investigate the origins and nature of intuitive obstacles affecting the learning of elementary probability theory, 618 Italian elementary and middle school students were interviewed about their methods of solution for several problems dealing with probability. The discussion focuses on four varieties of obstacles to learning prevalent within…

The goal of the middle school organization is to create a learning environment that matches the developmental abilities and needs of young adolescents. This research attempts to operationalize that goal by integrating reading and English classes in large urban middle schools. The Student Team Reading and Writing (STRW) program reconfigured…

Over the last 30 years, inquiry-based teaching has become a highly valued component of professional development and practitioner research in Australia and New Zealand. This volume of the Language Teacher Research Series focuses on teaching and learning experiences in those two countries, which encompass a large geographical area with diverse…