ACT conducts the only nationwide curriculum survey that empirically identifies current instructional practices and postsecondary expectations in order to develop tests that measure critical skills and knowledge. Every three years, it surveys thousands of middle school/junior high school, secondary, and postsecondary teachers in English/writing,…

This two-volume report, and Summary of Key Findings, presents findings from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I on the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I [see ED499017] contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on follow-up findings…

This article discusses different approaches to reading instruction for EFL learners based on theoretical frameworks. The author starts with the bottom-up approach to reading instruction, and briefly explains phonics and behaviorist ideas that inform this instructional approach. The author then explains the top-down approach and the new cognitive…

This volume brings together a broad range of academics, school-based educators, and policymakers to address research, policy, and practice issues related to improving the education of English language learners in U.S. schools today. It emphasizes throughout that instructional improvements cannot be achieved via curriculum alone--teachers are key…

Administrators in the U.S. education system need to be more than good managers, they need to understand high-quality reading instruction, so they can serve their teachers and help their school meet Reading First requirements. Although written with the administrator in mind, this collection also can be used by teachers, teacher educators, staff…

The workbook, one in a series on survival skills for adults learning English as a Second Language, focuses on development of communication skills, knowledge, and attitudes relating to pregnancy, prenatal care, and childbirth. An introductory section outlines the language functions taught and specific performance objectives within each function…

This curriculum guide was developed and updated for a 2-year project conducted to improve the productivity of the work force through improvement of literacy skills in the workplace by providing instruction to employees in the printing industry in the Baltimore (Maryland) metropolitan area; Carroll County and Charles County, Maryland; and York,…

This is the final report of a cooperative basic skills and literacy project of El Camino College (California) and two companies, BP Chemicals/Hitco Inc. and a division of the Hughes Aircraft Company. An extension of an earlier workplace program with BP chemicals, the program provided basic mathematics, reading, and English-as-a-Second-Language…

This volume is the second in a series (developed in response to a needs assessment survey of special educators in Alberta, Canada) providing practical suggestions about instructional strategies, classroom management, preparing individual program plans, and understanding special needs. The book's four sections focus on the instruction of students…

A survey measured the attitudes of sixth-graders in one school district concerning the school's elementary foreign language program, with the intent of improving the program's design and content. Students identified these program strengths: organized and prepared teachers; respectful teachers; interesting lessons; positive student attitudes toward…

The content and design of a workplace communication workshop jointly sponsored by a university teachers' center and a local union are described. The workshop objective is to provide workers for whom English is a second language with upgraded writing skills needed to fill out report forms, improved document reading skills for reading charts and…

This book offers principles and practical suggestions for effectively teaching students with a variety of learning difficulties in the regular classroom. Chapter 1 contains tips for helping all students feel welcome in the classroom and Chapter 2 suggests ways to get all students involved in all learning activities. Chapter 3 describes categories…

The whole language approach to reading instruction emphasizes a literature-based program rather than the traditional skills-related approach. The principles and practices of whole language have engendered both educational and political debate for the following reasons: whole language challenges the traditional educational power arrangement, giving…

The Job Enhancement Training (JET) Program was a partnership between Pensacola Junior College (PJC) and Armstrong World Industries (Florida). The partners implemented a workplace literacy training program at the company's Pensacola plant using a five-phase social context curriculum model. The curriculum, based on job analysis, used small-group…

This serial issue features articles on the theme of empowering people with disabilities. First, there is a message from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services' Assistant Secretary, Robert R. Davila. Next, "Empowerment: Dependence versus Independence," by Frank G. Bowe, stresses the need for…