A social literacies perspective is used to analyze a rap written by a high school student. The article begins with an examination of the student's uses of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and standard English. The student writing sample and the researcher's analysis are subjected to review by two other African American teenagers, and…

This paper presents the theories of L.S. Vygotsky as a conceptual framework for implementing instruction that supports concept development and promotes higher level thinking skills in students. Three major components (i.e., language, scientific and spontaneous concepts, and the zone of proximal development) of Vygotsky's socio-cultural-historical…

This document is the report of a 3-year project designed to improve and expand foreign language study for elementary and secondary school students through the development of a variety of assessment tools. It is organized into four main sections: an overview of the project; assessment; articulation; and what has been learned. Teams of North…

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

This unit was created and first taught by the author in the children's demonstration class that was part of the 1995 Teacher Educator Partnership Institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The mission of the NFLRC is to improve student learning of foreign languages in…

This unit was created as a result of a summer institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The Center's goal is to improve student learning of foreign languages in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12). In the summer of 1996, the Center offered the Culture and Children's…

This technical report outlines the results of a correlational study of an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) measure, a Reading Comprehension measure, a Vocabulary measure, and a statewide, large-scale reading assessment. The effects of school income level, gender, ethnicity, Special Education status, and English Language Learner status are also…

Within the past few years there has been a very remarkable increase in public school extension and the wider use of school buildings and equipment. This extension work has taken many forms, all of which, however, are intended to be supplementary to the regular school work. In order that records of this work may be kept and that teachers, school…

The work of this committee has been done in large part by three subcommittees, as follows: (1) On men's colleges; (2) On women's colleges; and (3) On coeducational colleges. The facts presented in these reports have been gathered from 60 or more leading colleges by the Bureau of Education through the use of a questionnaire, and have been…

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is the primary measure of student achievement applied to the grading of the Florida public schools. School grades utilize a point system in which schools are awarded one point for every percent of students: (1) scoring in achievement levels 3-5 in Reading; (2) demonstrating learning gains in…

This report summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of administering the Physical Education Assessment Report (PEAR) during its pilot year in Austin Independent School District (AISD).

No definite evidence has demonstrated declining standards resulting from City University of New York's open-admissions policy. Argues that the policy has successfully reduced educational inequities. Basing conclusions on a study of the first three open-admissions classes, examines effects on university's ethnic composition, integration at various…

Describes a system employed by a middle school to improve performance scores on the Comprehensive Testing of Basic Skills (CTBS), through aggressive attitude changes, to ensure fiscal and other benefits. Notes characteristics of the approach, including realistic goals, student involvement, student responsibility, community involvement, student…

Describes the current South African university curriculum and degree structure, and proposes a new, more flexible model of academic progression that aims to improve articulation within the university system and between vocational/technical and higher education. The model is also intended to satisfy an emerging labor market need for more graduates…

Discusses German libraries' access to the Internet and World Wide Web, and reviews German library development and organization. Topics include state libraries; research library networks; national scientific service organizations that provide specialized information services; funding; standards; online catalog software; document delivery and…