The relationships between reading proficiency and field independence/field dependence and sex were studied in 84 male and 79 female second graders. There were no significant gender differences in achievement or with the reading measures. Field-independent subjects were more proficient readers in the separate skill areas of reading than were…

Eight essays on effectiveness of education for handicapped youth are presented. Topics include high school seniors with special needs, research methods in special education, employment of graduates and dropouts, career expectations and aspirations, transitional services, reading and mathematics achievement of the hearing impaired, and an…

Compares Asian and white eighth graders' performance on reading and math test scores and grades. Results indicate that the difference between these two groups can be explained by family background. Whites and Asians differed substantially in their grade performance, suggesting that cultural and behavioral differences may be an important influence.…

Reports the results from a longitudinal cohort analysis of achievement among elementary magnet students, neighborhood school students, and predominantly black transfer students in one urban district with a school choice program. Two successive cohorts of students were compared on achievement scores. Results indicated magnet students generally had…

This study compared (1) performance on language skills and phonological process measures by 41 kindergarten children with speech/language impairments, and (2) their reading ability in first grade. Children with semantic-syntactic language deficits exhibited more difficulties in reading than did children with articulation impairments. Phonological…

Effects of a restructured Chapter 1 program (RCP) on 45 first graders' literacy were examined. RCP students could read a primer fluently and performed better than comparison groups (students in the regular Chapter 1 program and classroom peers). Improvement was particularly apparent for those with the lowest initial readiness scores. (SLD)

This response to Vicki Snider (EC 602 672) claims that teaching reading through students' learning style strengths has resulted in accelerated learning and significant gains in student motivation, reading fluency, and comprehension. The commentary discusses the research base on phonics instruction, learning styles, and The Reading Style Inventory.…

Effects of variations in a schoolwide restructuring program, Success for All, in Baltimore (Maryland) on student reading achievement and other outcomes in elementary schools with large numbers of disadvantaged children are presented. Strong positive effects of the intervention are recognized, and program replication is discussed. (SLD)

Genetic and environmental etiologies of individual differences in tests of intelligence and school achievement were investigated in a study from the Colorado Adoption Project. A multivariate conditional path model was fitted to general cognitive ability and reading performance data from 119 adoptive and 120 nonadoptive families. (SLD)

The usefulness of latent class modeling in addressing several measurement issues is demonstrated via a study of 74 good and 74 poor readers in grades 5 and 6. Procedures were particularly useful for assessing the hierarchical relation among skills and for exploring issues related to item domains. (SLD)

Average performance on subtests of the Iowa Tests of Educational Development was compared for 177 high school students taking the test under silent reading (standardized) conditions and time limits and students listening to audiotapes of test material as they read the test. Poor readers were helped by the tapes. (SLD)

In Bangor, Maine, a seamless, continuous-progress performance assessment in reading is evolving--all because 24 first-grade teachers objected to using standardized achievement tests. Teachers have developed the Bangor Assessment of Reading (BAR), a triennial process of assessing fluency, meaning construction, comprehension, reading strategies, and…

Describes the various components of the Success for All Program (SFAP) and provides a detailed review of its effectiveness in improving the academic accomplishments of students placed at risk, including English-language learners and special education students. It also compares SFAP with Reading Recovery programs. Results of evaluations of 23 SFAP…

A meta-analysis was conducted of 14 studies examining whether whole-language instruction increases the reading skills of low-SES students in grades K-3. Evidence suggested that low-SES primary school children do not benefit from whole-language instruction, compared to basal instruction. Findings indicated that there may be some advantages to the…

A study of four high-performing third-grade Spanish reading programs in Texas found six common features: explicit support for Spanish literacy and biliteracy; high expectations; skills-driven reading instruction beginning in kindergarten; shared understanding of program practices; alignment between Spanish and English programs; and explicit…