The extent to which the instruction, assessment, and Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) test preparation activities of language arts teachers aligned with the Maryland Learning Outcomes (MLOs) and the reading and writing tasks on the MSPAP was studied in the 1996-97 school year. The reading and writing activities of 280…

An effective language arts tool for teachers, especially those who teach at-risk, alternative, and special education students, this guidebook is designed to inspire even the most reluctant writers. The guide is organized so that journal topics are followed by non-revealing, non-threatening exercises to introduce writing as a means of expression…

Critics of bilingual education have cited the high Hispanic dropout rate as evidence against bilingual education. Since most bilingual education programs are Spanish-English, it is concluded that bilingual education must be responsible. Research shows some factors predicting dropout rates, including low English language ability, poverty, length of…

Cross-cultural studies of Asian and American children suggest that the superior performance of Asian children in school settings is related to cultural and educational differences beginning in the home. In an effort to understand why Japanese children make a smooth transition from home to school, this study examined the home language environment…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Taking Care of Novice Teachers: Researchers Suggest How Administrators Can Keep Their Newer Teachers Teaching and Maintain a First-Rate Faculty (Reino Makkonen); (2) Assessing…

This bulletin contains the statistics of 739 private commercial and business schools for 1924-25, and of 20 public commercial and business high schools for the same year. There has been a considerable decrease since 1920, both in the number of private schools reporting and in the enrollment. At least 275 schools reporting in 1920 have gone out of…

The educational movements that have been taking place in Great Britain during the past two or three years have aroused widespread interest among teachers and publicists in this country. This report is an attempt to analyze these movements and to indicate their significance in the broader movement for reconstruction. The educational reforms that…

This report summarizes evaluation results from AISD's prekindergarten program during school year 2000-2001.

A pilot pull-out program for the gifted in British Columbia, Canada (grades five, six, and seven) is described, and evaluation results are presented. Thinking and communication skills are developed through games, field trips, individual projects, multiple problem-solving tasks, and challenging work in fields such as fine arts, history, and…

A cognitive-based system of analysis of spoken discourse was designed to provide details about the way pupils think and talk about issues arising from prose material. Written and spoken responses were analyzed to examine the effects of intellectual ability, differences in the stimulus passage, and prior small group discussion. (Note: Page…

Describes problems resulting from the use of immigrant industrial workers with poor language understanding and the method used to assess functional oral English for occupational purposes. While the form of assessment provides authentic data for company training and communication needs, further research is needed to resolve some problems. (MF)

A two-year federally-funded center has set out to make school for Navajos "a place of success rather than a place of failure and frustration." A brief history of Navajo education and a discussion of community-based programs, Navajo curriculum, energy curriculum, and bilingual program success are provided. (MLW)

This case study describes the experiences over two years of an Asian, language minority preservice teacher. Data from interviews, observations, student work, videotapes, course syllabi, and program documents indicated that she faced difficulties related to language and communication, home/school tensions, finances, social isolation, stereotyping,…

Examines some innovative change strategies developed at Missouri Western State College to blend content and pedagogy in teacher education programs. Focuses on two independent measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum changes: National Teachers Exam scores and scores given to first-year teachers on principal evaluations. Both…

Transcripts of the classroom conversations of seven profoundly deaf 13- and 14-year-old students and their teachers were analyzed, using Vygotsky's theories on the social nature of learning and the role of mediation. Results of the study found that conversation builds ideas, facilitates comprehension of text, encourages cognitive development, and…