A study investigated the notion that bilingual students' low academic achievement may be due to semilingualism (having limited language skills) in each of the two languages, and the cognitive deficits that presumably result. The subjects were two boys and two girls from the fifth and sixth grades with low proficiency in either English or Spanish.…

A review of the community-controlled school on the Jackhead Indian Reserve evaluated the existing educational program for preschool through grade nine and set guidelines for the community to follow in improving the school. The study found not one of the 82 students achieving at grade level; 80% average attendance; 47% of the students had failed…

The progress of 243 students repeating first grade in 1981-82 was compared with matched low achievers in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. Mean achievement scores were obtained for each year between spring 1981 and spring 1986 for the two groups and compared to the national average. Regression analyses were used to compare the…

The Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools Suspension Project has evolved into three distinct studies: (1) the Discipline Monitoring System (DMS); (2) the experience and behavior of students suspended multiple times in Junior and Senior High; and (3) school suspension rates. This paper reviews/summarizes the findings from the first two…

An expanded Remediation Assistance Program designed to serve students with basic skills deficiencies in reading, mathematics, and language at grades 2-9 was funded by the 1984 Washington State Legislature. During the 1985-86 school year, programs were operated in 271 of the state's 298 school districts and served over 28,000 students. A majority…

A review of the voluminous research in the field of teaching at-risk, low achieving elementary school students yields a number of practical, validated applications for classroom teachers. At-risk students should be identified early during their formative years, and social and academic enrichment programs should be implemented as soon as possible.…

Poor, minority, and low ability students suffer most from the general lack of sustained opportunity to study mathematics in American public schools. Studies indicate that preschool and kindergarten students show only minor social class or racial differences in mathematical thinking and that differences in mathematical performance among older…

A study examined the effects of students' intellectual and physical characteristics on the nonverbal behavior of vocational teachers. During the study, 30 female vocational typing teachers were randomly assigned to teach a five-minute minilesson to 15 handicapped students and 15 students who were not handicapped. Both high- and low-achieving…

Project READ, an alternative language arts program for low-performing elementary students (grades 1 through 8), has been underway for 2 years in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools. Targeted students include those identified as learning disabled and those who have auditory and/or visual memory problems. This report describes the second-year…

The number of students retained in grade in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) has increased dramatically since new promotion policies were instituted in 1981 and Texas House Bill (HB) 72 was passed. Elementary school promotion is now tied to mastery of essential skills; secondary students must meet attendance requirements, as…

This paper details how classroom reading instruction can be studied by using microethnographic techniques, wherein classroom events are videotaped and then carefully analyzed to determine their social organizational features. A short introduction to the use of microethnographic methods is presented, followed by an analysis of a lesson taught by a…

Previous studies of unusually effective urban schools have focused on school characteristics considered influential in the schools' success, but few provide specific guidance for improving achievement in other schools. This study sought to describe organizational processes and arrangements within elementary schools implementing the Chicago Mastery…

The Piedmont Schools Project (PSP) was one of the Experimental Schools Projects awarded grants by the National Institute of Education (NIE). The PSP is located in the Piedmont region near Greer, South Carolina and serves approximately 5,000 K-12 students from eight schools. The students in this region have historically performed at one or more…

A study was carried out of the 15 to 20% of immigrants enrolled in French second language classes in the "Centres d'Orientation et de Formation des Immigrants" (COFI) in Quebec, who learn little or no French after 8 weeks of an intensive course and repetitions of the course. This report presents the data gathered in the course of the…

Assuming that pupil involvement in academic learning activities (involved time) is a behavioral indicator of pupil learning, this study examined two context variables (subject area, day of the week) one instructional variable (activity format) and one pupil variable (previous achievement growth) in relation to pupil involved time. Individual pupil…