Statistical evaluation indicated the effectiveness of 10 software packages used in a 3-year project to improve the reading and language skills of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Native American students. The project was implemented in four Rapid City (South Dakota) schools in which 79% of the Lakota (Sioux) Indian students (grades 3-6) were found…

This report concerns the setting of minimum standards for the New York City public schools. The commission recommends that a universal standard be set for all public schools with an improvement target of at least 50% reduction in deficits over a three-year period. Limited English proficient (LEP) students, special education students, and…

This study investigated the merit of using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (P-HCSCS) for the purpose for which it was designed. The study originally planned to obtain information on the relationship of self-concept to reading achievement. Initial findings demonstrated an inconsistency in attitude in 59 of the 64 participating third…

To determine why ninth grade students taking the "Minimum Basic Skills Test" (MBST) and the "California Achievement Test" (CAT) performed differently in relation to reading achievement, a study investigated whether the noted discrepencies in reading achievement on the tests were due to differences in vocabulary and…

A study examined the relationship between reading and writing and the abstract thinking ability of college freshmen. It was hypothesized that (1) reading ability, writing ability, and thinking ability would be highly correlated; (2) instruction that improves either reading or writing would also improve thinking; and (3) reading, writing, and…

The reading development of six preschool children who learned to read at home without systematic instruction was studied in depth using the case study method. The main objective of the study was to ascertain (1) if there was an identifiable process by which these children learned to read and (2) the role of the parents in these children's early…

A study examined whether there is a relationship between students' reading grades and the amount of time they spend watching television. Subjects, seventh grade students from three classes (and four reading levels) of a public elementary school in Jersey City were given 84 charts to record their viewing habits for each of the three weeks of the…

In addition to determining the value of television viewing as a teaching tool for reading, a study examined the relationship between reading achievement and the amount of time spent watching television. During a 10-week period, 21 fourth grade students of various races and ethnic backgrounds recorded their television viewing schedule. The Step…

Cumulative school records kept on children generally contain only standardized test scores and random notes concerning conduct, yet some theorists suggest that one of the most powerful tools of assessment is teachers' daily observation. To determine teachers' capability for evaluating their students' reading, a study examined teachers' informal…

The goal of the Columbus Public Schools' instructional aide program is to provide an educational support program for underachieving pupils in kindergarten and first grade. The evaluation was based on objectives addressing gains in reading achievement and staff development for the aides. The evaluation design provided for the collection of data in…

This study was designed to determine the effect class size had on the reading achievement of first grade students. During a review of the literature, identified studies were analyzed for evidences of impact on student reading achievement, the instructional program, operational expenditures, and classroom space. The Virginia Beach research study…

A study examined high and low achieving readers' performance with six phonic generalizations, using real and nonsense words. Eighteen first and second grade students were divided into higher level and lower level readers on the basis of their scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Three real words and four nonsense words for each of the six…

To determine the relationship between particular reading materials used most frequently with students in grades one through six and the amount of progress students made during the 1982-83 school year, a study was conducted by the District of Columbia Public Schools. Nine of the ten reading materials on the approved textbook list were assessed, and…

A study was conducted to assess the emphasis that elementary school teachers place on teaching vocabulary. The survey, distributed to 359 teachers in 7 school districts around the country, was completed by 228 teachers of grades one through five. Questions were directed at vocabulary instruction within the reading program as well as within the…

In 1980, the Office for Minority Education of the Educational Testing Service sponsored a conference to explore the theme of fostering excellence for minority public school students. Each of the papers included in this book provides a different perspective on the conference's theme. Stephen J. Wright gives an extensive look at the evolution of…