This report is the second in a series based on data collected for an evaluation of the Class Size Reduction Program. This study examined the impact of the teacher on student achievement. The study used multilevel statistical techniques to examine the teaching strategies and techniques observed in the classroom that were significant predictors of…

The Reading Recovery Program, designed to help low-achieving first graders learn to use effective reading strategies, was fully implemented in the Durham, North Carolina, public schools in the 1994-1995 school year. An evaluation was conducted to assess the effects of the program over time through the achievement of students in the 1994-1995…

In 1998, the British Government introduced the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) in all state primary schools (encompassing students aged 5-11) in England in a bid to raise literacy standards. A year earlier, 13 local education authorities were involved in the piloting of the project, including the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The first Newcastle…

To discover how far judgments about need are consistent across schools, a national sample of special needs coordinators was asked to say how many children with reading difficulties existed in their schools. Responses from schools where mean levels of reading were high were compared with those where mean levels were lower. Analysis indicates that…

Currently, many states are providing inservice education for teachers so that higher student test scores result. State mandated objectives are available to teachers for study and used as benchmarks for teaching. The local reading curriculum then needs to be aligned with these objectives of instruction. The major objective of inservice education is…

As part of the final year evaluation of the Reading First Program, the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE) continued to follow the achievement of the original group of Reading First schools during the 2000-2001 school year. The final evaluation focuses primarily on the Reading First program's effect on students' reading achievement. Information…

Because NAEP estimates of state-level achievement play an important role in the evaluation of strategies for improving the nation's educational system, it is important that these estimates have as small a standard error as possible. NAEP estimates for state-level achievement are based on measurement of the performance of a random sample of…

This paper summarizes 10 research-based principles for improving children's reading achievement. The principles are: (1) home language and literacy experiences that lead to development of key print concepts are plentiful; (2) preschool programs are beneficial for children who do not experience informal learning opportunities in their homes; (3)…

Intended for new and experienced teachers in grades K-8, this book takes readers through a process of thinking about how to put portfolios into action. The book models a process for making decisions about the type of portfolio, what to place in it, how to structure the interactions with it, and how to use it to evaluate student progress and report…

This study examines influences on the high reading achievement of two low-income, African American fifth graders, both girls, and both of whom lived with their grandmothers. Data came from interviews with the students, their teachers, and their custodial guardians and from observations of the students at school and at home. Results indicated that…

The Nebraska K-12 Reading/Writing Standards reflect what students should know and be able to do by the end of grades 1, 4, 8, and 12. In addition to identifying grade-level specific standards, the Reading/Writing Standards are further divided into the following four topic strands: (1) Reading--decoding written language and using printed material…

In today's society, parents are often too busy to read with their children or perhaps cannot even read themselves. In response to these problems, the researcher would like to propose that audiobooks are a good alternative to parental reading. This project was designed to show the importance of reading to children. The use of audiobooks was a…

This report provides information on the status of summer schools in New York City in 2000. The report describes: (1) "Planning and Management"; (2) "Student Information" (319,167 students were preregistered for summer school, and 87.9 percent of mandated students attended, compared to 64.4 percent the year before); (3)…

This paper presents results from the 2000 Citywide Reading Tests (CTB-R) for New York City public school students grades 3, 5, 6, and 7, comparing results with 1999 test results. Overall, more students met the new, rigorous standards for English and language arts (ELA) in 2000. When combined with data for the grade 4 State ELA, the percentage of…

The National Transition Demonstration Study was conducted to provide information about the implementation and impact of a federally funded program to enhance early public school transition of former Head Start children and their families by extending Head Start-like supports through the first 4 years of elementary school. The study design involved…