Consistency Management and Cooperative Discipline (CMCD) is a research-based K-12 discipline management program that builds on shared responsibility for learning and classroom organization through the cultivation of democratic and participatory practices that are fair, inclusive, and caring. CMCD seeks to provide a stable and orderly learning…

The reading performance of Hispanic children in the U.S. is becoming a central concern in education policy and reform. This paper reports the results of a study designed to evaluate the impacts of a form of the Success for All beginning reading program modified to meet the needs of Hispanic students, particularly those who are English language…

The importance of state academic standards soared in January 2002 with passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Not only does that milestone law require all states to have demanding academic standards in place and to demonstrate steady student progress toward academic proficiency as set forth in those standards, it also links states'…

Research confirms that reading success starts with young children enjoying library storytimes! Preschoolers' earliest experiences with books and reading are important; parent/caregiver knowledge can build on those experiences, according to research from the National Institute of Child Health & Development, conducted with PLA and ALSC, the…

This report by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the first comprehensive effort to assess student achievement in public schools managed by Mosaica Education, Inc., one of the leading private management companies in education, marketing itself to charter boards and school districts since 1997. Schools examined in the report had been…

The difference between the academic performance of poor students and wealthier students and between minority students and their non-minority peers is commonly known as the achievement gap. The current study examines the achievement gap using a large sample of students from a wide variety of school districts across the United States. It examines…

Social promotion has long been the normal practice in American schools. Critics of this practice, whereby students are promoted to the next grade regardless of academic preparation, have suggested that students would benefit academically if they were made to repeat a grade. Supporters of social promotion claim that retaining students (i.e, holding…

Legislation passed during the 2001 Iowa legislative session established the Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program, Iowa Code Section 284.12(1). This legislation requires the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to annually report the statewide progress on the following: (1) Student achievement scores in mathematics and reading at the fourth…

The "Model Secondary (6-12) Plan for Reading Intervention and Development" has been designed to meet the cognitive needs of middle school through high school students whose reading performance ranges from those significantly below expectation through those reading at or above grade level. The reading needs of the population of students in need of…

This report outlines the results of a two year implementation of the Nebraska's Reading First initiative. Over three thousand six hundred students from Kindergarten to Third grade were included in the project. Results indicated significant growth across all demographic groups. Student performance in the earlier grades has shown great promise for…

Given the paucity of research describing the use of the TONI-3 with urban children with disabilities, a brief review of the literature was conducted. While little relevant research was identified, the use of the TONI-3 was supported in a number of diverse settings. This paper also describes a study designed to examine the validity of the Test of…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to explore the impact of a direct reading instruction program, "Reading Mastery (RM)," on literacy performance of students over a five-year period. Initially, 700 students in grades K-3 were randomly selected from six elementary schools to participate in the study; an additional 100…

Researchers have studied the affects of class size on student achievement for years. Therefore, the size of classes presently is disturbing. In regards to class size reductions, Murphy, 1998 states that students enjoyed significantly greater improvements in test scores in reading, language arts, and math. A class size research study was conducted…

This study examined the impact of class size reduction (CSR) on achievement among 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students with different numbers of years of participation in CSR. Single-year matched gains were calculated for the 1997-1998 and 1999-2000 school years. Student progress was assessed using scores from the SAT/9 reading, mathematics, and…

This study focuses on elementary schools, where it is critical that students develop foundational knowledge and skills in preparation for later advanced coursework. For the study, McREL selected a sample of high-needs elementary (PreK/K?6) schools, defined as moderate- to high-poverty, with 50 percent or more of students eligible for free or…