Oral reading fluency is an important component of the reading process. Many students develop negative attitudes about reading due to self-consciousness of their below average oral reading skills. In this study, video self-modeling was used with three third-grade students who were below grade level in reading. The self-modeling procedure allowed…

This book argues that it is the incorporation of a multicultural agenda into basal readers, the primary tool for teaching reading in elementary schools, that has stunted American children's ability to read. The book shows how basal readers have been systematically "dumbed down" in an effort to raise minority students'"self…

In the current climate of accountability in American public education, tests get more attention and carry more importance than ever before. Both state accountability systems and the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) hold schools accountable for whether students pass standardized state tests. NCLB requires that schools and school districts…

Designed for use by literacy specialists, resource teachers, and classroom teachers, this book presents a diagnostic battery encompassing vital areas of evaluation based on research and practice, efficient in administration and interpretation, and relatively inexpensive. The third edition of the book has been revised to improve its organization;…

Research studies on how adults learn and develop second-language reading competence were considered in the context of a componential theory of reading. In particular, C. A. Perfetti's Verbal Efficiency Theory (VET) was used as a framework in which to organize and evaluate the studies' contribution to the field of second-language reading. The…

This booklet presents Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards in the area of English language arts at grades 4, 8, and 12. The content and performance standards represent the best thinking of language educators and interested members of the public. They were drawn from two years of work in Wisconsin's standards development projects, from the Modern…

Intended for classroom teachers who have English Language Learners (ELLs--non-native speakers of English who are experiencing difficulty in learning academic content), this guidebook provides criteria to be included in the development of performance-based assessment tasks. It assists classroom teachers to develop assessments to: determine whether…

Responding to a call to action by California's state leaders to make reading instruction in the early grades a top priority in the public schools, this booklet discusses California's new K-3 reading program. It begins with a discussion of what prompted this new focus on reading, and then discusses the four major elements of a balanced reading…

This study compared cognitive, social, and affective progress of students in a multi-graded classroom and a single-graded classroom. Participating were teachers in kindergarten/first, first, and second grade classrooms and a random sample of their students at two suburban Virginia schools. Five teachers taught in single-graded classrooms and one…

This document is comprised of four consecutive issues (Winter 1998-Fall 1999) of a newsletter published quarterly to provide information on current research and practice to early childhood professionals teaching in the primary grades in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Montana. The winter 1998 issue focuses on retention in the early grades,…

This guide to Indiana's academic standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for kindergarten students begins with a note to students and another to parents. The guide spells out what students should know and be able to do in each subject, at each grade level. It helps students understand what is required to meet the…

This report summarizes research supports addressing three areas as targets for educational improvement in Alabama: beginning reading, expansion of reading power, and intensive intervention for those who are reading below grade level. The paper also describes Alabama's statewide initiative to implement best practices in these areas and summarizes…

This paper presents the alignment of Oregon's content standards with the Certificates of Initial Mastery (CIM), Certificates of Advanced Mastery (CAM), and the Proficiency-based Admissions Standards System (PASS). After some background, a timeline, and definitions of 4 terms used in the paper, it presents charts that align common curriculum goals…

This manual contains information regarding the administration of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program's tests in reading and literature, mathematics, science, and the social sciences. Parts of the manual address (1) background and preparation for testing; (2) general administration; (3) administering the mathematics test; (4) administering the…

This report is the first in a series on Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) in the Newark, New Jersey Public Schools. Project GRAD is an education initiative that combines several proven or promising reforms with the goals of increasing reading and math achievement test scores, improving classroom behavior, reducing dropout rates, and…