Describes the history and current issues of curriculum, instruction, and evaluation in elementary social studies. Emphasizes teaching for understanding and higher-order applications. Concludes that higher-order goals of social studies instruction are comparable to those in other subjects. (BB)

This Statistics in Brief analyzes parents' reports of school practices to provide information to families, using data from the 2003 Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey and the 1996 Parent and Family Involvement in Education and Civic Involvement Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program. Parent reports of school…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…

Abundant research chronicles the backgrounds and characteristics of community college students assigned to developmental reading. Many are members of underrepresented groups and first in their families to attend college. English may not be their primary language. Developmental students often struggle with learning disabilities. Nontraditional…

In spring 1988, the Johns Hopkins Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools (CREMS) conducted a national survey of principals in 2,400 public middle grade schools that include grade 7. Using the 1988 survey date, this document presents an overview of educational approaches and practices in schools that serve early adolescents. Topics…

Opinions of middle school students, called "transescents," were studied in an effort to provide feedback to adminstrators, parents, and teachers involved in program development in a school district with a K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade level configuration. Participants were 200 students from a school district in east central Michigan. A…

The study reported in this paper quantitatively integrated the recent research findings on ability grouping in order to generalize about these effects on student achievement and student self-concept. Meta-analysis was used to statistically integrate the empirical data. The relationships among various experimental variables including grade level,…

Survey data from 3,698 teachers in 600 schools in Maryland are used to explore the determinants of teachers' use of parent involvement strategies. Two questions are addressed: (1) How much do elementary school teachers organize their teaching practice to facilitate parent involvement in home learning activities? and (2) Which factors in the…

PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION FOR ALL CHILDREN AND TO IMPROVE ETHNIC INTEGRATION OF THE SCHOOLS WERE PRESENTED. INCLUDED WERE PROPOSALS FOR NEW SCHOOL LOCATIONS, FLEXIBLE STUDENT TRANSFER POLICIES, ZONING PLANS, ENCOURAGEMENT OF LOCAL INITIATIVE, AND HUMAN RELATIONS PROGRAMS TO BE CONDUCTED FOR PUPILS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY.…

SCHOOL SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS WERE INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED TO BE BASIC INFLUENCES AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN 11 SOUTHERN STATES. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS FOR THE 1962-63 SCHOOL YEAR ON FILE IN STATE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION IN EACH OF THE 11 STATES. DATA AREAS UTILIZED WERE (1) EXTENT OF…

This study attempts to determine the effect of sequential language programs on motivating students to remain enrolled in their programs. Two language programs in the State of Utah are compared in these areas: (1) philosophy of articulation, (2) sequence of courses, (3) textbooks used, (4) registration procedures, (5) statement of FLES program, (6)…

A description of a bilingual education program at the elementary school level spanning five years since its inception is presented in this report. The home-school language switch from English to French made by control and experimental classes involved total immersion in the French-taught curriculum. While focusing on the educational objectives of…

Reasons favoring the maintenance of foreign language requirements in public schools and colleges are developed in this essay in terms of international understanding and practical application of the second language. Five goals and accomplishments of current programs are examined in an attempt to determine whether recent linguistic methods produce…

The underlying theory of comprehensive achievement monitoring is applied and illustrated in this German 1 language instruction guide. This computer-oriented approach to individualizing instruction and to student evaluation monitors progress in every basic idea and skill in the language course. Materials used in this course include advice to…