The Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) was developed by California State University (CSU) faculty and high school educators to improve the academic literacy of high school seniors, thereby reducing the need for students to enroll in remedial English courses upon entering college. This report, produced by Innovation Studies at WestEd,…

The purpose of the study was to update previous meta-analytic findings on the effectiveness of using similarities and differences as an instructional strategy. The strategy includes facilitating student comparison, classification, use of analogies, and use of metaphors. Previously, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock reported a mean effect size of…

This article reports the development, validation and use of an instrument designed to provide teachers with feedback information, based on students' perceptions, about their classroom environments. The instrument was developed to provide teachers with feedback that they could use to reflect on their teaching practices and, in turn, guide the…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has expended considerable effort to ensure high quality in data collection by developing standardized materials and survey operation procedures and using well-trained professional administrators. However, schools are allowed to minimize the disruption associated with pulling students out of…

Since 1973, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has gathered information about student achievement in mathematics. Results of these periodic assessments, produced in print and web-based formats, provide valuable information to a wide variety of audiences. The NAEP Assessment in mathematics has two components that differ in…

A set of studies done for the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction (WSPI) constituted a case study testing the conjecture that management consulting is potentially cost effective in some areas of educational evaluation. The case study involved first interviewing 22 respondents from four WSPI constituencies (educators, employers,…

The development, field testing, and analysis of one component of New Mexico's statewide evaluation system, a set of 18 objectives-based tests administered to high school seniors in 56 districts, are summarized. The focus of this component is on providing: (1) information to school districts about the performance of their seniors on certain…

Youth smoking and physical inactivity are significant public health issues, with implications for both health and education stakeholders, as school-based policies and programs have the potential to reach a broad population of youth to address these issues. Knowledge exchange tools designed around comprehensive school-level data collection systems…

A study made to identify the critical educational needs of the State of North Dakota is presented in the six chapters of this report and its appendixes. Chapter I, Introduction, discusses historical considerations and provides an overview of the report. Chapter II contains a comprehensive but concise description of the technical procedures…

This document, the "Reading Framework for the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress," describes the content and format of the 4th, 8th, and 12th grade assessments. The 2005 Reading Framework continues the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading trend begun in 1992. The NAEP Reading Framework reflects…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Civics Assessment found that 12th-graders who participated in volunteer service had higher scores than those who did not. Furthermore, 12th-graders who worked 6 to 15 hours a week had higher scores than those who either worked longer hours or did not work at all. (Contains two tables and…

The needs of Ohio schools were assessed in relation to the area of Family Life Education, including education in sexual behavior, the prevention of alcohol, drug, and smoking abuse, and related social problems. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase developed the methods for assessing the needs of Ohio schools, which involved…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing survey of what students know and can do in various academic subject areas. This report summarizes the results of the 1998 NAEP civics assessment for the nation. The results are based on an assessment of students at grade 4, grade 8, and grade 12. Students'…

The 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics assessment contained a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Each student participating in the assessment received two 25-minute sections of questions. Most civics questions measured both knowledge and intellectual skills. In addition, some questions measured…

The interim evaluation of the Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) Program of the Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Inc. (AEL), a community-based alternative curriculum for high school seniors, was not intended for general readers and its terminology is for that reason quite technical. The report's first section briefly describes the EBCE…