No other innovation in education in the United States has as much potential for improving education and reducing costs as the year-round operation of schools. Contrary to popular perception, the 9-month school calendar is not deeply imbedded in America's education system; throughout American history, the school calendar has responded to the…

In 1986-87, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District converted from a full-day prekindergarten program for low-achieving children to a half-day program to serve more limited-English-proficient (LEP) and low-income children (thereby meeting eligibility criteria in conformance with Texas House Bill 72). Half-day instructional time was 60% of…

The cumulative, long term impact of alternative kindergarten scheduling for everyday half- and full-day programs was examined for three successive cohorts of children. Dependent measures included academic achievement, school sentiment, personal-social behavior, school attendance, and referral to special education classes. Parent perception of…

The research design is described for the study of instructional time, conducted as part of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. The premise of the study was that certain teacher behaviors are related to student achievement; however, if all teacher behaviors are equal, the students who spend the greatest amount of time in learning activities…

Achievement tests that are maximally sensitive to effective instruction in reading and mathematics for grades 2 and 5 were developed and refined. Important considerations regarding the tests' validity were: its coverage of instructional content (opportunity to learn), and its reactivity to instruction. Student ability must be minimally related to…

The effects of various rates of presentation were studied in combination with massed and spaced, concurrent and nonconcurrent, overt and covert practice modes on film-mediated perceptual performance. Selected values of the independent variables were investigated within a 3x3x2 factorial design, and the experimental treatments were randomly ordered…

This paper presents a collection of studies that examine interactions in preschool and school settings around the time of school entry. The studies are loosely organized around five themes: (1) differences between intended and experienced curricula, and intended and experienced patterns of interaction; (2) contingent and responsive nature of…

Some students with disabilities need accommodations or modifications in their educational program in order to be successful in school. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its regulations do not offer a definition for an accommodation or modification. However, there is general agreement as to what the terms mean. An…

The report reviews current research findings related to the three entry points (early, middle, late) for French immersion programs in Ottawa (Ontario) elementary and secondary schools. It consists of: an executive summary and brief overview; an annotated bibliography covering authoritative immersion research reviews and reports published since…

Ideas and guidelines for the organization of effective homework assignments, based on the principle that homework should offer opportunities for learning outside the classroom, are offered. The examples given are for English second language instruction as practiced in public secondary schools in Cyprus, but the principles outlined could be applied…

This book is a set of inservice staff training modules designed to help teachers, administrators, and auxiliary staff to produce high levels of achievement regardless of the socioeconomic level or ethnic make-up of the student population. It operationally defines school learning climate as attitudinal and behavioral patterns which impact on the…

The purpose of this paper is to help educators and other interested individuals find their way through the plethora of reform reports published in the early 1980s. The early historical context of the reports is set out through a discussion of secondary education and proposals for reform since the 19th century. This is followed by a discussion of…

This investigation compares and analyses the experiences and subjective cognitive workload of students undertaking a lesson on an aspect of micro-level writing skills in a web-based and paperbased version. Both versions of the lesson were based on the principles of interactive learning, specifically on a modified version of Chou's (2003) model.…

As part of a comprehensive study of all mandates placed by the state of Illinois on elementary and secondary education, an analysis was undertaken of the school day/school year mandate in its historical perspective, inquiring into its original purpose, how well that purpose has been served, whether the mandate is still needed, and whether a…

Major analyses of the achievement tests used in the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study were conducted to determine test reactivity to instruction. Reading and mathematics tests were administered to second and fifth grade children. Classroom teachers' records were examined to determine the amount of opportunity students had to learn the content…