With the message that parents need to become informed about the educational practices that affect their children, this book offers a guide to different approaches to kindergarten, expectations for incoming students, and ways to obtain needed information for parents new to the process of schooling. Following an introduction that calls for increased…

This Kids Count report investigates statewide trends in the well-being of Florida's children. The statistical report is based on 19 indicators of child well being: (1) low birth weight infants; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) births to single teens; (5) juvenile violent crime arrest rate; (6) percent graduating from high…

Compares first grade dropout and repetition rates between regions and within two cities, Belem and Porto Alegre, Brazil. Focuses on teacher selection, qualifications, and attitudes through classroom observation, 72 interviews, and 155 questionnaires. Shows first grade teachers expect low-income students to fail and encourage failure through…

This factbook examines trends during the 1980s on 11 indicators of Georgia children's well-being. The indicators are: (1) low birthweight infants; (2) infant mortality; (3) death rate of children ages 1 to 14 years; (4) violent death rate of teenagers aged 15 to 19 years; (5) rate of child abuse and neglect; (6) juveniles committed to state…

This report describes the status of public education in Texas, as required by Texas law. It contains an executive summary and 14 chapters on the following topics: (1) state performance on the academic-excellence indicators; (2) a summary compilation of overall student performance on the state performance assessments and a study of the correlation…

This guide explains how low-performing schools can become high-achieving ones, using information from studies of Title I schools. It presents practical ideas from these schools and communities as well as the research base behind their success. The nine chapters are (1) "Five Steps to a Good Start" (e.g., help parents understand how children's…

The Forum's 16th annual report on public schooling in Southeastern Wisconsin reveals that spending increased 4% in Southeastern Wisconsin school districts to $2.8 billion last year, although the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) experienced a significantly smaller increase (2.7%). Part of this relatively small increase can be attributed to the…

In April, 1919, at the request of the Board of Education of Memphis, Tennessee, the United States Commissioner of Education submitted the conditions on which the Bureau of Education would make a survey of the public school system of that city. This study of the Memphis schools is intended to be a study of policies and practices; not of persons.…

Although considerable research examines the impact of grade retention on student academic achievement, various shortcomings exhibited across these studies make it difficult to derive any concrete generalizations about the effectiveness of requiring students to repeat a grade. By utilizing data based on a cohort of all low-achieving elementary…

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data capable of monitoring the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education." This year's report presents 46 indicators of important developments and trends in U.S.…

This Kids Count report investigates county and statewide trends in the well-being of Florida's children. The statistical report is based on indicators of well-being in six areas: (1) child poverty; (2) births, including prenatal care access, infant mortality, low birth weight, and percent of births to unwed mothers; (3) teen parenthood; (4) child…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized test scores are the indicator used to hold schools and school districts accountable for student achievement. Each state is responsible for constructing an accountability system, attaching consequences--or stakes--for student performance. The theory of action implied by this…

The Neighborhood Schools Project in Iowa was designed to evaluate a new special education service delivery system emphasizing prereferral intervention, collaboration, problem solving assessment, and frequent performance monitoring. Approximately 130 students with Individualized Educational Plans at 12 schools and an equal number at comparison site…

This report summarizes evaluation results of the AISD state-funded Optional Extended Year Program for 2002-2003.

The analysis of access to education in Ghana builds on the Ministry of Education Sector Performance Report and the World Bank sector studies. Though access has improved it remains uneven and has not grown as fast enough to reach universal levels of participation in primary school and JSS [Junior Secondary School] by 2015. More needs to be…