This report provides an overview of research designed to dispel myths about performance in high poverty and high minority schools. It identifies schools that have had high performance on a particular state assessment for at least 2 years in a row. The results are based on an analysis of high performance over multiple years in any of six possible…

This study evaluated the impact of an urban school district's English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program on 317 participating K-12 language minority students. The study used the Language Assessment Scale (LAS) to examine students' English proficiency after participating in the yearlong program. The LAS measures language skills necessary to succeed…

England's National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are designed to raise standards for all pupils. Though the skills they address are basic and need to be built up throughout the primary years, at the early stage of implementing the strategies, many older pupils will not have reached the standards expected of Year 6 pupils in future years. This…

As a part of a long term district-wide study, we report on achievement test results involving students in a third-grade classroom taught by a teacher in a professional development program led by the authors and directed towards the integration of algebraic reasoning with elementary school mathematics. The teacher's practice, reported upon…

This workbook provides four classroom-proven steps to improve students' narrative, expository, and persuasive writing, and to raise student scores on standardized state writing tests. Following an introduction, the workbook is divided into the following sections which conform to the four steps: Step One: Teach Students to Write Strong Verb…

This brief considers the use of high-stakes testing. Much of the fanfare accompanying "get tough" policies for failing students and schools has tempered as policymakers begin to see the complexity of raising student achievement dramatically in a short period of time. Education assessment systems are improving, but they are not as good as…

Technology and testing have become two popular prescriptions for improving education. The technology nostrum suggests that the infusion of modern technology into schools will bolster teaching and learning and will prepare students for an increasingly technological workplace. The testing prescription holds that using standardized test scores to…

State mandated tests are being implemented in the public schools, but states differ greatly in the complexity of their tests, making comparisons very difficult. States may have widely different definitions of what counts as proficient, and it is evident that state standards are set arbitrarily. It is also important to consider the relationship of…

Ongoing professional development is at the core of Project Reading Excellence at "Boggsville" Elementary School (a pseudonym) and is intricately woven throughout all related activities. This professional development program is built on the pillars of sound scientific-based reading research, best teaching practices, and appropriate…

Each year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), asks thousands of schools and students to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Their participation allows NCES to provide accurate information nationwide on how U.S. students perform in a variety of academic subjects. The NAEP uses a multistage…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has been conducting the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) since 1969. In addition to conducting regular assessments in reading, mathematics, science, and writing, the NAEP conducts assessments in other subjects, such as geography, U.S. history, civics, and the arts. Each national…

This Digest lists some of the common mistakes made by young readers and suggests teaching strategies that may be useful to teachers who are preparing their classes to take standardized tests. Children must learn to use the text to pick the answer, rather than relying on memory, especially when the story is a familiar one. Teachers can help…

This report focuses on the standards and test schools used to measure student and school performance in Texas. The primary method for evaluating the academic achievement of Texas public school students is a standardized test called the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). A review of TAAS scores and their uses suggests that the TAAS test…

This report summarizes the spring 2003, seventh-grade reading achievement data from five different schools in an urban school district in a mid-sized city in the Pacific Northwest. The original data set contained 358 students, but 96 students were removed from the data set prior to analysis because they had no scores in any of the dependent…

The long-term goal of the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) is for all students to show mastery of skills and knowledge in the subject areas tested. Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards describe the skills children should have and the things they should know by the end of grades 4, 8, and 12. Each subject is divided into content standards…