Public education is facing a crisis of major proportions, but the things that are basically wrong with schools are not those being emphasized in current proposals for change. This paper identifies two basic defects in the American system of public education: (1) there is too little attention to individual differences; and (2) there is too much…

This report summarizes evaluation results for the AISD 2001-2002 Optional Extended Year state-funded grant program.

Processes and criteria used in assigning students to honors English classes in 5 communities (n=approximately 1,800 students) were studied through qualitative and quantitative data. Similarities and differences in the five districts are detailed, with attention to past ability-group positions and the role of socioeconomic status. (SLD)

This resource guide assists migrant parents of secondary school students (grades 7-12) in understanding the educational system. The guide presents a compilation of information from an array of books, manuals, school documents, and ideas from migrant practitioners. The introduction overviews the Texas State Migrant Education Program, including…

Each year, many teachers face the problem of where to place children who do not fit into the rest of the class. Retention is an option that is frequently considered for these children. Children considered for retention often have poor academic skills, are small in stature or the youngest in the grade, have moved or been absent frequently, do…

Using a subsample of data relating to 4,668 first- and second-graders and their families from the 1991 National Household Education Survey, a study examined different ways of measuring whether a child is behind in grade and compared these measures with data about children who are below modal grade levels. Several profiles emerged. Children delayed…

Written to help migrant parents with day-to-day concerns about their children and their children's schooling, this handbook provides a variety of reference information. A definition of migrant education services is followed by a directory of individuals responsible for migrant education in Delaware at state and local levels. Telephone numbers are…

Reviewing research on grade retention, this paper describes tools and guidelines developed as an aid in retention decisions and examines actual promotion/retention policies and practices. Most research on academic and social effects of grade retention suffers from poor methodology, leaving the conclusions suspect and the results contradictory. The…

This report summarizes evaluation information for the AISD Optional Extended Year grant program for the 2004-2005 school year.

English and Spanish versions of a guide to testing reform are presented. The guide explains alternatives to standardized testing for educational assessment and shows how these new methods of evaluation will improve education. Standardized tests are used for an increasing number of purposes in the school system, but there is no proof that their use…

This booklet summarizes a government white paper outlining the development of Japanese education since the adoption of the new system following World War II. The report is organized into six main sections. The framework of the national educational system is introduced and charted in section 1, followed by a discussion of the expansion and…

The statewide overview of Texas bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs for limited-English-speaking public school students reports results of a survey concerning program and student characteristics and successful instructional practices. Data for bilingual and ESL programs are considered separately. Student characteristics…

Materials designed to enable regular classroom teachers and teachers of English as a second language (ESL) to meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students in elementary school are presented. The guide contains an introductory section for teachers, followed by sections on: adapting reading materials for LEP students; identifying LEP…

English abstracts of fifty-five research projects commissioned by the National Board of Education in Finland between 1971 and 1973 are cataloged in this bulletin. The research reports are available from ten different centers listed in the front of the bulletin. The reports are listed consecutively based on an internal numbering system; abstracts…

A study examined alternatives to retention or social promotion. Chapter 1 considers the short-term and long-term consequences of each alternative and concludes that neither improves declining graduation rates, declining ability to meet employer requirements, or the achievement gap between white students and students of color. Chapter 2 recommends…