Elementary education faculty at this university embedded a Teacher Work Sample (TWS) performance-based assessment into the student teaching experience to assess candidates' ability to impact student learning as required by recent accreditation reforms. The authors conducted an internal evaluation of the TWS for the purposes of strengthening not…

The complexities surrounding the relationship between state content standards and improvements in student reading achievement are examined. A case study of one California elementary school reveals that its ideal outcomes--use of standards in curriculum planning and improved test scores--were complex, involving district initiatives, curriculum…

In 655 schools in 27 states, the Literacy Collaborative aims to improve elementary students' literacy achievement. A trained literacy coordinator trains other teachers and provides in-class coaching. Systematic collection of data on every child and data utilization by all program participants support continuous school improvement and create a…

Summarizes research findings on a Tennessee experiment in small classes for primary grades--Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio)--and on similar projects in other states. Discusses effects on student achievement and classroom discipline, effects of small classes versus larger classes with teacher aide, costs, long-term impacts, and…

A Wisconsin program aimed to amplify the achievement benefits of class-size reduction by requiring supplementary pupil services, a standards-based curriculum, and related staff development and accountability. In one urban school district implementing the program, the program's achievement gains were marginalized by high per-student costs and…

A third-grade teacher and an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teacher collaborated to ensure the academic success of English language learners through "a priori" teaching. The ESL support teacher used verbal and interactive strategies to pre-teach key concepts, skills, and academic language relevant to the subject matter being covered in the…

The value of a multimethod, quantitative and qualitative approach to evaluation in an applied setting is demonstrated through a case study of an evaluation of a classroom literacy intervention (Classroom Publishing) that had been implemented without regard to subsequent evaluation. The two types of techniques complemented each other to create…

Discusses three aspects of mentoring practices revealed by research on how teachers work together in naturalistic elementary school settings: (1) mentoring is just one of several types of supportive behaviors needed and practiced by teachers; (2) support networks differ between male and female teachers; and (3) informal mentoring occurs in schools…

Twelve open-ended questions, administered to 28 experienced elementary teachers and 26 education majors, examined mathematical content knowledge and related pedagogical knowledge by focusing on instructional decisions made in specific classroom situations involving whole number operations, fractions, and geometry. Results suggest that pedagogical…

Data on teacher self-assessment practices were collected from 17 elementary teachers in 4 focus groups. Common themes included process and product indicators that triggered self-assessment, irrelevance of most formal teacher evaluations, lack of time for reflection and self-assessment, need for administrator and collegial support, and the nature…

Twenty-three white, female sophomores in teacher education programs participated in a remedial summer session for low-income, minority children. Compared results of student's initial expectations before the field experience with their final evaluations of what they actually saw. Found that students generally use direct experiences to selectively…

Fourth grade students participated in mental arithmetic activities for eight weeks. Posttests revealed that the experimental group performed significantly higher than the control group on arithmetic problem solving and arithmetic computation. Females appeared to benefit more from the instructional program than males. (KS)

A study of the relationships of selected variables in 27 elementary schools in western Kentucky revealed significant relationships between student achievement and school climate, student socioeconomic status, and parent and community involvement. However, there was no relationship between school climate and student socioeconomic status. (LP)

When a school-university collaboration gave them the opportunity for school-based restructuring, inner-city elementary teachers pursued new teaching practices; assumed responsibility for professional development; examined their practice and supported it with documentation; developed direction and commitment to mutually determined school goals; and…

At the beginnings of 2 consecutive academic years, 289 students in grades 1-5 completed the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, a measure of children's attitudes toward reading. Attitudes were normally distributed across recreational reading and academic reading subscales and total score. Significant but moderate one-year test-retest correlations…