The use of time in school, specifically the portion of time defined as active responding time, has been shown to correlate significantly with achievement. The comprehensive observational methodology of the academic engaged time studies provides the basis for systematically investigating student responding time and elements of the educational environment. Thirty third- and fourth-grade students were observed over two entire school days to examine the educational environment and students' responding times as a function of whether the students had been ranked by their teachers as high, middle, or low in academic competence. Only one statistically significant difference was found among groups: high academic group students engaged in academic talk for a greater amount of time than did low academic group students. In contrast to previous studies, no differences were found in the amounts of teacher praise and criticism or in student time engaged in academic versus inappropriate behaviors. Correlational analyses of engaged times and achievement were inconsistent. Definitions and examples of code for instructional structure and student academic response events and optical scanner coding sheets are appended. (Author/PN)