Direct Instruction and the Teaching of Early Reading

posted in: Briefings & Reports

Direct Instruction and the Teaching of Early Reading, Wisconsin’s Teacher-Led Insurgency (click here for full article) (click here to download a PDF of this article) By Mark C. Schug, Sara G. Tarver, & Richard D. Western Thiensville, WI: Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, 2001.   Briefing Everyone knows reading is the foundation of learning. Students know it. Parents know it. Teachers know it. So why isn’t it taught using only the most carefully tested methods? Direct Instruction (DI) is arguably the most … Read More

Home Environments for Learning

Walberg, H.J. & Paik, S.J. 1997. Home environments for learning. In: Walberg, H.J. & Haertel, G.D., eds. Psychology and educational practice, p. 356-68. Berkeley, CA, McCutchan Publishing. This chapter emphasizes the influence of the home environment on learning within and outside school. It summarizes research on the home environment including home-based reinforcement, home instruction, homework, and other educational and psychological activities in the home. This work suggests that alterable features of the home environment may be changed to … Read More

How Science Informs Reading Instruction

How Psychological Science Informs the Teaching of Reading (click here for full article) (click here to download a PDF of this article) By Keith Rayner, Barbara R. Foorman, Charles A. Perfetti, David Pesetsky, and Mark S. Seidenberg. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol. 2, No. 2, November 2001   Briefing The greatest weakness of the public schools is their continuing ineffectiveness in reading instruction. During the course of children’s school careers, very many of their academic and … Read More

Private Sector Alternatives for Preventing Reading Failure

Groff, P.  (1987).  Private sector alternatives for preventing reading failure, Washington, DC:  National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement. Editor’s note:  Chapters IV-VI contain outdated names, addresses, and references, and therefore were omitted _________________ A directory of national organizations providing a rationale for their need;  An assessment of the professional training they provide for prospective or inservice teachers of reading By Patrick Groff, Professor of Education San Diego State University   I. Introduction The major purpose of … Read More

Preventing Reading Failure

Private Sector Alternatives for Preventing Reading Failure (click here for full article) (Click here to download the PDF of this article) By Patrick Groff Professor, San Diego State University Washington, DC: National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement, 1987.   Briefing The No Child Left Behind Act calls for greater reliance on rigorous educational research. But is a shortage of rigorous studies the real problem? In 1987, Professor Patrick Groff reported that the U. S. was experiencing … Read More

Do Students Have Too Much Homework?

posted in: Briefings & Reports

(click here for full article) (click here to download the PDF of this article) Part II, Brown Center Report on American Education By The Brown Center on Education Policy The Brookings Institution   Briefing The Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution annually reports on the state of student achievement. Drawing on test scores and surveys, Part II of its 2003 report debunks the popular notion that students are being overwhelmed with homework. To the contrary, … Read More

Parent Politics in Head Start

Empowerment and Education: Civil Rights, Expert-Advocates, and Parent Politics in Head Start, 1964-1980 (click here for full article) (click here to download a PDF of this article) By Josh Kagan, New York University School of Law Teachers College Record, 104(3), 2002, p. 516-562   Briefing The Johnson Administration was on the right track in 1964 when as part of its War on Poverty it designed a program that targeted low-income, disadvantaged three-to-five-year-old children. Head Start was conceived to … Read More

Direct Instruction in Action

Research has proven conclusively that Direct Instruction works. What parents, educators, and others may also want to know is that children who learn in a DI setting are happy, engaged, and confident. The videos below showcase Direct Instruction through classroom observations, teacher interviews, and more.                           If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us through our contact page; a representative of … Read More

Sample Opinion 3

Teacher Training and Texas Education Reform: A Study in Contradiction Public Education Reform in Texas, December 7, 2000, The Driskill Hotel, Austin, TX. Abstract Parents, policymakers, and taxpayers want schooling that equips students with the knowledge and skills that are vital to subsequent learning and adult success. Most professors who train teachers do not agree. They believe teachers should employ an ideal form of teaching called learner-centered instruction (LC) -an approach that works best with ideal students. The … Read More

Achievement vs. Growth “Birdshot” Chart

Tennessee Growth vs. Achievement “Birdshot” Chart   Tennessee school performance is measured on two factors: achievement, assessed with the TCAP and ACT tests; and growth, seen in TVAAS (i.e., value-added) results. Parents can compare the performance of their child’s school with others across the district or the state by viewing ECF’s interactive Growth vs. Achievement Charts. Links to charts of recent years are listed below.  Note that the 2011 charts for elementary and middle grades rely on a “Growth … Read More

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