Zig has just authored a new paper: Homework is Cruel in the Primary Grades. In his paper, Engelmann outlines the need for sound instructional practices versus the traditional homework regimen. Click here to visit his site at www.zigsite.com to download his latest paper and learn why those who champion homework discriminate against at-risk populations!

Schools everywhere are faced with high academic standards and are charged with evaluating programs and practices to find which ones will yield the best possible results for their students. They must determine which curriculum to implement in their districts and schools, a decision that becomes more difficult in the face of high expectations and low budgets. Is it worth spending the money on a different program? Will the extra expenditure generate different results? These questions plagued a school in Illinois who called in researchers to help answer them. School leaders asked researchers to compare the effectiveness of the program they had been using for the past eight years, Scott Foresman’s Celebrate Reading, with another program they were considering for adoption, Reading Mastery. 

Find out more about the researchers learned here.

Schools using Reading Mastery (Rainbow Edition) will find SRA's book, Science and Social Studies in Reading Mastery, a useful tool in identifying which science and social studies content are covered in each level of the program. The topics, organized by subject area, are also listed with the lesson the content was originally presented in. You can find this resource by visiting our Links page or on McGraw-Hill's website. Once there, click on "Learn More" and then on "Resources for Users". The document is divided up by levels for easy retrieval by teachers.

Read more ...

Students at Schuyler Elementary, a school in Eastern Nebraska with a large Hispanic population, have demonstrated incredible improvements in academic achievement over the past few years. In 2009-10, less than half (44%) of Schuyler’s third graders met the state standards as measured by the Nebraska State Assessment (NeSA), and only three students exceeded the state standards. Last year, 2010-11, 67%, of Schuyler’s third graders achieved passing scores, with eight percent of the students exceeding the state standards.

• How does Schuyler compare to the rest of the state?
• How well did Hispanic students score?
• How has Schuyler achieved such positive results?
• What are administrators saying about the results?

Click here to find out!