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The Right Test Preparation Materials
Subscribe to the Education Research Report We've been honored to have had a loyal e-newsletter readership since we first began sending out our state newsletters, U.S. Education News, and Education Research Report back in January 2006. Now you can get the Education Research Report delivered to you twice per month for just $145 per year! If you've enjoyed reading about the latest findings in education and educational research across the nation, and would like to receive our Education Research Report e-newsletters, please call (800) 232-2224 to place your order with a credit card. If you'd like to view a sample of the Education Research Report before subscribing, visit http://www.queuenews.com/comments.html and send an information form requesting this material. Visit www.queuenews.com/subsnotice.html for more information. Florida Fails Academic Standards Test Five years after No Child Left Behind made standards-based education reform the law of the land, a new study finds that the subject-by-subject state standards that undergird this reform strategy remain inadequate in most jurisdictions. The State of State Standards 2006, the first full review of such standards since 2000, confers an average grade of "C-minus"-the same as six years earlier-even though most states revised their standards during that period.
Here is the report for Florida More Details: http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/publication/publication.cfm 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress Florida again surpassed the national average in both fourth grade reading and mathematics and, for the first time, matched the national average for eighth grade reading. Florida was one of only four states with significant increases in both fourth and eighth grade reading since 2005. Minority students and students with disabilities also met or exceeded the performance of students nationally. Fourth Grade Reading and Mathematics Results – 2005 to 2007:
Eighth Grade Reading and Mathematics Results – 2005 to 2007:
Long-Term National Performance – 2003 to 2007:
Closing the Achievement Gap and Student Group Performance
Known as the "nation's report card," the NAEP is a congressionally mandated project overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics to continuously monitor the knowledge, skills and performance of the nation's children and youth. Since 1969, NAEP has measured and reported on the knowledge and abilities of America's fourth, eighth and 12th grade students, providing data about students' performance in a variety of subject areas at national, regional and state levels. For more information regarding Florida's performance on the 2007 NAEP Reading and Mathematics: Mathematics 4 and 8 Reading 4 and 8 Wireless Generation Partners with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to Improve Elementary Reading Instruction and Learning Districtwide Over 200 Schools to Use mCLASS® Assessment, Reporting, and Professional Services Wireless Generation and Miami-Dade County Public Schools have announced plans to work closely together to improve elementary reading instruction and learning across the district. Starting this fall, over 200 Miami-Dade elementary schools will use Wireless Generation’s mCLASS® system for formative assessment, reporting, and data analysis so that, throughout the school year, K-5 teachers can closely monitor children’s reading progress, and can provide intensive, timely support to students who are at risk. In addition, Wireless Generation will provide consulting services that build teachers' capacity to provide instruction that accurately reflects and meets students' needs. The mCLASS system will enable district teachers to give the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS®) reading assessment efficiently and accurately with a handheld computer. District teachers already give the DIBELS three times each year, as the state requires. Most use paper and pencil, though 27 Reading First schools used mCLASS®:DIBELS® last year. The handheld device guides teachers through the assessment process to ensure that information collected is accurate, automates timing, and scores DIBELS instantly, for timely insight into student learning needs. When the handheld is “synced” to a Web-connected computer, the data is uploaded to a secure Website and made immediately available and useful to teachers and administrators via a series of customizable reports. The data is also transferred daily to the Florida Center for Reading Research’s Progress Monitoring and Reporting Network. In addition to making formative assessment a manageable, routine part of instruction, Miami-Dade and Wireless Generation are focusing on helping teachers and principals to use student data to inform their decisions about instruction, curriculum, and resources. Miami-Dade teachers will also use mCLASS Now What? Tools. These online tools help teachers interpret their data and group students for appropriate follow-up instruction. mCLASS Item-Level Advisor analyzes each individual student’s DIBELS responses and shows his or her teacher the significant error patterns and what they mean. As a starting point for the teacher’s instructional planning, mCLASS Small Group Advisor places students in groups based on what DIBELS reveals about their needs. The teacher can adjust the groups based on her additional knowledge of her students. Each school has also been assigned a Wireless Generation consultant to work with staff on understanding their student data and using it to inform classroom instruction. Consultants are former educators with classroom and administrative experience, as well as specialized professional certifications in DIBELS and other reading and math assessments. Each school will have the same consultant throughout the year, ensuring an in-depth understanding of the students, the staff, and their needs. Consultants will make multiple on-site visits and also support school staff through email, phone, and Web conference communication. Principals will attend two workshops on Data Analysis for Instructional Leaders, which will help them to use data in making decisions about curricula and resources, and to create environments that support teachers in using data for instructional decision-making. “The district is committed to providing its teachers with access to the best tools available. We welcome Wireless Generation as a partner,” said Antoinette P. Dunbar, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. |
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