A study of the reading comprehension of 4th and 9th grade students in the U.S. that goes beyond simple comparisons of national achievement levels. The reader can place the U.S. in an international perspective, compare the performance of the U.S. population with the performance of children in 32 other nations, and thus, evaluate our students against a world standard. It looks at the reading comprehension skill of 4th graders; the variation in these skills across various sub- populations of students; and the explanation for these variations according to what families, teachers, and schools do and provide. Charts and tables.

Since 2001, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been conducting, in cycles of five years, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The PIRLS program encompasses trend studies designed to monitor progress in reading achievement in an internationally comparative context. PIRLS 2001 and PIRLS 2006 both assessed primary school students in their fourth year of schooling (Grade 4 in the majority of countries). Progress in Reading Literacy in National and International Context is the second book to explore the influence of findings from the PIRLS surveys on different education systems. It presents a compilation of insights from 12 of the 35 countries that participated in PIRLS 2006. These insights relate to the impact of PIRLS on the systemic, governmental, administrative, and school-level aspects of the education systems featured and exemplify how PIRLS has influenced research initiatives, policy development, and national capacity-building. The primary aim of this book and its predecessor (Progress in Reading Literacy: The Impact of PIRLS 2001 in 13 Countries, edited by Knut Schwippert and published in 2007) has been to explore the opportunities that PIRLS’ findings hold for the development of education systems. Five of the 12 countries participating in the current impact of PIRLS project contributed to the 2001 project. For these countries, the current book provided opportunity to view, from a longitudinal perspective, the transformative processes initiated in response to the findings of both surveys. The book thus provides in-depth information on the various aspects of the national education systems represented herein that have originated, been restructured, or otherwise been modified as a direct or an indirect consequence of the results of the 2001 and 2006 PIRLS surveys. The book also gives a brief overview of the design, implementation, and main international findings of PIRLS 2001 and 2006. These introductory chapters are followed by country chapters, each of which is written by authors with unique insider perspectives gained from their work in their home institutions within their national contexts. Findings from these chapters are assembled in a comparative summary.

This document presents the transcript of Congressional hearings to gather information as to why children cannot read. Current federal programs were reviewed as well. After opening statements of the Hon. Bill Goodling and the Hon. Tim Roemer, the transcript for the hearing held on July 10, 1997 on why children cannot read includes the texts of oral statements and prepared statements by the following individuals or organizations: Richard Venezky, Reid Lyon, Robert E. Slavin, Catherine Snow, Vivian L. Gadsden, Janet Nicholas, Barbara Ruggles, Margaret Doughty, the Hon. Bill Clay, and Carolyn McCarthy. The transcript for the hearing held on July 31, 1997 on a review of current federal programs on literacy includes the texts of oral statements and prepared statements by the following individuals or organizations: the Hon. Bill Clay, the Hon. Lamar Smith, Maris A. Vinovskis, Herbert Walberg, Joseph Johnson, Jr., Cheryl Wilhoyte, and Andrew Hayes. After an opening statement of the Hon. Bill Goodling, the transcript for the hearing held on September 3, 1997 on teachers as the key to helping America learn to read includes the texts of oral statements and prepared statements by the following individuals or organizations: Ann W. Mintz, Debra Wakefield, Kimberly Wilson, Laura D. Fredrick, Beth S. Check, Louisa C. Moats, Nancy Thompson, and materials submitted by the Hon. Bobby Scott. (RS)

This unique publication is written for practitioners in the field of adult learning and literacy. This third volume in the series from the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL). This is a collection of the best new knowledge and practice in the field, and includes an introduction by the editors and six articles by distinguished writers and practitioners, as well as reviews of the best books and key journal articles published in the past year.

Contains information on a variety of subjects within the field of education statistics, including the number of schools and colleges, enrollments, teachers, graduates, educational attainment, finances, Federal funds for education, libraries, international education, and research and development.

Lead your students to success through masterful reading programs! The success of students almost always depends upon their mastery of literacy during the early years of school. This groundbreaking text demonstrates how the development of literacy during the crucial PreK-3 years is fundamentally related to school leadership. Principals, administrators, policymakers, and instructors will all benefit from the 20 years′ worth of research-based and tested information that Murphy compiles. Leadership for Literacy features a comprehensive approach to studying the link between leadership and literary instruction. Four primary areas of scholarship—instructional leadership, quality instruction, school effectiveness, and successful reading programs—are examined. This resource provides school leaders with the tools they need to: Achieve quality literacy programs through effective leadership Focus on the mastery of literacy among young children Influence the political decisions that affect literacy programs Prevent literacy problems in students before they lead to school failure Reach at-risk students and students of all levels and backgrounds Leadership for Learning does more than just prove the connection between leadership and literacy instruction; it demonstrates how successful literacy programs can become a reality in all schools. About the Author: Joseph Murphy is a professor of education at Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University. He is also chair of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC).

Cyber-bullying, sexting, and the effects that violent video games have on children are widely discussed and debated. With a renowned international group of researchers and scholars, the Second Edition of the Handbook of Children and the Media covers these topics, is updated with cutting-edge research, and includes comprehensive analysis of the field for students and scholars. This revision examines the social and cognitive effects of new media, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, iPads, and cell phones, and how children are using this new technology. This book summarizes the latest research on children and the media and suggests directions for future research. This book also attempts to provide students with a deliberate examination of how children use, enjoy, learn from, and are advantaged or disadvantaged by regular exposure to television, new technologies, and other electronic media.