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Project Catch-Up is an ESEA Title I reading and math laboratory project for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, operating in Southern California's Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Its philosophy is that students having difficulty in reading and math can catch up with other students. Teachers take responsibility for the achievement gains of 18 low-achieving elementary students, and aides for the gains of 10 low-achieving elementary students. Staff members are free to use whatever techniques they choose and to purchase instructional materials, which they match to clearly defined objectives. Teachers and aides plan a variety of activities for each child focused on two or three specific skills that the child needs to work on. It is recommended that Project Catch-Up should be selected for a particular school district only if it can meet project requirements in the areas of instruction, management, and communication, and organization, and if resources in the following areas are available: (1) personnel, (2) material/equipment, and, (3) facilities. Project Catch-Up is one of six projects which have been selected by the U.S. Office of Education as unusually successful for teaching reading and/or math to underachieving students in low-income areas. (Author/AM)

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact, implementation and costs associated with a one-semester elective lab course in 9th grade, Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA) Lab, which seeks to improve students' reading achievement, particularly for those from economically disadvantaged communities. This study used three cohorts of 9th grade students from four high schools in New York, Connecticut, California, and Alabama during the 2019-2022 school years to assess their reading achievement employing a regression discontinuity (RD) design. Students were identified for enrollment in the ALFA Lab course if their pre-ALFA Lab reading scores were below a cutoff. Reading achievement was measured using the comprehensive online literacy assessment STAR Reading, while reading motivation was defined using the Adaptive Reading Motivation Measure (ARMM) to obtain overall General Reading Motivation (GRM) and Reading Frequency (FRQ) scores. The four participating schools made considerable progress implementing the ALFA Lab program, as all observed ALFA Lab classes demonstrated evidence of implementing most ALFA Lab components included in the Checklist for ALFA Implementation (CFAI). Using a pooled analytic approach across cohorts and sites, ALFA students outperformed the BAU group in reading achievement (STAR assessment), reading motivation, and reading frequency (ARMM), though none of these were statistically significant. Mediation analyses revealed reading motivation and reading frequency explained 30% and 22%, respectively of estimated ALFA Lab impacts, though these effects were also non-significant. Moderation analyses found no statistically significant effects for STAR or reading motivation outcomes, but did find significant, positive effects for males, non-English Language Learner (ELL) students, non-special education (SPED) students, and Hispanic students. Average overall costs for the ALFA Lab program, as well as costs per student, are provided. Additional information presented includes an assessment of What Works Clearinghouse 5.0 Evidence for RD designs, mediation and moderation analytic approaches, implementation measurement details and participating school profiles.

Launched in June 2016, the Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL) provides access to the digital resources from across the Smithsonian's 19 museums, 9 major research centers, and the National Zoo, to be used as real-world learning experiences. It is designed to aid students in building lasting knowledge and critical skills that take learners from simply finding resources to thoughtful selection, examination, organization, and creation of new resources. The goal of these Student Testing experiences, as a piece of a larger research effort, "Understanding the Needs of Student Users of Digital Smithsonian Resources," focuses on testing possible approaches to using the SLL in the classroom by students (based on the other components of this project: Volumes 1-5). Assessing information from the Literature Review (Volume 1, ED612909), the Environmental Scan (Volume 2, ED612911 and Volume 3, ED612912), and Student Observations and Interviews in Pittsburgh, PA classrooms (Volume 5, ED612914), targeted features were selected for further classroom prototyping and testing with students ranging from ages 13-17 years old in 8 separate classroom sessions at 3 diverse school sites. The overall project will assimilate the findings of Student Tests and Observations along with other research to address some key questions around methods or requirements for enhancing student motivation and engagement with digital content and tools. [This project was supported through a grant from the Smithsonian Youth Access grant program. For Volumes 1-5, see ED612909 and ED612911-ED612914, respectively.]

Project Catch-Up, an ESEA Title I program, operates in Newport Beach and in Costa Mesa, California. It is said to be designed to provide remedial instruction in reading and arithmetic to underachieving children, kindergarten through sixth grade, in schools serving low socioeconomic level suburban areas. Among its key features are the following: (1) instruction takes place in colorful and well-equipped laboratories; (2) teachers, instructional aides, and parent aides are part of the instructional staff, and staff members work four hours a day; (3) one teacher is responsible for no more than 18 students; (4) children participate in daily half-hour sessions on about a ratio of 3 students to 1 teacher; (5) children work with materials different from those used in regular classrooms; (6) students work at their own pace on materials geared to their own needs and abilities; and (7) student progress is measured by continuous criterion referenced testing and pre- and posttesting on normative levels. Project components that are discussed in this brochure and guide are project philosophy, interfaculty relations, staff quality, inservice training, teacher management calendar, student selection, successful project techniques, parent involvement, instructional materials, instructional equipment, testing of children, and reporting of results to parents. (Author/AM)

A survey of California community colleges was conducted in order to ascertain what methods were being used to identify students for placement in freshman English courses, and what types of programs and services were being offered for entering students with reading and writing deficiencies. Of 100 colleges surveyed, 64 responded. There seems to be agreement among the respondents that single multipurpose identification instrument is not yet available which will assist in English placement and which will also identify individual student learning deficiencies. Currently, 48 colleges use a standardized test, 24 also require the submission of an essay as a writing sample, 7 use a writing sample alone, and 9 colleges allow open enrollment in freshman English courses. The writing sample is recommended as the most reliable placement method, but the time and expense required have caused several colleges to discontinue it. Tutoring services for students deficient in basic learning skills are available at 58 colleges. Separate remedial reading and writing courses are offered at 51 colleges, 46 colleges have a basic skills laboratory, and 15 colleges offer two-hour reading and communications skills courses. Survey responses are tallied, and respondent comments are attached. (Author/BB)

This booklet describes seven special education programs considered exemplary within the state of California. Details of program development, staff involvement, and exemplary program components are provided, as are aspects of the selection process. Projects are drawn from efforts by elementary and secondary schools, demonstration schools, county agencies, and university departments. Programs include: (1) a community-based early childhood program with high degrees of interaction with general education students; (2) a teacher/student integration program chosen for whole language curriculum, peer education partners, and variety of instructional strategies used; (3) a collaboration model for which testing services, taped books, and supplementary materials are available; (4) a learning laboratory system which also employed diverse methods and had a motivational program for all students; (5) a cost-efficient parent education method providing equal access for parents of diverse ethnic and cultural groups; (6) a vocational education program with a community base and business partnership; and (7) a preservice training model emphasizing a sense of group identity and support networks. Appendices outline the application process and criteria for selection. (PB)

The purpose of this practicum was to determine whether or not learning centers could help men with educational deficiencies, who were incarcerated and unable to attend formal school. Learning centers were activated and found to be an effective alternative to formal school in meeting inmate educational deficiencies, both at the elementary and secondary levels. Subsequent investigation showed that learning centers, operated on a student voluntary, informal, drop-in basis, could help these men correct or upgrade their educational deficiencies without causing their key prison work assignment to suffer as a consequence. Men with critical educational deficiencies, although referred to the learning centers, neglected to make up their deficiencies. These men for the most part failed to follow through on their own to voluntarily enroll and complete their educational objectives, as outlined by the prison's classification committee. (Author)