English Language Arts

New REL Midwest Report Highlights Online Course Use in Iowa and Wisconsin

The use of online courses has grown rapidly over the past decade and is projected to increase, yet few states or districts collect data about how and why schools enroll students in online courses. Accurately capturing student participation is complicated by the variety of ways that schools use online learning. As online learning grows exponentially, we need more information about how schools are using it to inform policy and best practice.

The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2014

This annual report released by ACT presents data on college and career readiness levels for the 2014 high school graduates who took the ACT college readiness assessment. Because of the ACT’s alignment with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the analysis of ACT scores also sheds light on academic readiness within a CCSS context. The report is designed to help educators address key questions regarding the readiness of their students and offer recommendations for state policy and practice to increase readiness.

What Does "College and Career Ready" Mean for Students with Significant Disabilities?

This paper examines what "college and career readiness" for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) looks like as well as the appropriateness of the Common Core Standards at preparing this population for postsecondary endeavors. The authors determined the definitions of college and career readiness can serve as development goals for individuals with SCD because they embody skills required for success in college and careers.

The Relationship Between English Proficiency and Content Knowledge for English Language Learner Students in Grades 10 and 11 in Utah

This study compares high school English language learners and non-English language learners performance on content assessments. The study also examined the performance of high school English language learner students in grades 10 and 11 on the Utah Academic Language Proficiency Assessment (UALPA), and on the English language arts and mathematics content assessments administered under the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (U-PASS).

Are Texas’ English Language Arts and Reading Standards College Ready?

This study reviews the alignment of ACT and the American Diploma Project (ADP) national college readiness standards with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English language arts and reading (TEKS ELAR). The study assessed alignment based on both content and cognitive complexity. Findings reveal that the majority of the content in the ACT and ADP standards sets is also in the TEKS ELAR standards, and that the TEKS ELAR standards requires greater cognitive complexity than the ACT and the ADP.

How Prepared are Subgroups of Texas Students for College-Level Reading: Applying a Lexile®-Based Approach

This REL technical brief examines the use of Lexile-based assessment to determine the readiness of subgroups of 11th grade Texas students to read books used in first year college English courses. Differences in reading abilities were notable based on ethnicity, gender, SES, at-risk status, Limited English Proficiency status, education track (career and technical education vs. general education), and students receiving special education services.

START! The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Supporting GED Holders Entering College

This report highlights the Successful Transitions and Retention Track (START) Program at Idaho State University. The START Program, which consists of three components (classroom instruction, career and personal counseling, and math/English tutoring), is aimed at providing holistic support to students in order to increase the retention of GED holders entering college. This report also discusses some positive preliminary results on START initiatives, and provides first steps for implementing a START program.

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