{"title":"Going Beyond Test-Taking Strategies: Building Self-Regulated Students and Teachers","authors":"S. G. Davis, Erika S. Gray","doi":"10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P31-47","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P31-47","url":null,"abstract":"Since the inception of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), standardized tests have been on the minds of students, parents, and educators, who are consistently concerned with how to increase test scores. In this article, the authors suggest that it is time to look beyond tests to enable willing, focused, and persistent - that is self-regulated - students and teachers. Self-regulated students and teachers take control of their learning, set goals, monitor progress, reflect on outcomes, are intrinsically motivated to learn, and demonstrate higher levels of achievement (Harter, 1996; Markman, 1979; Mason, Snyder, Sukhram, & Kedem, 2006; Perry, Nordby, & VandeKamp, 2003; Zimmerman, 2000, 2002). Supporting such self-regulation not only promotes more independent, competent, and motivated students and teachers, but is also likely to raise test scores (Paris & Paris, 2001). The authors suggest specific strategies for, and benefits of, the development of self-regulation in both students and teachers.","PeriodicalId":31424,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction","volume":"31 1","pages":"31-47"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84831548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Making Room for the Middle Grades: High-Stakes Teaching in an Era of High-Stakes Testing","authors":"H. Casey","doi":"10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P14-30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P14-30","url":null,"abstract":"This case study describes a middle school language arts teacher attempting to maintain high standards of instruction while attending to the increasing demands of high-stakes assessments. Understanding how this teacher, Lisa, maintained effective pedagogy while attending to the external demands of standardized assessments offers ideas for maintaining responsive pedagogy in an era where assessment is moving toward uniform expectations for all middle school students. The tensions that emerged between Lisa’s professional beliefs and the opportunity to enact these in her daily practice raise questions about the current trend in assessment procedures in middle school language arts classrooms.","PeriodicalId":31424,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction","volume":"119 1","pages":"14-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77467845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Increasing Fluency in First Graders: Practice Makes Perfect, or at Least Better","authors":"A. Broemmel, Kristi Boruff, Ellie Murphy-Racey","doi":"10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P65-74","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P65-74","url":null,"abstract":"There is a strong research base indicating that students who read more are better readers, but in the seven years since the report of the National Reading Panel (NICHHD, 2000), there has been much controversy surrounding the impact of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) on students' reading achievement. This study attempted to assess the effects of time spent reading on first grade students' attitudes and fluency. Two first grade teachers dedicated 45 minutes at the end of every day to independent reading for a 7 week period. Pre- and post-assessment data were collected using two instruments: surveys for attitude and timed readings for fluency. One first grade classroom in the same school served as the control group. Results indicate that although there were no significant patterns in attitudinal changes, there was evidence of increased fluency across all ability levels, both in words read per minute and, more notably, in accuracy rates.","PeriodicalId":31424,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction","volume":"41 1","pages":"65-74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88158297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toward a Good or Better Understanding of Best Practices","authors":"D. Reinking","doi":"10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P75-88","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3776/JOCI.%Y.V1I1P75-88","url":null,"abstract":"This commentary argues that seeking best practices in literacy instruction is not a good pursuit for the field. Instead, it argues that it would be better for the field to identify good practice, better practice, and malpractice. Further, it discusses the possible meanings of best practice and why each meaning is inadequate, relatively meaningless, or potentially misleading when compared to the concepts of good and better practice. These possible meanings include best practice as relatively good practice, as what most or expert teachers do, as achievement of valued outcomes, and as scientific evidence. Lastly, this commentary discusses why focusing on good and better practice would be better for the field and suggests some implications of that shift in perspective.","PeriodicalId":31424,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction","volume":"20 1","pages":"75-88"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2007-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86263826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}