Richard J. Coley and Ashaki B. Coleman, Educational Testing Service Policy Information Center, September 2004
This ETS report provides a snapshot of the American fourth-grade reading class. The authors surveyed the vast array of data collected as part of the 2000 NAEP, and their analysis is accordingly wide-ranging. They analyze information about various types of instruction, levels of teacher preparation, class size, remedial instruction, and other factors, and break the results down based on factors such as school type, school location, and student ethnicity. Most fourth grade reading teachers, the authors find, are fully certified and experienced. Most of them also think that they are receiving sufficient resources. Some of the report's findings are troubling, however: Black students are more likely to attend schools with lower teacher retention rates, and Hispanic students are more likely to be in classes of 30 or more. However, the authors note several times that "the overall health of fourth grade reading instruction appears to be good." This report is uncontroversial, because it is virtually all analysis and no prescription. But it's a very useful snapshot of elementary reading instruction in America, and it's certainly worth poring over for a few minutes. You can do so here.