At What Price Success?--Summer Basic Skills Remediation and Paid Employment

Sep 15, 2026

The paper reports a pilot program in New Jersey conducted before mandatory administration of the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT), aiming to strengthen basic reading, mathematics, and writing skills for ninth graders who had previously performed poorly. About 125 students from five districts participated in six-week summer interventions combining instruction and paid employment. Post-program testing shows an overall positive difference, though reading and mathematics improved while outcomes varied by program and some results were negative. Recommendations include better planning time, work-placement focus, parental involvement, enhanced teacher recruitment and training, closer monitoring, and state-level scoring to speed data turnaround.

LanguageEnglish

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Pages24

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DOCUMENT RESUME

At What Price Success?--Summer Basic Skills Remediation and Paid Employment

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Assessed Need

Description

Objectives, Goals

Management Plan

Budget

Implementation

Pilot Sites

Staffing

Results

Recommendations and Conclusions

Appendix

ED 281998 AUTHOR TITLE PUB_DATE NOTE PUB TYPE EDRS_PRICE DESCRIPTORS IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT # DOCUMENT RESUME Merkei-Keller,claudia # At What Price Success?--Summer Basic Skil1sRemediation and Paid Employment.Apr 87 3ip:;Paper presented_at the Annual Meeting of theAmerican Educational Research Association (Washington;DC,April 20-24,1987):Smal1 print inappended tables may_affect legibility:Reports一Research/Technical(143)二二Speeches/conference Papers(150) MF01/PC02 Pius Postage. *Achievement Tests;*Basic Skills;Competency BasedEducation;_*Employment Programs;High Schools;Mathematics_instruction;_Minimum_Competency Testing;*Outcomes_of_Education;Program_Effectiveness;Reading instruction;*Remedial_Programs;SkiliDevelopment;state Programs;*Summer Programs;TestCoaching;Writing Instruction;Youth_Employment*New Jersey High school Proficiency Test In preparation for the mandatory administration ofthe_New Jersey High school Proficiency_Test(HSPT)that was to beginwith ninth graders in 1986,a pilot_program was conducted with ninthgraders who had done poorly on the HSPT during_its second, nonmandatory administration in 1985.Approximately 125 students wereselected(25 in each of five school districts in the state)for asummer_intervention and basic_skill strengthening program,coupledwith paid_employment.The students in the six-week programs weretrained_in_reading,mathematics,and writing;including essay andmultiple-choice writing.After six weeks,the students_who completedthe program_(about 80)were tested,The data indicate that_theoveral1program_made a positive difference for the students_andshould be continued:However,only reading and mathematics testscores were positive overall,while scores varied across programs andwere_actualy negative in some parts for some programs:Therefore,the following recommendations were made for improving programs:(1)more time for schoois to plan programs,(2)more attention to workplacement of students;(3)more parental involvement;(4〉more..broad=based recruitment of teachers,(5)more intensive training ofteachers,(6)cioser monitoring of the programs,and(7)scoring oftests at the state level to facilitate quicker turnaround oi thedata.(KC) ***************************************************★*****************★ 00A!i CE。 ## At What Price Success?--Summer Basic Skil1s Remediationand Faid Employment Claudia Merke1-Keller New Jersey State Department of Education "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY U.S.DEPARTMENTQF EDUCATIONOHice ol EducationalResearch and tmprovemenEQUCATIONAL RESOUBCES INFORMATIONCENTER(ERC mkeR乙 Thuis document has been teDroduced atreived trom ihe Derson or oraanizatioronginating il □ Minor changes have been made to improveteoroductuon guahty TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." ·Points of view or opinions stated in this documen do not necessarily represent ofhcialdoOERI poson or policy Paper presented at the American Education Research Association Nieeting;Washington,D.C.,Aprii 20-24,1987 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Assessed Need …………………………………………………………………………………………………:..1 Description ……::…………………………………………………2 : ●………Objectives.Goals.::: Management Plan …………………………………………………………………………………………3 Budget …………………………………………………………………6 Impiementation .……:………………………7 Pilot Sites………………………………………………………………8 · Stafing………………:::8 Resuits ::…………………………………………………………………………………………10 Recommendations and Conclusions :…:12 Appendix :……13 ERIC The newly passed Carl D.Perkins Vocational Education Act(P:L:98-524)speaks to the need to provide ocationa1 education services and activitiesto traditiona11y under served groups in order to meet their needs and henceto respond to the nation's existing and future work force demands: P.L.98-524 seeks to enhance the participation of -- 1. handicapped individuals; 2: disadvantaged individuals; 3.adults who are in need of training and retraining; 4: individua1s who

FAQs

What was the pilot program designed to do?

The pilot aimed to remediate basic skills and improve readiness for the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) for ninth graders who had done poorly in earlier administration.

How was the program structured?

Students participated in six-week summer programs that trained reading, mathematics, and writing, and included essay and multiple-choice writing, combined with paid employment.

What were the main outcomes after completion?

Data indicated the overall program made a positive difference, with positive overall results specifically for reading and mathematics, while outcomes varied across programs and some parts were negative for some programs.

Sep 15, 2026

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