This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.

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The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Introduction.  Reading comprehension is an essential skill to achieve autonomy and independence within our literate society. Unfortunately, several studies show that students with intellectual disabilities tend to achieve low reading levels. In normotypical students, the influence of reading motivation and metacomprehension habilities on reading comprehension has been extensively studied. In this sense, it is interesting and innovative to explore the influence of these variables on the population of students with IDs. Method.  The present research had two main objectives: 1) to describe the level of reading motivation and meta-comprehension skills present in students with intellectual disabilities (N=27); and 2) to predict the impact of these variables on their performance in reading. A standardized reading comprehension test (LECTUM), the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ), and different instruments to assess aspects of Metacomprehension (metacomprehension inventory, inconsistency detection test and confidence in performance judgments) were applied. Results.  The analysis of the data through descriptive statistics allowed characterizing the performance of the students in each of the variables considered. In turn, the stepwise linear regression analysis showed that, together, the total number of inconsistencies detected as a measure of metacomprehension monitoring and two dimensions of metacognitive knowledge (knowledge about cognition and regulation after problematic understanding), predict 67% of the variability in participants’ reading comprehension performance. Discussion and Conclusion.  Implications for special educational practice and reading comprehension theory are discussed.

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