Many black students, female students, and students of low socioeconomic status do not achieve up to their potential in mathematics. A model to explain group differences in performance is presented. Relevant research results are included, along with suggestions for future research to test the model. (PK)

The document first provides a review of recent literature on sex differences in mathematics achievement. From national and international studies, achievement trends across the grades, how achievement varies according to the skills or knowledge assessed, and the mathematical ability of high-ability students are each summarized. Then studies…

Research on sex differences in children's achievement orientations has suggested that girls have less confidence in their ability than boys, especially among bright children. To examine how sex differences in achievement orientation vary across achievement levels, 250 fifth grade children completed a questionnaire which assessed their preference…

Neglected or abused/neglected children (N=420) were compared with matched, nonmal-treated children on measures of school performance. Differences between the sexes in timing of academic difficulties was found for both math and English. Grades of neglected and abused/neglected students paralleled that of nonmal-treated students but were lower at…

The objective of the present research was to investigate the effects of test-wiseness training on achievement. The study involved 208 Black, White and Hispanic students in grades three and five. An experimental training session was employed to test whether four aspects of test-wiseness (following directions, guessing, answer changing, and use of…

This study examined rural/urban and sex differences in achievement in reading, language, and mathematics for 4918 students in grades 4, 7, and 10 from a midwestern province in Canada. Particular attention was given to subskill and sex differences in mathematics achievement. Each student was administered a mental ability test and an achievement…

The effectiveness of an instructional improvement project in the Greeley-Evans Schools, Colorado, was studied. Teachers were provided inservice education in a class called the Essentials of Instruction. Recognizing that receiving training was not the same as being an implementer of the innovation, the Levels of Use instrument identified teachers…

A brief questionnaire was mailed to all legislators in Arkansas (n=135, with 75 responding) and Texas (n=181 with 67 responding) concerning possible gender differences in legislative effectiveness. Personal interviews were also conducted with all female legislators from both states and an equal number of randomly selected male legislators (20 in…

A procedure for the detection of differential item performance (DIP) is used to investigate the relationships between characteristics of mathematics achievement items and gender differences in performance. Eight randomly equivalent samples of high school seniors were each given a unique form of the ACT Assessment Mathematics Usage Test (ACTM).…

This study reports the characteristics of the 4,751 high school students (out of 374,527) who achieved perfect scores in 1 or more subtests of the 1991 PLAN academic performance test, an academic assessment of 10th graders. Comparisons by gender, ethnicity, and subtest (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning) and a profile of…

This study analyzed the enrollment of two computer classes at a public high school in northern Indiana to see if there was any computer inequity. The two classes examined--an introduction to computers course and a computer programming course--were studied over a period of four years. The sample consisted of 388 students in four years of the…

Three experiments were conducted with 51 college age beginning statistics students to assess the validity of six popular beliefs about factors related to statistics achievement. Mathematics background and ability, logical reasoning ability, attitude toward statistics, and anxiety were all found to have some relationship to statistics achievement.…

Differential item performance (DIP) is discussed as a concept that does not necessarily imply item bias or unfairness to subgroups of examinees. With curriculum-based achievement tests, DIP is presented as a valid reflection of group differences in requisite skills and instruction. Using data from a national testing of the ACT Assessment, this…

During the 1978-79 school year, 27,058 students were involved in the Minnesota Educational Assessment in Mathematics at three grade levels. Eighth graders were tested in the fall, fourth graders in the winter, and eleventh graders in the spring. The first chapter of this report presents a general overview of the assessment program. Chapter two…

Examines how test anxiety affects children in certain evaluation situations and focuses on developing more valid and effective measurement procedures in school achievement testings. Third and fourth graders were divided into three anxiety groups and tested under time and no time pressures. Anxiety level, time pressure, and sex affected…