Researchers from multiple disciplines have found that fractions and algebra knowledge are linked. One major strand of research has identified children's "units coordination" structures as crucial for success with fractions and algebra via multiplicative reasoning, whereas a second strand of research points to "magnitude…

Researchers from multiple disciplines have found that fractions and algebra knowledge are linked. One major strand of research has identified children's "units coordination" structures as crucial for success with fractions and algebra via multiplicative reasoning, whereas a second strand of research points to "magnitude…

Eighth-grade students who are placed into Algebra 1 but fail end-of-course exams may experience lowered grade point averages (GPAs) and loss of motivation for math or avoid taking advanced mathematics courses in high school. Middle-achieving students present challenges in terms of mathematics placement. Self-efficacy theory and locus of control…

Prior research in mathematical assessments has indicated varying results of predictive variables and further research has been recommended to support students, parents, teachers, and school administration. The purpose of this research was to determine how well a student's performance on a mathematics domain at the state level may be predicted…

In this study we investigated the relationship between urban eighth grade students' Hands-On Exposure to Algebraic Thinking (HEAT) competition performance and their subsequent performance on standardized measures of mathematics achievement (ACT Composite Score, ACT Math Scores, and Louisiana Algebra End of Course Exams). It was found that the…

Students in any grade level vary widely in their mathematics achievement, with the typical classroom including four to seven grade levels of mathematics proficiency. Due to this large range of mathematics learning needs, some schools offer certain courses in earlier grades than is typical. In this study, we analyzed multiple, large, national…

We know from previous survey research that teachers who hold high expectations for all of their students significantly increase the odds that those young people will go on to complete high school and college. One indicator of teachers' expectations is their approach to grading--specifically, whether they subject students to more or less rigorous…

Algebra I is a crucial course for middle and high school students for successful STEM related coursework. A key issue is whether students should take Algebra I in 8th versus 9th grade. Large-scale policy studies show conflicting results, and there are few (particularly longitudinal) individual difference studies. Here, 53 students were assessed in…

This study examines the power of cognitive and noncognitive variables to predict students' performance in algebra. We investigated students' prior year's assessment scores and demographic characteristics to predict eighth-grade algebra scores. Using California statewide assessment data, we explored predictive factors in three regression models.…

A wide research base has documented the unequal access to and enrollment in K-12 gifted and talented services and other forms of advanced learning opportunities. This study extends that knowledge base by integrating multiple population-level datasets to better understand correlates of access to and enrollment in gifted and talented services,…

In spring 2015 Mississippi began testing the college readiness of all grade 11 public high school students and found that approximately 18 percent were ready for college math, a percentage that had changed little by 2017/18. This study examined: (1) the sequences of math courses that Mississippi students took in grades 6-11; (2) the math…

This study used the Eccles et al. expectancy-value (E-V) theory to test the influence of motivation on mathematics achievement and enrollment using data from a cohort of 926 seventh-grade prealgebra students (49% male, 76% Hispanic, 76% low income, and 55% English learner). E-V beliefs were assessed in seventh grade along with achievement, and…

This research examined the extent to which benchmark assessments can be accurate forecasters of student performance on a state assessment in Algebra 1. The study applied correlational analysis, regression analysis, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis to the benchmark and state assessment results of a rural school district in…

Description: Effective with the 2014/15 school year, Mississippi adopted new academic standards and courses aligned to these new standards. The new courses included both a subject-specific mathematics sequence (that is, algebra I, geometry, and algebra II) as well as an integrated mathematics sequence (that is, integrated I, integrated II, and…

This study sought to determine if there is a relationship between students' scores on the eighth-grade Indiana State Test of Education Progress Plus (ISTEP+) exam and success on Indiana's Algebra End-of-Course Assessment (ECA). Additionally, it sought to determine if algebra success could be significantly predicted by the achievement in one or…