Selected mathematics education research on the role and nature of women in mathematics is reviewed. Studies are quoted which indicate that there are no inherent factors which keep girls from learning mathematics at the same level as boys, and that intervention programs can be effective. (MP)

The academic achievement of students in health occupations programs at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to academic performance levels at HSTW sites in 1994. Health occupations students at HSTW sites improved their average reading scores from 269 in 1993 to 278 in 1996. During the study period, the gap widened between HSTW…

Reviews the findings from two international studies of mathematics achievement that have been conducted over the past 20 years. The majority of twelth-grade, college-bound American students scored among the lowest quarter of countries in the latest study. Includes tables and graphs. (MD)

Good news about reading achievement of career-bound students at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites includes the following: (1) 60% of the 260 sites that tested students in 1993/94 and again in 1996 saw improvement in reading scores; (2) the performance of all students majority and minority improved significantly; (3) HSTW sites widened the gap…

A study of fourth and fifth grade classes suggests that competitive math activities give boys an advantage where cooperative math activities generally give girls an advantage. Suggestions to help teachers balance their teaching methods to decrease disparities between boys and girls are made. (MT)

Reasons for the gender gap on mathematics achievement test scores among the gifted are discussed, including the influence of teachers and peers. Recommendations are offered for changing the classroom environment and for implementing interventions that would affect the external factors surrounding gifted girls. Possible future research areas are…

This report on sex equity in mathematics and science education focuses primarily on the situation in Washington State schools. The report is divided into eight sections. Section I explains why the problem is an equity issue: Despite progress in other areas, girls continue to lag behind boys in enrollment and achievement in mathematics and science…

Reported is a study designed to investigate the relationship between science attainment and intelligence as well as differences between the performance of boys and girls in physical science. (PB)

This book looks at why women's colleges continue to produce graduates whose career achievement is significantly higher than that of peers educated in coeducational settings. The book suggests that there is a loss of women's talent in coeducational institutions and that institutional priorities, patterns, and principles at women's colleges offer…

Discusses the role of school recess periods in children's social development and academic achievement. Also examines changing attitudes toward the use of recess periods in the United States and other nations, and presents strategies for classroom teachers to use in advocating school recess periods in their schools and communities. (MDM)

The evaluation expectations for supervisors observing teacher effectiveness in the classroom are discussed. The classroom observer can identify and describe teaching effectiveness. A trained supervisor should have many frameworks for observing teachers based on the needs of the teacher, type of lesson, and maturity of the students. The use of…

Presented is a review and synthesis of research in science education conducted with students in grades 6 through 12 during the years 1964-78. In the meta-analysis process, eight constructs linked to learning outcomes were used as the theoretical constructs for the literature selection. The constructs include quality and quantity of instruction;…

This article discusses the paucity of gifted females taking advanced math and science courses and the widening gender gap in computer science courses and the information and technology (IT) field. A list of Internet resources that examine this issue is provided, along with resources for fostering IT skills in girls. (CR)

Possible reasons for the underparticipation of gifted girls in science fields are discussed in terms of: disparity in cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, attitudes toward science, differences between in-school and out-of-school learning experiences, gender differences in mathematics preparation, and socialization factors. Suggestions…

The Canadian Readiness Test Learning Rate subtest and the Auditory Reception and Spatial Relations Concepts subtests on the Experimental Reading Readiness Test show high reliability in measuring the reading readiness of beginning first graders. The Experimental Test has a high coefficient of reliability as a total test. (SB)