In the UK, education is the third largest area of government spending (of which school spending has the largest share). Since 2000, school expenditure has increased by about 40 per cent in real terms for both primary and secondary schools (see Figure 1). The question as to whether such investment is worthwhile is of central importance. The…

Austin Independent School District allocated federal NCLB Title I, Part A funds to 68 school-wide campuses (52 elementary, 11 middle, and 5 high schools) where the percentages of low-income children ranged from 45% to 99%. Other funds were allocated to provide services district wide to students, staff, and families. This report summarizes Title I…

Much research has focused on student views about physics concepts, with an emphasis on the identification of alternative conceptions, and how curricula and professional development may ameliorate the situation. However, there has been little work on determining the extent of, and in separating, the student and teacher/classroom level variables…

Pedagogical strategies have been experimentally applied in large-enrollment biology courses in an attempt to amplify what teachers do best in effecting deep learning, thus more closely approximating a one-on-one interaction with students. Carefully orchestrated in-class formative assessments were conducted to provide frequent, high-quality…

This study examined the effects of computer access and computer use on the science achievement of elementary school students, with focused attention on the effects for racial and linguistic minority students. The study used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) database and conducted statistical analyses with proper weights and…

In a real sense, PISA 2003 has touched the mathematics education community by stealth rather than by storm. Although PISA brings "baggage" commonly associated with international assessments, it takes some refreshing perspectives especially in the way that it envisions and assesses mathematical literacy. In this panel discussion we focus…

Primary school data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were analyzed in this study to examine performance difference between third and fourth grades. The score comparison was conducted across all TIMSS items in each of the 26 participating countries. The empirical findings indicate that not all TIMSS items have…

Mathematics and science achievements have been assessed in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and its repetition (TIMSS-R). The released TIMSS and TIMSS-R reports are largely divided into subject domains. To merge the research outcomes, this study focused on an examination of the relationship between mathematics and…

Results for the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment are reported. Since 1969, the NAEP has been the sole ongoing national indicator of what U.S. students know and can do in major academic subjects. The science assessment was first administered to nationally representative samples of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders…

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of teachers' use of interactive and non-interactive science homework assignments on family involvement in student homework, homework completion and accuracy, student science achievement, and student and parent attitudes about science homework. Two hundred and fifty-three students from ten…

This paper presents a framework for evaluating cognitive claims to the interpretation of assessment scores and provides evidence of its applicability to science achievement. The idea of the "assessment triangle" (Pellegrino, Chodowsky, and Glaser, 2001) was adopted in the form of an assessment square with four tightly linked corners: construct…

The academic performance of first-semester nursing students who attended 5 or more (n=18) or fewer than 5 (n=19) tutorials was compared. A significant relationship was found between grades in prerequisite science courses and first-semester performance. Those who attended fewer tutorials had higher prerequisite course grades. (Contains 17…

Problems in using comparative data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study include the following: inadequate funding of the research; unique cultural factors; questionable sampling procedures; noncomparative curricula; irregularities in test administration; and student preparation for tests. Results do not identify the root…

This study (n=711), using students from grades 4-7, focused on the following questions: (1) Do any of the variables of gender, ethnicity, ability, and grade have a relationship with student attitudes toward science as a subject? and (2) Is there a significant relationship between students' attitudes toward science and science achievement?…

Evaluated an intervention aimed at giving girls a better chance in science that focused on introductory physics at the secondary level and featured material and methods developed for use with girls. Results for German seventh graders (150 girls and 139 boys in the experimental group) show better learning achievements for both girls and boys in the…