To understand multiple representations in algebra, students must be able to describe relationships through a variety of formats, such as graphs, tables, pictures, and equations. NCTM indicates that varied representations are "essential elements in supporting students' understanding of mathematical concepts and relationships" (NCTM…

In the context of a department of applied mathematics, a program assessment was conducted to assess the departmental goal of enabling undergraduate students to recognize, appreciate, and apply the power of computational tools in solving mathematical problems that cannot be solved by hand, or would require extensive and tedious hand computation. A…

Access to advanced study in mathematics, in general, and to calculus, in particular, depends in part on the conceptual architecture of these knowledge domains. In this paper, we outline an alternative conceptual architecture for elementary calculus. Our general strategy is to separate basic concepts from the particular advanced techniques used in…

Little is known about the importance of instructional quality in American higher education because few recent studies have had access to direct measures of student learning that are comparable across sections of the same course. Using data from two developmental algebra courses at a large community college, I found that student learning varies…

This article describes activities in which students deepen their relational understanding of the equals sign through exploring inequalities in a competitive dice game, built around the familiar fairy-tale "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Big Bad Wolf." The activity can be adapted to different abilities by choosing more or less…

This study describes the trends in course credit attainment (CCA) of high school students in required and non-required science and math courses and trends in registration in non-required science and math courses in Texas between 1997 and 2009. Using Texas Public Education Information Management System data between 1997 and 2009, it presents…

We investigate the relationship between teacher licensure test scores and student test achievement and high school course-taking. We focus on three subject/grade combinations-- middle school math, ninth-grade algebra and geometry, and ninth-grade biology--and find evidence that a teacher's basic skills test scores are modestly predictive of…

A crucial step towards improving the conceptual use of digital technology (DT) in the mathematics classroom is to increase teacher involvement in the development of tasks. Hence, this research considers some teacher factors that might influence DT algebra task development and implementation in secondary schools. We observed and assisted one group…

The past three decades in mathematics education policy and research have seen a considerable focus on algebra and its place in secondary schools. Access to and success in the first high school course, most often termed Algebra I, has been framed as a civil rights issue, a harbinger of college success, and a lynchpin to global competitiveness.…

This report provides a brief overview of key component's of Austin Independent School District's federal Title I, Part A program for 2015-2016, including funding, student and teacher demographics, student academic performance, and accountability.

Homework is considered an important aspect of learning mathematics, but little research has considered how students utilize feedback as part of the homework process. This mixed methods, quasi-experimental study examines how community college students in a developmental intermediate algebra course participated in a feedback reflection activity…

This study focuses on mathematics teachers' professional development through elements of Japanese lesson study. The teachers designed a research lesson with regard to sense-making of the derivative using the integration of GeoGebra. In the second year of the four-year lesson study project, seven secondary school teachers--from different Dutch…

The United States is in the midst of an effort to intensify middle school mathematics curricula by enrolling more 8th graders in Algebra. California is at the forefront of this effort, and in 2008, the state moved to make Algebra the accountability benchmark test for 8th-grade mathematics. This article takes advantage of this unevenly implemented…

Often secondary mathematics methods courses include classroom peer teaching, but many pre-service teachers find it challenging to teach their classmate peers as there are no discipline issues and little mathematical discourse as the "students" know the content. We will share a recent change in our methods course where pre-service…

This study examined the relationship between observable teacher characteristics and productivity as measured by an increase in student achievement on a standardized test using a value-added approach. This analysis focused on teachers of algebra, geometry, and 11th grade English Language Arts in Arkansas. The authors generated a value-added score…