This retrospective quantitative study examined the relationship between visual-spatial reasoning abilities, as measured by the matrix reasoning and block design subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), and geometry and math performance, as measured by geometry and overall math scores from the Massachusetts…

Three classes in different primary schools in a west London borough were given four tests, two with music and two with silence, to see if the music had a measurable effect on the behaviour and attainment of the children during tests. The results were then cross-referenced with the children's self-evaluation of their own musicality to ascertain if…

In this paper, the author recommends that every teacher of mathematics should undertake an analysis using their own data. She further recommends that they reflect on the outcomes of their analysis and share it with colleagues. Teachers can look at an individual student's results, variations in results between student sub-groups in their classes,…

A key intent of the NCLB growth pilot is to reward low-status schools who are closing the gap to proficiency. In this article, we demonstrate that the capability of proposed models to identify those schools depends on how the growth model is incorporated into accountability decisions. Six pilot-approved growth models were applied to vertically…

Previous research has demonstrated that students' cognitions about statistics are related to their performance in statistics assessments. The purpose of this research is to examine the nature of the relationships between undergraduate psychology students' previous experiences of maths, statistics and computing; their attitudes toward statistics;…

The results from tests set as part of a large mathematics teaching development project are explored using both quantitative and qualitative methods to seek differences in performance between boys and girls. The outcome appears to confirm the theory developed from earlier research into gender differences that there might be a tendency for girls to…

Handheld calculators have been used on the job for more than 30 years, yet the degree to which these devices can affect performance on employment tests of mathematical ability has not been thoroughly examined. This study used a within-subjects research design (N = 167) to investigate the effects of calculator use on test score reliability, test…

Conservatism and cognitive ability are negatively correlated. The evidence is based on 1254 community college students and 1600 foreign students seeking entry to United States' universities. At the individual level of analysis, conservatism scores correlate negatively with SAT, Vocabulary, and Analogy test scores. At the national level of…

Empirical studies estimating the effect of private school competition on student outcomes commonly use the share of Catholics in the local population as an instrument for private school competition. I show that this is not a valid instrument since it is endogenous to private school competition and suggest using instead the local share of Catholics…

The ability to do arithmetic calculations is essential to school-based learning and skill development in an information rich society. Arithmetic is a basic academic skill that is needed for learning which includes the skills such as counting, calculating, reasoning etc. that are used for performing mathematical calculations. Unfortunately, many…

This report presents results from a new quantitative synthesis of research on the effectiveness and validity of test accommodations for English language learners (ELLs) taking large-scale assessments. In 2006, the Center on Instruction published a review of the literature on test accommodations for ELLs titled "Practical Guidelines for the…

This paper describes the effect of teacher comments, students' demographic information and learning management system utilisation on student final scores in algebra courses in a K-12 virtual learning environment. Students taking algebra courses in a state virtual school in the Midwestern US region during 2007-2008 participated in this study.…

For the past 25 years, the Public Policy Forum has compiled and analyzed data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts to produce an annual report on trends in educational performance and demographics. This year's report, however, may take on greater importance than those of previous years in light of the monumental impacts of the new…

There is much debate on the merits and pitfalls of standardized tests for college admission, with questions regarding the format (multiple-choice versus constructed response), cognitive complexity, and content of these assessments (achievement versus aptitude) at the forefront of the discussion. This study addressed these questions by…

Community colleges are increasing their enrollment faster than four-year universities and have also had the highest growth rate in online learning enrollments in higher education. This increase in community college enrollment and specifically in online and developmental courses, leads to a need for research with this population; sadly, very little…