Since 1985, Congress has provided the U.S. Department of Education with funds for a program to improve the availability and quality of math and science teachers at the elementary and secondary level. This effort was initiated in response to concern that the math and science skills of elementary and secondary school students were insufficient to…

One of the strengths of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics (PCTM) is that it gives mathematicians and mathematics educators the opportunity to exchange and contribute to each other's professional growth. The topic for this 1985 yearbook, the first of a proposed ongoing series, has been chosen to coincide with the annual PCTM…

Given the high importance to this Nation's future of strengthening the quality of instruction, and access to that instruction, in the critical subjects supported by Title II of the Education for Economic Security Act, every effort should be made to widely and effectively share program successes. This Special Program of Exemplary Projects is one…

In the past 15 years, educators and education researchers have increasingly emphasized the importance of cognitive processes for effective education in mathematics and science. This may be characterized as a shift away from the epistemology which treats knowledge as a compilation and categorization of facts toward the notion that knowledge is the…

The revised Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS) was compiled using the original IDEAS program and the Energy Conservation Activity Packets (ECAPS). This document is one of the series of revised IDEAS booklets, and provides activities for teaching mathematics. The activities are intended to present energy principles in an interesting…

This document defines what are considered to be the essentials in a strong mathematics program for the state of Oregon for grades K-12. The common curriculum goals are organized into nine content strands: (1) number and numeration; (2) appropriate computational skills; (3) problem solving; (4) geometry and visualization skills; (5) measurement;…

In June 1984, the State Board of Education adopted the Oregon Action Plan for Excellence which established the direction for school improvement in the state for the next decade. A central concept of the Action Plan is that while the state will determine what must be taught in public schools, the schools will determine how it will be taught. This…

The theme of the meeting reported in this document was "Research in Mathematics Education from an Epistemological Perspective." In addition to the plenary session and reaction papers the conference proceedings contain papers grouped under the headings: (1) algebra; (2) computers and mathematics education; (3) early arithmetic (K-3); (4)…

This document is one of three related volumes. They present the rationale, background, and framework for a comprehensive monitoring system being developed for the National Science Foundation. The system is being designed to gather information about the effects of national, state, and local policy actions designed to change the teaching and…

This report describes and interprets findings from the 1981-82 national mathematics assessment, the third such assessment conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The results show a leveling off of the performance of American 17-year-olds, who had shown a decline between 1978 and 1982; 9-year-olds' performance has changed…

This report contains recommendations on needed changes (additions, deletions, and increased/decreased emphases) in elementary and middle school mathematics curricula and a statement of more general concerns about the secondary school mathematics curriculum. Separate sections are devoted to: (1) elementary and middle school mathematics; (2)…

Energy is a problem affecting all individuals. To help today's students understand the problem and become realistic decision-makers, materials have been developed by the Sunny Side Up (in Mathematics) program to introduce energy concepts into the mathematics curriculum. Objectives of the program are to: (1) provide highly effective practice in…

After noting that research and development reports indicate that there are strong psychological arguments for approaching algebraic concepts through the use of computer programming, the work of the Nottingham Programming in Mathematics Project with pupils aged 11-13 is briefly described. What is meant by understanding of a concept and how pupils…

These publications were written for teachers to use with migrant children in elementary grades to highlight individual differences between the countries that make up the Americas by providing historical, geographical, and cultural information about them on a quarterly basis. The three issues presented here focus on nations of Central America with…

This instructional packet is one of 14 school environmental education programs developed for use in the classroom and at the Dahlem Environmental Education Center (DEEC) of the Jackson Community College (Michigan). Provided in the packet are pre-trip activities, field trip activities, and post-trip activities which focus on the characteristics and…