The purpose of this project is to help teachers of mathematics use the computer to aid the teaching and learning of many mathematical concepts in a meaningful way. To this end, commercially available software packages are described which are versatile, cost effective, and easy to use. A review and several lessons, each including homework…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using calculators on the mathematical achievement and attitude of low-income sixth-grade students when they were taught problem solving. Thirty-five sixth-grade students in two intact classes were assigned to two treatment groups. The experimental group was taught problem solving using…

In the Netherlands, girls and boys have equal educational opportunities but girls take less advantage of these opportunities than boys. This paper investigates the effects of a new mathematics curriculum on girls' choice of mathematics, attitudes toward mathematics, achievement in mathematics, choice of university study, and achievement in the…

The North Carolina Test of Algebra II was developed for use as an achievement test following the completion of the Algebra II course of study. Its design serves two purposes: (1) a normative measure of student achievement; and (2) an objective-based measurement of curriculum coverage. The test's curricular validity, content validity, instructional…

The purpose of this project is to help teachers of mathematics use the computer to aid the teaching and learning of many mathematical concepts in a meaningful way. To this end, commercially available software packages are described which are versatile, cost effective, and easy to use. A review and several lessons, each including homework…

Standards and assessments used by Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states to place students in either regular college-level courses or remedial/developmental courses were investigated. Questionnaires were sent to 489 two-year and four-year institutions, of which 404 responded. Information was collected on the specific assessments (tests)…

This study examined and refined a mathematics skills instrument used to predict success in an introductory statistics course and to measure improvement in mathematics skills. Alternate forms of a 28-item true-false test were administered as a pretest and posttest to 18 undergraduate and 19 graduate students enrolled in introductory educational…

The advantages of computerized adaptive testing are discussed, and an example illustrates its use in sixth grade mathematics. These tests are administered at a computer terminal, and the test items to be administered are selected according to the difficulty level appropriate to the individual's ability. Tailoring increases the psychometric…

This study investigated the comparability of SAT Verbal and Mathematical scores for nonhandicapped examinees taking standard administrations and handicapped populations taking extended-time, special administrations. Results showed the two common-factor model to provide a reasonable fit in all populations with the mathematical factor fitting…

Describes a mathematics course for 15- or 16-year-olds who lack confidence in themselves and their ability to succeed. The article presents a "picture" of how a small group of teachers have tried to apply some of the "new" methodologies and assessment techniques in the classroom. (PK)

This discussion paper stresses the validity and usefulness of a full range of assessment practices as an integral part of the learning and teaching of mathematics. (PK)

Describes a model for adapting the construction of teacher-made mathematics tests for mildly handicapped students including the educable mentally retarded, the emotionally handicapped, and the learning disabled, to the mainstreamed classroom. (PK)

Research suggests that special tests of reasoning ability are superfluous. Reading comprehension and algebra scores on common aptitude and achievement tests are highly correlated with scores on several reasoning tests. Furthermore, three programs in reasoning skills have been shown to improve reading comprehension scores in various settings. (MCG)

At the request of the Superintendent of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Public School System (MCPS), Achieve conducted an evaluation of the MCPS K-12 Curriculum Frameworks and high school semester exams in English and mathematics. The review was designed to determine how well the MCPS Frameworks and exams align with Maryland state academic…

This report describes the first of a series of research projects which will attempt to characterize the performance of Hawaii's public school system. The measure of performance was the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics examinations and their linked versions used in the 1991 International Assessment. The NAEP was…