Gender differences in college grades in first-year mathematics (algebra, precalculus, or calculus) and Scholastic Aptitude Test Mathematics (SAT-M) scores were studied for about 7,000 men and 5,000 women. Gender differences favoring women in grades and men in SAT-M scores cannot be explained in terms of differential course selection. (SLD)

Associations between performance-oriented and structure-oriented tasks in elementary school mathematics instruction and achievement were studied for 33 third grade classrooms. A mathematics pretest and posttest were administered, and classroom observations were conducted. Results suggest that performance-oriented tasks promote automatization of…

The use of restricted item response models to test hypotheses regarding item difficulty ordering and slope uniformity was demonstrated in a study in which 597 algebra students were asked to solve word problems reflecting various types of cognitive processing. Benefits and limitations of the procedures are discussed. (SLD)

Two approaches--Harnisch/Linn and Rasch-based--to comparing district-level student performance to system-level student performance were examined, using results for 3,607 students on a curriculum-referenced mathematics test. Both approaches addressed relative mean performance on categories of common items. A modification of one approach and an…

Using data from Virginia school districts, this paper concludes that a district's educational-resource level is associated with its socioeconomic characteristics and that interdistrict variations in educational resources are associated with two kinds of student outcomes (attainments and aspiration), but not math and reading test scores. (Contains…

The present study introduces and demonstrates a new methodology for item and test bias studies: "moderated differential item functioning (DIF)." This technique expands the DIF methodology to incorporate contextual and sociological variables as moderating or mediating effects of the DIF. Specifically, this paper explores differential…

This research compared the effects of a Programmed Learning Sequence (PLS) (Dunn & Dunn, 1993) versus Traditional Teaching (TT) on 100 sixth-grade Bermudian students' test scores on a Fractions Unit. Fifty-three males' and forty-seven females' learning styles were identified with the "Learning Style Inventory" (LSI) (Dunn, Dunn,…

In December 2004, the "Amarillo Globe News" reported on a "Dallas Morning News" story that analyzed state-mandated test scores from across Texas (Benton & Hacker, 2004; Wilson, 2004). According the "Amarillo Globe News," "the Dallas Morning News" study implicated Sunrise Elementary School, in Amarillo,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the variables that are associated with the percentage of students who pass Tennessee's Gateway exams in high school. Associations were examined between the Gateway exams and variables such as: socioeconomic status, ethnicity, dropout rate, graduation rate, attendance, average daily membership, per-pupil…

This report, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, contains summary details of Delaware students' growth in the areas of reading, mathematics, writing, science and social studies. The results reported herein are part of a long-term effort to gather data on Delaware students' educational progress and use the data to inform decisions about…

This PowerPoint report summarizes AISD student demographic and academic performance results at elementary schools as of the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

The KeyMath Revised is a power test that measures the understanding and application of mathematics skills and concepts. It is individually administered and is intended for students from kindergarten through the ninth grade to determine student mastery of mathematics concepts. The revised version is designed to be user-friendly for the student and…

Two computer-based categorization tasks were developed and pilot tested. In study 1, the task asked examinees to sort mathematical word problem stems according to prototypes. Results with 9 faculty members and 107 undergraduates showed that those who sorted well tended to have higher Graduate Record Examination General Test scores and college…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the most ambitious study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement to date. TIMSS developed and administered tests and questionnaires in three student populations to study achievement in participating countries and the factors associated…

The major innovation of the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III" (DSM-III) was the explicit specification of criteria for determining whether an individual's problems qualify for a particular diagnosis. However, neither the choice of child diagnostic categories in DSM-III nor the choice of criteria…