After identifying methodological and research design problems with follow-up studies, researchers obtained interviews from participants (74 percent) in adult basic skills education programs in New Jersey. The effects of participation on acquisition of basic academic skills, employment, personal development, and family functioning were…

Relates how inadequate teacher certification requirements and teacher education programs have been detrimental to quality public school math and science programs. (HOD)

This longitudinal analysis of children's achievement and self-perceptions of mathematics ability across grades 2, 5, and 10 used LISREL structural modeling to estimate reciprocal relationships between constructs measured by computational and problem-solving tests and self-rating scales. Findings included developmental differences in the causal…

A proposal is offered for restructuring the elementary school into two divisions. At the primary level (K-3) the focus would be on acquiring basic skills, while at the upper level (4-6) these skills would be applied to literature, social studies, mathematics, and science. (TE)

These five articles discuss the improvement of vocational education programs through the infusion of mathematics and science skills. They include an auto mechanics curriculum; an 11th-grade industrial maintenance program (orientation, electricity, plumbing); a combination automotive services-small business program; and two programs at one…

The paper notes the importance of a series of studies and reports on the current educational condition that acted as a catalyst for the increased attention on educators. The underlying theme in these studies is a call for a return to a strong basic education and a refocusing on the traditional discipline-oriented curriculum. (SSH)

Although British teachers of English, French, physics, and mathematics were somewhat successful in identifying students with high subject-specific ability, inappropriate influences were at work in coloring their judgment. These influences, however, were not so strong as to lead to gross misjudgment. (RM)

Examines college developmental studies programs, presenting several views of teaching and learning in such programs. Describes one specific mode of instruction, strategic methods, and illustrates its use in mathematics and English instruction. (FL)

In January 2000, the Commission on Higher Education initiated discussions regarding the critical role of colleges and universities in preparing and sustaining effective preschool-to-grade-twelve teachers, and those discussions subsequently resulted in four different Commission programs focused on teacher quality. New Jersey's long-range plan for…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2005 assessment was administered to a stratified random sample of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders at the national level and to a stratified random sample of fourth- and eighth-graders at the state level. The Mathematics Framework for NAEP was revised in 1996 and again in 2005. The new…

To date, there has never been an empirical study that has examined the actual activities of rural principals on behalf of improving mathematics education. This monograph presents the results of the first study of rural principals' engagement with mathematics education "reform." This study posed three research questions relating to rural…

To find out whether high school grade inflation exists, data drawn from students who took the ACT in the eleventh or twelfth grades and graduated from public high schools were examined. Because grade inflation is by definition a factor that develops over time, data from a relatively long period, 1991 to 2003, or 13 years were used. The number of…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

The State Accountability Plan submitted on May 1, 2003 and revised on June 3, 2003 details the proposed policies and procedures relating to the District of Columbia Public Schools State Education Agency (DCPS-SEA) Assessment and Accountability Policy. It includes the development, implementation and monitoring of a comprehensive accountability…

This four-page issue brief summarizes findings from Mathematica's evaluation of Teach For America. The researchers found that TFA teachers outperformed non-TFA teachers in the same schools in math and achieved the same results in reading. However, TFA teachers also reported greater challenges in managing their classrooms. TFA and non-TFA teachers…