Currently, the United States participates in four international assessments: the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which assesses reading performance in grade 4; the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assesses the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of 15-year-olds; the Trends in International…

A new interdisciplinary science and mathematics course for preservice elementary/special education teachers at LaSalle University (Pennsylvania) is examined. "Explorations in Science and Mathematics" was designed to develop core skills, critical thinking and communication, understanding of math and science as real-life activities,…

This guide provides users of the National Household Education Survey (NHES) data with suggested techniques for working with the data files. Special attention is paid to topics that will help users avoid the most commonly made mistakes in working with NHES data. The guide is meant to be an introduction and an overview, and not a substitute for the…

This guide is designed to accompany ESPN's SportsFigures video segments which were created to enhance the interest and learning progress of high school students in mathematics, physics, and physical science. Using actual, re-enacted, or staged events, the problems presented in each of the 16 Sports Figures segments illustrate the relationship…

CASAS (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System) and ACT (American College Testing) have separately developed systems to identify the skills needed in the workplace. A research project studied the relationship between CASAS' Workforce Learning Systems (WLS) and ACT's Work Keys to determine how the systems could be linked to support…

Noting that nonfiction literature for children is plentiful, this book presents 16 essays by educators who write about selecting and sharing the best in nonfiction with elementary and middle school students. The ideas in the book progress from trends in nonfiction, criteria for selection, and nonfiction in specific curricular areas to use in the…

Course placement systems in the first year of college include both an assessment component (to estimate students' probability of success in standard courses) and an instructional component (in which underprepared students are taught the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the standard courses). The effectiveness of a placement system…

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) focuses on transforming undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology programs and draws faculty from across disciplinary lines. The project report provides an overview of the project; a section that traces the project from problem definition to project conclusion and discusses administrative pitfalls;…

This project supported the creation of a computer-based interactive text for linear algebra using guided discovery in a laboratory-based course which emphasized active learning, collaborative learning, and the use of writing. This pedagogical approach had as its goal improved student understanding and retention of the concepts and methods of…

This analysis addresses two important questions regarding appropriate uses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) statewide average test score comparisons. First is whether NAEP state test score averages provide meaningful and valid comparisons of the relative educational quality or proficiency of specific states. The other…

This selected bibliography, a companion piece to "Interventions for Students with Learning Disabilities, lists 165 print resources on teaching students with learning disabilities how to learn by teaching them how to use learning strategies. Items were published from 1988 through 1997. Some items listed present overviews of the field, from research…

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) is a data collection system of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) designed to address a wide range of education-related issues. It is a telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population. In 1995, the NHES included a survey of adult education (AE). This report examines…

Intended for classroom teachers who have English Language Learners (ELLs--non-native speakers of English who are experiencing difficulty in learning academic content), this guidebook provides criteria to be included in the development of performance-based assessment tasks. It assists classroom teachers to develop assessments to: determine whether…

This technical report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1996 State Assessment Program in Mathematics presents fourth- and eighth-grade cross-state results of the NAEP 1996 State Assessment in mathematics. However, no interpretations of the data are included. This report does include the revised results from comparable…

This study investigated changes between 1987 and 1996 in the proportions of ACT-tested students taking or planning to take high school mathematics and science courses prior to high school graduation. The changes in course-taking patterns among racial/ethnic and gender subgroups were also compared. The seven courses studied were Algebra II,…