Differences among students can yield rich benefits as well as pose difficult problems during collaborative learning. Students can draw on diverse individual experiences to exchange information, to understand different expressions of shared commonalities, and to construct new possibilities jointly. However, they also face the potential pitfalls of…

Teachers today are faced not only with oversized classes, but with students of varying abilities who differ in the ways they process information. The fostering of diverse styles of learning has been neglected in the teaching of mathematics. The use of journal writing as a vehicle for assessing students' understanding of material provides an…

This paper focuses on a middle school in a reform process which includes a curriculum developed jointly by teachers and university personnel. Descriptions of the funding sources, history of the reform project's development and implementation, and the philosophy supporting the reform at various levels are provided. Profiles of the teachers and…

Believing that girls deserve to be equal participants in our increasingly technological society, the National Coalition of Girls' Schools sponsored a 3-day conference for teachers on girls and technology. The goals of the conference included: bringing together experts who have researched and studied technology, learning, and girls; examining how…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is responsible for providing national leadership and support for improving the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SME&T) education from kindergarten through graduate school. The ultimate goal is to achieve excellence in the…

The University of North Carolina (UNC) Mathematics and Science Education Network (MSEN) Pre-College program is designed to increase the number of historically underrepresented students--minorities and females--who have sufficient interest and preparation to pursue mathematics and science fields at the university level, and to move into careers in…

This paper reports on a survey administered to 226 mathematics students at a Texas high school with a 99% Hispanic student population. The survey consisted of items that gauged attitudes toward mathematics and the frequency of traditional versus non-traditional classroom activities. A series of analyses of variance were conducted with gender and…

In 1983/84, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted their second international science study to investigate two factors related to student achievement in science: (1) the relationship between students' reported perceptions of the science learning environment and their science achievement; and (2)…

This monograph presents personal insights gained during the teaching of a course in elementary mathematics teaching methods. The class was developed on the premise that children are active constructors of mathematical meaning. The course consisted of teaching sessions, action research projects, and demonstrations. To assess student learning from…

This practice test for the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency Tests consists of items similar to those that appear on the proficiency test. The writing section contains a prompt that asks the student to write about a hero or heroine. The reading test contains questions based on four reading selections and other reading skill questions not based on a…

Part of the Fastback series from Phi Delta Kappa, this publication provides background information and several educational applications of modeling for use with students from elementary school to college. It contains a rationale for employing mathematical modeling in instruction, specific examples, strategies for grouping students using technology…

Students that have high mathematics anxiety also have negative attitudes toward their potential success in mathematics. The focus of this paper is on changing attitudes towards mathematics, particularly those of arts majors. Suggestions for changing attitudes come out of an understanding of differing learning styles among students. Individuals…

The Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LaCEPT) was formed to respond to the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal to implement changes to improve teacher preparation in science and mathematics. The program was designed to encourage improvement in curriculum and instruction in science and mathematics for…

This study was designed to provide the Palm Beach County School District with an independent evaluation of the educational program for kindergarten through grade three. Chapter 1 discusses the study design and methodology. Chapter 2 reviews current literature on such topics as nonpromotion and delayed entry; screening, assessment, and placement…

Since 1988, Vermont has been developing an innovative performance assessment program that relies substantially on portfolios of student work. This interim report presents findings about the reliability of scores from the first statewide implementation of the portfolio program in the 1991-92 school year. The focus is not on program impact as an…