This document represents the second of two volumes presented in "Study of the Impact of the Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program" (Norman L. Webb and Iris R. Weiss). In an effort to evaluate the impact of the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSIs) on student achievement and the lessons that could be learned from the National Science Foundation's…

This study set out to answer the question, "What are the components of high school courses that prepare students for successful entry into postsecondary education without the need for remediation?" Ten schools were identified where, in 2001 and 2002, students achieved scores on the ACT Assessment that made it likely they would succeed in…

The American Diploma Project, an influential consortium that includes Achieve, Inc., The Education Trust, and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation believes that expectations about what youngsters learn in high school must be raised dramatically. According to the group, "the diploma has lost its value because what it takes to earn one is disconnected…

Computer-based learning environments for science and mathematics education support predominantly individual learning; from first generation drill and practice programs to today's advanced, knowledge-based tutorial systems, one learner interacting with one computer has been the typical setting. Mathematics educators, however, increasingly…

In a development and research project over a period of three years, with classes 8 to 10 in school, the aim was to develop students' competence to use computer tools. The aim was that the students should be able to judge what ICT tools are appropriate to use for a specific task. Seven classes with six teachers took part in the project. In a…

This collection of papers describes research on school and system level change in Chicago's high schools. Papers include "Introduction: Setting Chicago High School Reform within the National Context" (Valerie E. Lee); (1) "The Effort to Redesign Chicago High Schools: Effects on Schools and Achievement" (G. Alfred Hess, Jr. and…

This document is intended as a support kit for workplace coaches and mentors working with new apprentices and trainees in Australian work organizations. The guide begins by listing characteristics of good workplace coaches/mentors, including taking a personal interest in the apprentice/trainee's development; communicating well and developing a…

This study's findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom. Consonant with previous research, they indicate that both engagement in school and students' perception of their own academic competence influence achievement in mathematics for high school students. But the study departs from earlier work…

These Proceedings document an educational research forum held at Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) on December 8, 2004. Table of contents and 26 research studies of high school teaching are included. Studies include: The Use of Authentic Materials in the K-12 French Program (Katherine Elizabeth Baird), Surveying Students: What…

The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the reasons why successful mathematics students have been able to thrive in schools labeled academically unacceptable and (2) why they have chosen to stay in these academically unacceptable schools despite having the option to leave for a better performing school. Qualitative methods including…

This overview of the National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators 2006 describes some major U.S. and international science and technology (S&T) developments. It focuses on trends since about 1990, although it occasionally takes a longer view. The overview synthesizes selected major findings in a meaningful way and is not intended to…

Recently Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) completed a project to connect the scale of the MEA with NWEA's RIT scale. Six Maine school systems participated in the study, using test information from a group of over 800 students enrolled in fourth and eighth grade who took both the MEA and NWEA reading and mathematics tests in the spring of…

This study was designed to answer two key questions about the fixed portions of the fourth, eighth, and tenth grade spring 2003 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) in Reading, Language Usage and Mathematics: (1) To what extent do test items exhibit substantive differences in functioning across student groups formed based on ethnicity and…

The Comprehensive Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Achievement (CPMSA) is a National Science Foundation program launched in 1993, designed to improve the mathematics and science education of urban students in medium-sized cities. The goals of the program, in addition to increased enrollments in mathematics and science classes, were to…

This journal, which deals with topics in educational research, includes articles written in Spanish (translated here) such as the following: "Management of the Competence of Professional Action (CAP)]" (Benito Echeverria Samanes); "Concepts and Beliefs of Andalusian Secondary School Teachers on Mathematics Assessments"…