This paper presents findings of a study, conducted by the International School Effectiveness Research Programme (ISERP), that examined school effectiveness in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Data were analyzed at several levels: (1) at the individual level (student…

This paper reports the results of a large-scale portfolio pilot in which over 2,000 secondary students submitted portfolios in language arts, mathematics, and science classes. Students were asked to select work for their portfolios based on the criteria that would be used to evaluate the work. Students also reflected on how their work satisfied…

Some minority and female students traditionally have not been given the help they need to enroll and succeed in mathematics and science classes. Now, however, a variety of approaches are available to give these students the extra attention they need. Parents can help children develop an interest in science and mathematics by: (1) identifying role…

A practice test has been prepared to give students experience with test items that are similar to those on the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency Tests. The practice test consists of one writing prompt, 20 reading questions, 20 mathematics questions, 25 citizenship questions, and 20 science questions. This manual contains instructions to the teacher, as…

This study surveyed faculty at an elite private research (Ivy League) university on their attitudes toward teaching and their teaching practices. A total of 115 faculty from several schools within the university completed a 68-item questionnaire on how they learned to teach, what motivated them to invest time and effort in their teaching, what…

The Cognitive Science Laboratory of the University of Southern California has conducted a series of studies on the experimental effects of motivation on a low-stakes (to the student) standardized test. This report summarizes these studies and their results. The test in question is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). A series of…

The effectiveness of seven Perkins Act-funded single parent/displaced homemaker programs throughout New Jersey in reducing clients' math anxiety was evaluated through a pretest and posttest designed to determine level of math anxiety. During the 1993-94 school year matched pretest and posttest scores were obtained for 98 of the 177 individuals…

This keynote address focuses on equity in science and mathematics education. The science and math achievement of minority and poor children are discussed from an instructional policy perspective with emphasis on who gets access to what knowledge. The discussion about the politics of knowledge acquisition involves a discussion of race, class, and…

This paper presents the long and short versions of the charge to the University Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum designed to establish Rutgers' university-wide goals of excellence against which each college will be asked to measure its curriculum. The purpose of the Committee's task was to help the colleges meet the challenges of high…

Technological changes affecting the health care industry spurred the development and implementation of a curriculum to upgrade the skills of Philadelphia health care workers in written communication, mathematics, computer literacy, oral and listening communication, and issues surrounding their union employment in the health care field. The…

Five curriculum modules for Momentum, Inc., a San Francisco (California) outerwear design and contract manufacturer, are presented. Momentum was one of four small businesses involved in Project EXCEL, a workplace literacy project that focused on literacy and basic skills training for limited-English-proficient (LEP) workers. The modules are as…

This study offers field estimates of the factor validity and internal consistency reliability of the Self-Esteem Index (SEI) using SEI data from 208 regular and special education students in grades 3, 4, and 5. Exploratory factor analytic results support the existence of four factors as anticipated; however, various inconsistencies are noted…

A strategy is proposed for combining scores from multiple-choice achievement measures with performance assessments. The specific situation discussed involves the revision of a curriculum-based multiple-choice and performance assessment testing program for grades 1 through 6 for a large school district. Reading, language-arts, and mathematics…

This implementation manual has been developed to describe four model mathematics and science programs designed to increase African-American students' interest in mathematics and science. The manual will help affiliates of the Urban League to mobilize existing community resources to achieve the goals of the national education initiative. The four…

This guide, which is designed for use with secondary school students, contains four units of activities that teach the fundamentals of insurance within the context of a broad range of subjects, including social sciences, history, civics, government, mathematics, consumer economics, business, economics, life skills, family management, home…