The general performance of Hong Kong students in scientific literacy in PISA 2000 has been reported in a previous article. With reference to the released items, this article focuses on a more elaborate analysis of Hong Kong's performance in comparison with that of OECD countries. Hong Kong students were relatively good in "using scientific…

When parents or policy-makers are asked to describe an excellent education, they often describe in fairly abstract terms the presence of a rich curriculum with highly qualified teachers, outstanding school resources and extensive educational opportunities. Nevertheless, excellent inputs to education provide no guarantee for excellent outcomes. To…

This report summarizes the activities and findings of the external evaluation of the "Science: It's Elementary" (SIE) program during the period from July 2008 through June 2009. The SIE program is managed by ASSET Inc. and overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. SIE is an initiative aimed at improving elementary science…

This study investigates the effects of integrating literacy instruction with biology coursework on high school student learning. It would investigate the relationship between the growth in reading achievement and biology learning. It will target schools serving especially large populations of African American and Latino students. The project will…

National and international indicators show that there is a big inadequacy in science and technology education in Turkey as compared to other countries. This important problem affects the young students' structure of thinking perspective and perceptions of nature in a wrong way. The problems in science and technology education will block creative…

This report summarizes AISD student TAKS results among former English language learner students in spring 2006. This is part 1 of a 2-report series. [For part 2, see ED619483.]

Seventy undergraduate class sections were examined from the database of Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT) results of Deming and Hufnagel to determine if course format correlated with ADT normalized gain scores. Normalized gains were calculated for four different classroom scenarios: lecture, lecture with discussion, lecture with lab, and lecture…

This paper reports research into the effect on 11-year-old pupils of introducing more cognitively challenging, practical, and interactive science lessons. Our hypothesis was that such lessons would increase the children's enthusiasm for science and their engagement with the scientific process, thereby improving educational performance. Schools in…

This compilation of statistical information covers prekindergarten through graduate school to describe the current American education scene. The "Mini-Digest" is designed as an easy reference for materials found in detail in the "Digest of Education Statistics, 2009". These volumes include selections of data from many…

This is a research brief of a longer report, also published as "Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language Summary Report, 2009-2010". Twenty-nine percent of students enrolled in Austin Independent School District were English language learners in 2009-2010. The majority of them (62%) continued to make progress in English…

In this study, the authors examined the relationship of 1,128 sixth and seventh grade students' grades in four subject areas (i.e., math, reading, science, and social studies) and their scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) Reading, Math, and Writing measures for the 2006-2007 school year as a function of their weight…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) More Good, Less Bad, and Still Need for Improvement: Latest International Test Reveals U.S. Progress in Math and…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Cities in Crisis": New Report and National Campaign Focus on the High School Dropout Crisis in the United…

The Reaching for Excellence in Middle and High School Science Teaching and Learning Partnership Project at East Tennessee State University has a long history in the development of teacher leaders. This article describes the professional development model, the challenges addressed, and the impact on both teacher and student learning. (Contains 3…

A major goal of science education reform is to produce curricula that improve the learning of all students. In this study, the authors explore the use of design-based learning (DBL) to achieve this end. They examined two middle school science classes taught by a teacher who switched for the first time from a standard, scripted inquiry approach to…