Nontransient 6th- and 8th-grade urban middle school students' achievement test scores were examined before (4th grade) and during (6th or 8th grade) enrollment in a performing ensemble. Ensemble participation (band, choir, none) and subject variables of socioeconomic status (SES) and home environment were considered. Fourth- and 6th-grade…

The U.S. Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report to help inform policymakers about the progress of education in the United States. Using data from across the center and from other sources of education data, "The Condition of Education 2015" presents 42 key indicators on…

This monograph presents the findings of a multiyear study of the effectiveness of reform-oriented mathematics and science instruction. It builds on an earlier RAND study, called the Mosaic project, which found "a weak but positive relationship" between reform practices and student achievement (see Klein, Hamilton, McCaffrey, Stecher,…

Educational policy around the world has increasingly focused on improving aggregate student achievement as a means to increase economic growth. In the last two decades, attention has focused especially on the importance of achievement in science and mathematics. Yet, the policy commitments involved have not been based on research evidence. The…

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk," (U.S. National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), several state and local educational authorities have increased the number of mathematics and science courses required for high school graduation. This report examines the relationships between the numbers of courses in mathematics…

This booklet provides an overview of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Key findings from the Pursuing Excellence series of reports for each grade level as well as overall comparative findings are detailed. At the fourth grade level, U.S. students were above the international average in both science and mathematics. In…

Legislative authority for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Act, one of the principal sources of Federal funding to improve mathematics and science instruction in elementary and secondary schools, expires during the 103d Congress. This report provides background data and analysis for the reauthorization of the Eisenhower…

This bulletin reviews research and lists resources on sex differences in mathematics and science achievement in middle-grade students. Research is discussed in relation to the following points: (1) differences in boys' and girls' achievement or ability; (2) influence of math/science on students' futures; (3) interventions for middle-grade years;…

This study had three purposes. First, to develop and validate a criterion-referenced test to measure science knowledge of students who finished the second cycle of the Basic General Education (6th grade). Second, to assess the performance of the entire Costa Rican population of sixth graders and, third, to analyze the results according to some…

This study explored questions about the effect of lesson structure and cognitive development on science achievement of 42 students in grades four and five in British Columbia. Increased lesson structure did not significantly increase achievement, and interaction effects were generally nonsignificant. Conservation ability significantly affected…

This paper presents the results of a case study involving Taiwanese elementary teachers who teach science at the elementary grade school level. It advocates the position that a teacher's personal science efficacy belief influences his or her science teaching outcome expectations. It promotes the position that the success Taiwan has experienced in…

This study explored the perspectives of teachers, administrators, and students as they were engaged in a 5-year funded project aimed at improving science and mathematics achievement for African American students in a school district. The study also discusses the obstacles that hindered and the supports that bolstered this project. In this study,…

This study examined the role of affect and conation in high school students science test performance, using a sample of 491 students. It provides a profile of partial corrections of standardized multiple-choice and constructed response test scores with affect and conation scores (after accounting for general ability and student background) at…

The professional development program Using Literacy Integration for Communicating Scientifically (ULINCS) is a joint program of the University of Northern Colorado and Adams Twelve Five Star School District. It had been noted that the increased emphasis on literacy skills was leading educators to place less emphasis on science. The ULINCS project…

This paper focuses on how best to evaluate student achievement in science. Many issues such as issues of test construction, validity, and reliability, and how to measure hands-on achievement must be considered. Qualitative evaluations are harder to explain, but can yield valuable information. The use of portfolios is an example of a technique that…