This chapter presents some ways to reorganize science and mathematics education guided by a wisely chosen, strategic, and secure research base. Needs for systemic reform, educational equity and quality as complementary goals, and urgent and strategic investment in research are discussed. Targets for new research and development are also identified…

This chapter addresses issues of action research from three perspectives. In the first section, what it means to engage in action research as a methodology for investigating teaching and learning in science education is overviewed and various conceptions of action research are explicitly made. The second perspective is that of an individual…

Sound, research-based educational reform principles suggest that public schools need arts education as a regular component of a comprehensive curriculum that will lead to student success, and that Universities can and should apply their vast stores of expertise and personnel on behalf of K-12 improvements in teacher support and child learning.…

In a recent report, Lewis Solmon, Kern Paark, and David Garcia (2001) seek to identify the impact of attending charter schools on student achievement using data from Arizona. Based on a sophisticated statistical analysis, these authors report that charter school attendance increases test score gains of students. This note raises some questions…

This paper describes the creation of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) in 1998 and examines the background characteristics of the Board members and their attendance at NAGB meetings. The staffing and financing of the NAGB and the relationship between the agency and the National Center for Education Statistics is also considered. The…

This collection of papers provides decision-makers with tools to improve resource allocation. The two primary tools, or modes, are cost-effective analysis and cost-benefit analysis, which researchers in education have devised and refined. This volume has three main goals, all intended to help decision-makers construct a useful research program:…

An electronic survey of a listserv discussion group, the Interdisciplinary Teamed Instruction (ITI) group, was conducted to learn more about the group and to explore surveying electronically. A 10-question survey was posted electronically, as were respondents' replies. Three reminders were posted over the 3-week reply period. The number of…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is exploring the possibility of conducting a large-scale multi-year study of teachers' careers. The proposed new study is intended to follow a national probability sample of teachers over an extended period of time. A number of methodological issues need to be addressed before the study can be…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) and the Teacher Followup Survey (TFS) have been administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1987-88, 1990-92, and 1993-95. The SASS is a large-scale survey of educational institutions in the United States. The TFS is conducted the year following the SASS to obtain more information…

This paper addresses issues related to the possible inclusion of items in the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) to measure instructional practices and teaching effectiveness. The SASS is a national survey of schools and teachers conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. This report explores the purposes that can be served by…

The Bureau of the Census conducts the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) for the National Center for Education Statistics. The SASS is a set of integrated self-administered surveys designed to obtain national information on all aspects of the school system. Public and private school administrators and teachers respond to questionnaires about their…

Currently, there are so many research studies in journals that a review board should be established to screen quality research from research without merit. Each school system should consider conducting research to confirm the quality of a selected, implemented, plan of instruction. First, school systems need to study what should be researched in…

This paper explores the practical and theoretical implications of work related to modeling teaching. The main concerns are questions of what theories and models of cognitive and behavioral phenomena such as teaching-in-context might look like and what standards should be used to judge work of this sort. (Contains 26 references.) (DDR)

In November 1997, the National Institute for Science Education (NISE) brought together for a two-day conference faculty members of NISE, individuals who have special expertise or experience pertaining to interdisciplinary collaboration and problem solving and representatives of research projects addressing the topic of interdisciplinarity. The…

This document reports on a workshop entitled "Articulation, Equity, and Literacy Issues" hosted by the College Level One (CL-1) project of the National Institute for Science Education (NISE). CL-1 identifies important issues in undergraduate education and determines the best strategies for addressing them. Workshop discussions examine…