This manual is a resource book for organizers and leaders and parent groups who want to explore specific strategies to use to encourage children to view math as a "user-friendly" subject. The guide contains material necessary to conduct a 1- or 1.5-hour session to help parents see the importance of: showing their children how problem-solving math…

This module provides information on development and use of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) software program that seeks to link literacy skills education, safety training, and human-centered design. Section 1 discusses the development of the software program that helps workers understand the MSDSs that accompany the chemicals with which they…

This report presents the findings and recommendations of an examination of the implementation of a major form of school-based management (SBM). It is based on case studies of the science and mathematics departments of 10 high schools and 9 middle or junior high schools in 12 school systems, almost all of which are urban school districts. The study…

Operation Minerva is a science conference which originated in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) to provide young girls with positive experiences in math, the sciences, and technology. The program was adopted by a group of Rocky View teachers and parents who revised the program to meet the needs of their rural students. The program involved 40 eighth grade…

The University of Colorado, under contract with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), is conducting a study of curriculum reform in science, mathematics, and higher order thinking across the disciplines. This paper provides some of the background for this research as well as information on the conceptual framework and design…

Researchers have been limited in their ability to examine multiple constructs simultaneously due to the constraints imposed by traditional statistical methods. The most notable limitations include the need for a relatively large sample size while restricting the variables to a relatively small number. The application of a newly discovered…

Many students are not actively engaged in learning in mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this study was to develop understandings about student engagement with the mathematics curriculum and its influence on student engagement. The research was conducted in two seventh-grade classes taught by the same teacher, who used direct instruction. The…

This study examined the separate and joint use of high school course grades, course work taken, and American College Testing Program (ACT) Assessment subject area scores for making course placement decisions. The data for this study were obtained from nine institutions through their participation in a pilot study of the ACT Course Placement…

Learning-disabled students in an after-school program were provided with remedial instruction using precision teaching. The instructional program sought to increase performance of five students (grades 4-8) in specific academic skills by 50%. Skills included, among others, spelling, capitalization and punctuation, reading, and multiplication. The…

This guide focuses on the collection, measurement, and evaluation of data for programs operating under the mandate of Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Assessment of compensatory education performance of local education authorities (LEAs) is based on reporting of the following data: (1) basic and advanced skill scores;…

This report reviews student usage of microcomputers in schools and the effects of microcomputer use on their academic achievement. Data was collected using: (1) a national survey from the 1989 international "CompEd" survey of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement; (2) a 1989 survey of teacher attitudes…

This study examined the possibilities that young children's gender elicits differential academic expectations from aspiring teachers, and aspiring teachers' gender and (socioeconomic) SES affect their academic expectations for young children. A questionnaire asked 103 university students majoring in education: (1) how difficult and how interesting…

This book supports constructive discussion about assessment and provides concrete directions for change. The 10 chapters outline many of the difficulties associated with current standardized testing. While most educators refer to the new non-standardized test efforts as alternative assessments, this type of assessment is increasingly being called…

Evaluation of the Attitudes Toward Statistics Scale (ATS) of S. L. Wise (1985) was extended by examining scale responses in relation to: (1) the scale's factor structure; and (2) the correlation of ATS subscale scores with students' grades in statistics courses at several levels of graduate study, students' sex, and scores on measures of basic…

The 147 papers in this collection represent the cutting edge in the field of information technology for teacher education. The keynote address, presented by Thomas F. Ryan of Illinois State University, is entitled "Using Technology: A College of Education's Experience." Following that is an invited paper presented by Brent Robinson of the…