Two approaches--Harnisch/Linn and Rasch-based--to comparing district-level student performance to system-level student performance were examined, using results for 3,607 students on a curriculum-referenced mathematics test. Both approaches addressed relative mean performance on categories of common items. A modification of one approach and an…

According to U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Education statistics, public school enrollment is increasing; minority student increases are pushing elementary school enrollment to record highs. Trends are also summarized for preschool education, student and family characteristics, number of schools and teachers, revenues and expenditures,…

Information from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of high school seniors and their intended majors specified on the Student Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ) suggests that there are growing numbers of students earning high math scores but relatively few plan to major in mathematics or science. (Author/MLW)

Stresses the importance of metacognitive skills (knowledge of one's own cognitive processes) in mathematical performance. Discusses the differences between metacognitive thinking and metacognitive experiences and the ways they each influence performance. Describes how accurate metacognition improves students' mathematical performance, and outlines…

Asserts that efforts at establishing cross-curricular programs with art and other subjects are well established. Questions whether the goals and content of visual art instruction are trivialized or lost in such programs. Provides three criteria that can be used to test the integrity of interdisciplinary programs. (CFR)

Provides seven fully developed library media activities that are designed to be used with specific curriculum units in mathematics, music, reading/language arts, social studies, and science. Library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, evaluation, and follow-up are described for each…

The Image Processing for Teaching project provides a powerful medium to excite students about science and mathematics, especially children from minority groups and others whose needs have not been met by traditional teaching. Using professional-quality software on microcomputers, students explore a variety of scientific data sets, including…

Considers the potential of alternative route preparation and teacher certification programs for meeting the needs of urban schools by examining the Provisional Teacher Program in New Jersey and the experiences of 75 elementary school teachers, 24 secondary school English teachers, and 30 secondary school mathematics teachers over 4 years. (SLD)

Asserts that social mathematics, taught with a multicultural focus, provides opportunities to help children learn about cultural pluralism. Includes three class activities that require students to analyze and interpret numerical data about immigration and the ethnic composition of the United States. (CFR)

Major changes in educational and psychological theories that have come about since the cognitive and affective taxonomies of educational objectives were published in 1956 and 1964 are traced. The changes emphasize the need to understand thinking in the context of students' beliefs and self-directed cognitions. (SLD)

Describes the development and modification of a teacher education program based on a constructivist epistemology. Among the conclusions are that systemic change is a slow process. If reforms are to be permanent, it is necessary to change the referents of the culture and empower teachers to take personal actions to overcome perceived constraints.…

Six experiments with 42 kindergartners, 190 first graders, and 15 second graders in Germany investigated why arithmetic word problems with an unknown reference set are more difficult for children than are problems with an unknown compare set. Lack of access to flexible language use makes these problems so difficult. (SLD)

Methods that will improve student achievement include: start early; focus on reading and math; bring in trained tutors; invest in teachers; shrink the size of classes and schools; and increase the amount of time spent learning. Offers guidelines for evaluating initiatives for improving student achievement, discusses technology, and provides…

Describes the design of a hypermedia tool for helping preservice teachers learn about the growth and development of children's mathematical reasoning based on research in cognitive science, and discusses results of an experiment that used single-subject methodology to compare preservice teachers' learning with the hypermedia tool versus learning…

Examined ethnic similarities and differences in children's perceptions of their parents' educational socialization practices and attributions for success and failure, and the impact of these variables on mathematics achievement in a sample of 591 poor fifth and sixth graders. Discusses findings of ethnic differences in terms of the culture and…