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Eric.ed.gov – Pathways to STEM Initiative (PSI): Evaluation Report for an Investing in Innovation (I3) Development Grant

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the Pathways to STEM Initiative (PSI) on students and science teachers and to describe the level of PSI implementation. One group of middle schools participated in PSI, which included project-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coursework; extra-curricular STEM opportunities for students; and teacher professional development. A multivariate matching algorithm was used to identify a comparison group of schools that received the participating district’s standard science curriculum. The students in the study schools were 62% Hispanic/Latino, 17% Black/African American, and 12% White. Additionally, 23% of the students were English language learners. The study compared students’ science achievement and teachers’ beliefs about science and attitudes toward STEM across the treatment and comparison schools and assessed the fidelity… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – (Dis)empowerment: The Implementation of Corrective Mathematics in Philadelphia Empowerment Schools

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The need to improve math education around the country has been well documented, especially in urban school systems like Philadelphia. In Spring 2010, only 56.6% of students in Philadelphia Public schools scored proficient or advanced on the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment (PSSA). In Philadelphia Empowerment Schools, the 107 lowest performing schools in the Philadelphia School District, only 45.8% of students scored proficient or advanced (PSSA preliminary results). Yet, across these schools, there is wide variation. While over 80% of students in some Empowerment schools scored proficient or advanced in math, in other schools less than 20% of the student population reached math proficiency. In October 2009, former Philadelphia Public School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman implemented the Science Research Associates (SRA) Corrective Mathematics and Corrective Reading curriculum in all… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Science–Math Project: Junior High.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The guide, developed as part of an exemplary program for junior high school students, presents a plan for science and mathematics activities for grades seven and eight which aims at researching occupations which stem from experience students obtain in the general classroom curriculum. The unit is designed to operate in three stages: preparation of career backgrounds with students, completion of the career description form after the research field trip, and completion of the occupational interview sheets and reports to the class. The guide includes lists of objectives, preparation steps, activities (general and specific for science and math), and a discussion of results and evaluation. It also includes a sample interview sheet and career card. (JR) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Who Repeats Algebra, and How Does Initial Performance Relate to Improvement When the Course Is Repeated?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The information provided in this report shows how students perform when they repeat algebra I and how the level of improvement varies depending on initial course performance and the academic measure (course grades or CST scores). This information can help inform decisions and policies regarding whether and under what circumstances students should repeat the course. The study examined four research questions: (1) How many students repeat algebra I after taking it for the first time?; (2) How do student characteristics (such as race/ethnicity, gender, grade 7 math performance and initial algebra I performance) relate to the likelihood of repeating algebra I?; (3) How well do students perform when they repeat algebra I compared with the first time they took the course?; and (4) How does that difference… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Using the Scientific Method to Engage Mathematical Modeling: An Investigation of pi

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this paper is to explain how to use the scientific method as the framework to introduce mathematical model. Two interdisciplinary activities, targeted for students in grade 6 or grade 7, are explained to show the application of the scientific method while building a mathematical model to investigate the relationship between the circumferences and the diameter of circular objects. In the first activity, a research question is pursued as it relates to the stated hypothesis. In the second activity, the same research question is retained; however, the use of exploration helps to build the hypothesis. The activities serve as examples to show how middle school math teachers may use scientific inquiry to motive students’ understanding of mathematical models as well as engage in science beyond… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Look at Math Teachers and Problem Solving.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The need for mathematics teachers to incorporate instruction in problem-solving skills into the curriculum is discussed. Results of a study of problem-solving instruction in the classrooms of nine seventh grade teachers are briefly noted. There were significant differences between the teachers in how they planned, organized, and delivered lessons, but there was little difference between regular lessons and problem-solving lessons. Moreover, students showed little improvement in problem solving. A complete description of the study is included. How the teachers taught is described in some detail. Implications are discussed in terms of organizational style, problem-solving content, and other teaching methods. Several figures and tables are supplied. (MNS) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Investigating the Usage Patterns of Algebra Nation Tutoring Platform

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: We study the usage of a self-guided online tutoring platform called Algebra Nation, which is widely by middle school and high school students who take the End-of-Course Algebra I exam at the end of the school year. This article aims to study how the platform contributes to increasing students’ exam scores by examining users’ logs over a three year period. The platform under consideration was used by more than 36,000 students in the first year, to nearly 67,000 by the third year, thus enabling us to examine how usage patterns evolved and influenced students’ performance at scale. We first identify which Algebra Nation usage factors in conjunction with math overall preparation and socioeconomic factors contribute to the students’ exam performance. Subsequently, we investigate the effect of increased… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Do School Districts Get What They Pay for? Predicting Teacher Effectiveness by College Selectivity, Experience, Etc. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 10-08

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Holding a college major in education is not correlated with effectiveness in elementary and middle school classrooms, regardless of the university at which the major was earned. Teachers do become more effective with a few years of teaching experience, but (except in elementary reading) no gains–and some declines–in effectiveness appear in the second decade after a teacher has begun teaching. These and other results are obtained from estimations using value-added models that control for student characteristics as well as school and (where appropriate teacher) fixed effects that estimate teacher effectiveness in reading and math for Florida students in 4th through 8th grades for six school years, 2001-02 through 2006-07. The findings suggest that teacher selection and compensation policies are in need of revision. (Contains 2 figures, 11… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program. Report to the Legislature

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program (WCAP) is a maturing and stable program. In 2016-17 it included: (1) Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) in English Language Arts (ELA) and math for students in grades 3-8 and high school; (2) Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) in science for grades 5 and 8; (3) End-of-Course exams in math and biology; and (4) Specialized testing for English proficiency, alternate achievement standards, and graduation alternatives. Spring 2017 represented the third year of Smarter Balanced testing. In spring 2017, a total of 580,276 students took the ELA tests and 558,631 students took the math tests. Students with significant cognitive challenges can take an alternate assessment, the Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM). In spring 2017, about 6,000 students took the WA-AIM. Washington is… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Impact of the Great Recession on Student Achievement: Evidence from Population Data. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-09

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Great Recession was the most severe economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression. Using newly available population-level achievement data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), we estimate the impact of the Great Recession on the math and English language arts (ELA) achievement of all grade 3-8 students in the United States. Employing a difference-in-differences strategy that leverages both cross-district variation in the economic shock of the recession and within-district, cross-cohort variation in school-age years of exposure to the recession, we find that the onset of the Great Recession significantly reduced student math and ELA achievement. Moreover, the recessionary effect on student achievement was concentrated among school districts serving more economically disadvantaged and minority students, indicating that the adverse effects of the recession… Continue Reading