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Eric.ed.gov – Community and Place in Mathematics Instruction in Selected Rural Schools

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The teaching of mathematics, which arguably is so abstract as to transcend place and community and even culture (according at least to a Platonic view of mathematics), will seem to some observers particularly ill-suited to instruction in place- or community- or culture-based approaches. Nevertheless, current thinking in mathematics education, with its emphasis on the construction of meaning and the application of problem solving to “real-world” situations, might logically be interpreted as supporting these varied approaches to instruction. Because both rural education and math education scholars collaborated in conducting this study, the project did indeed have its eye as much on the “community purposes of mathematics instruction” as on the “mathematical purposes of community engagement”. The related complexities are legion–and, the authors find, them interesting. This report begins… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Science and Math Assessment in K-6 Rural and Small Schools. Rural, Small Schools Network Information Exchange: Number 14, Spring 1993.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other resources concerning the assessment of science and math in small, rural elementary schools. Articles include: (1) “Standards, Assessment, and Educational Quality” (Lauren B. Resnick); (2) “A True Test: Toward More Authentic and Equitable Assessment” (Grant Wiggins); (3) “How World-Class Standards Will Change Us” (Arthur L. Costa); (4) “Smart Tests” (Deborah L. Cohen); (5) “Laser Disk Portfolios: Total Child Assessment” (Jo Campbell); (6) “Portfolios Invite Reflection–from Students and Staff” (Elizabeth A. Hebert); (7) “Portfolio Assessment in the Hands of Teachers” (Clare Forseth); (8) “Portfolio Assessment” (Susan Black); (9) “Assessing the Outcomes of Computer-Based Instruction: The Experience of Maryland” (Gita Z. Wilder, Mary Fowles); (10) “Why Standards May Not Improve Schools” (Elliot W. Eisner); (11) “Assessing Alternative Assessment” (Gene I.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Mathematics: Essential Research, Essential Practice. Volumes 1 and 2. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This is a record of the proceedings of the 30th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). The theme of the conference is “Mathematics: Essential research, essential practice.” The theme draws attention to the importance of developing and maintaining links between research and practice and ties in with the joint day of presentations with the 21st biennial conference of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). This special feature highlights the benefits of collaboration between researchers, practicing classroom teachers, and curriculum developers. Volume 1 contains the following papers: (1) The Beginnings of MERGA (Ken Clements); (2) Teaching and Learning by Example: The Annual Clements/Foyster Lecture (Helen L. Chick); (3) Introducing Students to Data Representation and Statistics (Richard Lehrer); (4) Studies in the Zone… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Evaluation of Flexibility Under “No Child Left Behind”: Volume III–The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP Flex)

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study focuses on flexibility provisions in the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) provision of NCLB. Specifically, it addresses REAP Flex, a program that allows rural districts additional control over how to spend portions of their federal funding. REAP Flex is part of a series of NCLB flexibility initiatives aimed at rural schools. The four primary findings of this study were: (1) Half of eligible districts participated in the REAP Flex program; (2) REAP Flex authority was most often used to provide additional funds for services under Title I, Part A. Districts also commonly used REAP Flex to focus on programs related to Title V, Part A (State Grants for Innovative Programs), and Title II, Part D (Educational Technology State Grants). The program funds most commonly used… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – What Can I Use Tomorrow? Strategies for Accessible Math and Science Curriculum for Diverse Learners in Rural Schools.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Increased requirements for inclusion have created a growing demand for special educators to have content expertise in areas such as math and science. One recommended practice involves integrating the “big ideas” that are the foundation for understanding mathematics and science across the curriculum. Teachers also need to create a classroom climate that is supportive and content rich. Grouping students into pairs or triads supports student needs. Special educators can collaborate with other teachers by creating a bank of instructional activities on selected math and science topics. Collaborative strategies can be modeled through peer tutoring. Students should be encouraged to explore metacognitive thinking styles so they can apply metacognitive strategies to their daily lives. Skills outlined by standards should be presented in an order that makes sense to… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Idaho Rural Education Task Force. Public School Information. Legislative Report, 2008

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Idaho Rural Education Task Force was formed in July 2007 with the goal of proposing and examining solutions to challenges facing rural schools. The task force’s work this year has focused on three areas: recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers, funding shortages related to insurance costs and staff allowances, and the technology gap between rural and urban schools. Rural districts are challenged to find enough teachers to meet their needs, and often the qualified applicant pool for open positions is very small or non-existent. The situation is becoming more critical due to the increased math and science graduation standards recently adopted by the State of Idaho, elevating need for teachers. To assist districts in retaining teachers and to maximize the use of the current teacher… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Quality Online Resources and Supports for Educators Teaching the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study was designed in response to a request from rural educators in the Northeast for support in identifying high-quality online resources to implement the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). The process for identifying online resources included selecting resources that had an easily navigable CCSSM organizational structure and explicit references to the CCSSM content and/or practice standards. The process for evaluating quality involved math content experts applying the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) rubric to the selected online resources. A total of 184 online resources were initially screened, with 59 meeting all three of these criteria. Among these 59 resources, 19 were determined to be exemplary according EQuIP: 13 of the 19 were classified as instructional resources and 6 of the 19… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Cross Cultural Comparison of Rural Education Practice in China, Taiwan, and the United States

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this research is to compare the rural education practices of China, Taiwan, Canada and the United States. International comparisons of mathematics achievement find that students in Asian countries outperform those from the USA. Excluded from these studies, however, are students from rural areas in China. This study compares the math abilities of 272 selectively chosen 5th grade students from rural, central China, 361 students from rural, northern Taiwan and 95 students from rural, central Pennsylvania. The test instrument was the same as used in previous China vs. USA comparisons and focused on four subtopics: computation, number concepts, geometry and problem solving. The results showed that rural Chinese and Taiwanese students outperformed similar American students in the area of mathematics achievement. The rural Chinese and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Strategies for Improving Math and Science Achievement in Rural Appalachia.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper overviews strategies employed by the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) to implement systemic reform in math, science, and technology education in rural Appalachia. ARSI is one of four Rural Systemic Initiative projects funded by the National Science Foundation to target regions characterized by low population density and high levels of poverty. The initiative targeted 66 counties encompassing 89 school districts in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The ARSI project is based on two fundamental strategies: school and community-based action and technology as a tool for access. Specifically, the initiative involved the creation of six regional resource collaboratives made up of key organizations such as universities and community colleges, business and industry, federal and state agencies, teacher enhancement projects, exemplary schools, and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Gearing up to Teach the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in the Rural Northeast Region. Stated Briefly. REL 2015-066

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study describes key challenges and necessary supports related to implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) identified by rural math educators in the Northeast. The research team interviewed state and district math coordinators and surveyed teachers in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont, to assess their most pressing challenges and associated needs. Key challenges included time and support for teachers to change their instructional practices to meet the CCSSM, availability of high-quality instructional materials, and opportunities for collaboration. The report was produced in response to input from the Northeast Rural Districts Research Alliance (NRDRA), one of eight research alliances working with REL Northeast & Islands. This “Stated Briefly” report is a companion piece that summarizes the results of another report entitled “Gearing… Continue Reading