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Eric.ed.gov – Conditions for Scale and Sustainability. Brief Four

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Math experts developed Formative Assessment Lessons that teachers can incorporate throughout the year’s curriculum. Both tools target the “instructional core.” A study by Research for Action (RFA) examining the first year of piloting the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC) tools (2010-11) found evidence of initial success in tool use indicated by teachers’ perceptions that the tools positively influenced teacher practice. In the second year of the Initiative (2011-12), tool use grew within and across sites. The focus of the research has expanded accordingly to include an analysis of how the tools are being introduced to additional classrooms, schools and districts, and what strategies are most effective in sustaining and strengthening tool use. This brief focuses on efforts to scale up and sustain broader… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Alternative Assessments in Math and Science: Moving toward a Moving Target. A Joint Study.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Given the restructuring of curriculum and instruction and the changing state of assessment in Virginia and nationally, a study group of 22 Virginia teachers from elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools throughout the state chose to examine and revise their assessment practices. They wanted to reflect changes in thinking and practice in teaching that include active learning, cooperative learning, and critical thinking strategies. After 6 months of developing and implementing alternative assessments in their classrooms, study group members concluded that implementation strategies should include: (1) planning assessment as instruction is planned; (2) having a partner with whom to share ideas; (3) developing generic rubrics; (4) expecting to learn by trial and error; (5) attempting student peer assessment; and (6) using cooperative grouping for completing assessment tasks.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Using Writing in Mathematics to Deepen Student Learning

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Writing is the ability to compose text effectively for different purposes and audiences. When many of us reflect on our own school experiences, we recall writing in English and history classes, but not in mathematics. Math classes previously relied on skill-building and conceptual understanding activities. Today, teachers are realizing that writing during a math lesson is more than just a way to document information; it is a way to deepen student learning and a tool for helping students gain new perspectives. They realize, too, that students whose strengths are language-based–and many are–use writing as the key to understanding other disciplines, especially mathematics. Like most things, learning to write well requires instruction and practice. In this booklet, the author aims to nudge secondary math teachers who are thinking… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Increasing School Engagement through Theme-Based Curriculum

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper reports on an evaluation of a distinctive university-school partnership program, Curriculum Bridges. Curriculum Bridges aims to develop the enthusiasm and capacity of students from disadvantaged schools in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These objectives are sought by developing a theme in the curriculum across subjects in years 10, 11 and 12. In the pilot phase, the curricula of English, Maths and Biology were linked together through the theme of ‘understanding and curing disease’. These curricula were developed by the school teachers, who received training in the ‘backward design’ approach. The model also integrates into the curriculum university on-campus activities and excursions. UniBridges was originally implemented in three schools in 2011 and is ongoing. Our evaluation found that UniBridges has increased student… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teach for America. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “Teach For America” (“TFA”) is a highly selective route to teacher certification that aims to place non-traditionally trained teachers in high-need public schools. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identified seven studies of teachers trained through “TFA” that both fall within the scope of the Teacher Training, Evaluation, and Compensation topic area and meet WWC group design standards. The WWC considers the extent of evidence for teachers trained through “TFA” on the academic achievement of students in grades pre-K-12 to be medium to large for two student outcome domains–mathematics achievement and English language arts achievement–and small for two student outcome domains–science achievement and social studies achievement. “TFA” teachers were found to have positive effects on mathematics achievement, potentially positive effects on science achievement, and no discernible effects on… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Languages for Learning: Granting All Students Access to New Skills. Fishman Prize Series

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A single great teacher can change a life by introducing a new language, helping you master a new skill or opening a door you never knew was there. That’s why every year, TNTP awards the Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice: to celebrate a select cohort of public school teachers who demonstrate exceptionally effective teaching with students from high-poverty communities. Founded in 2012, the Prize is named for Shira Fishman, a TNTP-trained math teacher who has received local and national recognition for her achievements at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C., where she continues to teach today. Each year the selection process becomes more difficult. The winning teachers receive $25,000 each–one of the country’s largest monetary awards for practicing teachers. During the summer of their award… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach for America in High School. Working Paper 17. Revised

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This research investigates the relative effectiveness (in terms of student tested achievement) of Teach for America (TFA) teachers, and examines the validity of the criticisms of TFA. Specifically, the authors look at TFA teachers in secondary schools, and especially in math and science, where considerable program growth is planned over the next few years. Using individual level student data linked to teacher data in North Carolina, the authors estimate the effects of having a TFA teacher compared to a traditional teacher on student performance. The North Carolina data they employ are uniquely suited for this type of analysis because it includes end of course (EOC) testing for students across multiple subjects. This allows them to employ statistical methods that attempt to account for the nonrandom nature of… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – From Earth Algebra to Earth Math: An Expansion and Dissemination of the Methods of Earth Algebra [and] Proceedings, Earth Math Conference (Kennesaw, Georgia, April 19-20, 1996).

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This final report and appended conference proceedings describe activities of the Earth Math project, a 3-year effort at Kennesaw State University (Georgia) to broaden and disseminate the concept of Earth Algebra to precalculus and mathematics education courses. Major outcomes of the project were the draft of a precalculus textbook now being reviewed prior to field testing, and a series of independent study modules appropriate for use in mathematics education courses or as supplementary material in algebra and trigonometry courses. Earth Math materials focus on application of mathematics to real world problems and are intended to improve students’ problem-solving and decision-making abilities. The materials are also intended to demonstrate how to implement the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards in school mathematics courses. Separate sections of the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Assessing Teacher-Made Tests in Secondary Math and Science Classrooms.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A model for use in identifying assessment needs in association with teacher-made mathematics and science tests at the secondary level was developed. The model focuses on the identification and narrowing of discrepancies between teachers’ perceptions of their testing practices and actual practice. All 19 math and 16 science teachers at a 4-year high school in a mixed suburban/rural school district participated in the project. Subjects’ involvement consisted of completing a brief survey instrument and supplying their most recently administered unit or quarter test. Data from 35 questionnaires and 34 tests containing more than 1,400 items were analyzed. Results cover the nature of classroom assessment, characteristics of teacher-made tests, item formats, cognitive levels treated, quality of items, and teachers’ confidence in testing skills. Topics identified as important for… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Her Math, Their Math: An In-Service Teacher’s Growing Understanding of Mathematics and Technology and Her Secondary Students’ Algebra Experience.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This case study investigates an experienced secondary school mathematics teacher’s understanding of mathematics (“her” math) and decisions she makes about her students’ classroom experiences (“their” math). This report focuses on the competing roles of the teacher’s growing understanding of novel technology-rich mathematics and her decisions about activities and expectations in an algebra course in light of her beliefs about learning and teaching. Data document developments in her mathematical understanding and classroom practice during her first 13 months of teaching Computer-Intensive Algebra as a participant in the Empowering Secondary Mathematics Teachers in Computer-Intensive Environments project (CIME). (Author) Link til kilde