eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In the spring of 1990, over 9,000 4th-, 8th- and 12th-grade students (only 6 percent of all students in Massachusetts) were assessed using open-ended mathematical, scientific, social studies, and reading concepts. Beginning with the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program for 1992, open-ended questions will be administered to all students and will contribute to school and district scores. This series of reports describes the results of these assessments to communicate levels of student achievement throughout the state, familiarize teachers and administrators with the types of questions that will be included on the next assessment; and improve assessments taking place within classrooms by providing models that teachers can adapt to their own evaluations of students’ knowledge, understanding, and abilities. Fifteen handouts for grade 4, 17 handouts for grade 8, and… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has commissioned studies of state academic standards in five core subjects. This is the fourth of these studies, focusing on state standards for mathematics. For this evaluation of mathematics standards, researchers developed nine criteria under the four areas of: clarity, content, reason, and negative qualities. These criteria were applied to the standards documents of 46 states and the District of Columbia, and standards for Japan were reviewed for comparison purposes. The remaining four states either had no standards or did not make current drafts available. Only three states received a grade of “A,” and only nine received a grade of “B.” More than half received either a “D” or an “F.” The principal failures of these documents stem from the mathematical ignorance… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In 2002/03, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools initiated a broad program of accelerating entry into algebra coursework. The proportion of moderately-performing students taking 8th grade algebra increased from less than half to nearly 90%, then reverted to baseline levels, in the span of just six age cohorts. We use this policy-induced variation to infer the impact of accelerated entry into algebra on student performance in math courses as students progress through high school. Students affected by the acceleration initiative scored significantly lower on end-of-course tests in Algebra I, and were either no more likely or significantly less likely to pass standard follow-up courses, Geometry and Algebra II, on a college-preparatory timetable. We also find that the district assigned teachers with weaker qualifications to Algebra I classes in the first… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of the 2012-2013 North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Evaluation study was to examine the quality of the program and the outcomes for children, along with comparisons to previous years. The primary research questions addressed by this evaluation included: (1) What were the key characteristics of the local NC Pre-K programs?; (2) What was the quality of the NC Pre-K classrooms attended by children and what factors were associated with better quality?; (3) What were the outcomes of children attending the NC Pre-K Program and what factors were associated with better outcomes?; and (4) To what extent have there been any changes over time in these results? To address these questions, information was gathered from multiple sources, including monthly service reports, teacher surveys, observations of classroom… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: For the past five years, Vermont has been developing an innovative statewide assessment system in which portfolios of student work in mathematics and writing are a key element. The use of mathematics portfolios, particularly in elementary school, is a novel aspect of the assessment system. This study examines the elementary school mathematics portfolio assessment and its instructional impact by exploring the conceptions of problem solving, the knowledge of problem-solving strategies, the evaluation of problem-solving tasks, and the instructional practices of 20 fourth-grade teachers. Teachers indicated that the portfolio assessment program has enhanced their understanding of mathematical problem solving and broadened their instructional practices, but that they have encountered difficulty in understanding certain components of the reform and making the relevant changes. Teachers did not share a common… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that is often recognized as a leader in public education, and for good reason. The Commonwealth consistently outperforms most states on national reading and math tests and often leads the pack in education innovations. “Starting Young: Massachusetts Birth-3rd Grade Policies that Support Children’s Literacy Development,” a report from the Early & Elementary Education Policy team at New America, examines state policies and local initiatives that aim to give children a strong start and offers recommendations to help ensure more students are moving up the learning staircase. Massachusetts has taken important steps, but to have a larger sustainable impact on children’s literacy development, more is needed. The report also provides a list of interviews and notes. Link til kilde
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Teachers in Kentucky are using portfolios to determine strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Consequently, instruction is centered totally around the student. The implementation of portfolios sends the message to students that their first efforts should not be their last. Revision is part of improvement, and students are expected to reevaluate so that their portfolios represent their best work. The rationale and procedures for using mathematics and writing portfolios in Kentucky schools are explored. The use of portfolios grows from the Kentucky Educational Reform Act and is part of the performance based assessment mandated in 1992. The mathematics portfolio for grade 4, presently in use, contains a table of contents, a letter to the reviewer, and five to seven entries that reflect the students’ best work in… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In a time of evolving Algebraic standards and expectations for Minnesota teachers and students, the establishment of quality professional development and technical assistance can help educators move more confidently toward greater mathematics understanding and, subsequently, successful teaching and learning. To this end, the Minnesota Department of Education has developed the Math and Science Teacher Academy (MSTA), a statewide infrastructure focused on the improvement of mathematics and science instruction. As external evaluators, Hezel Associates has supported Minnesota’s initiative through formative and summative research since the program’s inception during the summer of 2008. In this report of the MSTA evaluation’s activities, findings, commendations and recommendations, the evaluators focus on presenting new information that has not been presented elsewhere. They combine this new information with key points that were described… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This newsletter focuses on efforts to make math and science more attractive, relevant, and accessible to students, especially limited-English-proficient, minority, economically disadvantaged, female, and at-risk students. “TAAS Math Performance” (Linda Cantu) outlines recent statewide results for the controversial Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and describes Project Pathways, a staff development program to help Texas students, especially minority and disadvantaged students, master the test. “Content in Context: Technology That Makes Sense in Education” (Felix Montes) discusses the trend in educational technology towards engaging students as active creators of knowledge by making an assortment of learning tools available to them in a flexible format. “Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative” (David Hill) describes a collaborative effort among education, business, government, and community to provide Texas communities with the resources to implement… Continue Reading →
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eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) State Grants Program is currently operating professional development grants for California teachers at 40 sites statewide. This is as large a cadre of projects as the California Postsecondary Education Commission has operated since the ITQ Program began with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The projects are: (1) Academic Literacy in Secondary Education (seven projects); (2) Science and Math Teacher Retention Master Grant Initiative (19 sites); (3) K-2 Education (eight projects); and (4) Elementary Education (six projects). This paper reports updates on the Improving Teacher Quality Program. Link til kilde
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