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Eric.ed.gov – On Their Own: Students’ Responses to Open-Ended Questions in Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies. Results of the 1990 Assessment: Grade Four, Grade Eight, Grade Twelve.

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 – State Test Score Trends through 2007-08. Part 1: Is the Emphasis on “Proficiency” Shortchanging Higher- and Lower-Achieving Students?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This report is the first in a series of reports describing results from the Center on Education Policy’s (CEP’s) third annual analysis of state testing data. The report provides an update on student performance at the proficient level of achievement, and for the first time, includes data about student performance at the advanced and basic levels. Also included are profiles for each state, which show trends in reading and math for basic, proficient, and advanced levels in elementary, middle, and high school. The study provides an in-depth look at the full range of student performance in order to better understand whether the No Child Left Behind Act’s (NCLB) focus on proficiency has caused teachers to shortchange students at either end of the academic spectrum. Reported findings include:… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The OECD, PISA and the Impacts on Educational Policy

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Large-scale assessment regularly takes place in most jurisdictions across Canada, a fact not lost on the Fraser Institute and other right wing think tanks such as AIMS (Atlantic Institute for Market Studies) which use the test results as the primary basis for compiling school rankings at both the elementary and secondary level (see Gutstein, 2010). The frequency of external testing at different levels (provincial/territorial, national, international)–coupled with the high visibility accorded by the mainstream media to the results, usually in the form of league tables, and the imperatives of short term political mandates–have all contributed to a focus on improving one’s position within the list of rankings, as well as to a narrow focus on the tested subjects–math, science, reading. In this era of accountability-by-numbers, the elevated… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Beginning Reading and Math in PS 133, New York City. A Report.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This booklet describes the program in Harlem (PS 133) which is based upon Dr. Caleb Gattegno’s reading and mathematics in color. The program was primarily intended to test the teaching of Gattegno’s methods and materials. PS 133 was considered to be a good site for the program because it was stable, pedagogically traditional, and staffed by a large number of experienced teachers and a principal who was known to be a dedicated, competent administrator. In Gattegno’s reading program, color is used only for the purpose of introducing words, and once sounds are mastered, color is discarded. The use of color simulates a phonetic language. All groups of letters with the identical sound are represented by the same color. Thus the “o” in “so,””know,” and “though” belong to… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Influence of Testing on Teaching Math and Science in Grades 4-12.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This booklet reports the results of a recent National Science Foundation study of the impact of mandated testing programs on curriculum and instruction in elementary and secondary mathematics and science education, especially the impact on teachers with large percentages of minority students. The study included three strands: (1) an item-by-item analysis of the most widely-used standardized tests and textbook tests in mathematics and science for grades 4, 8, and selected high school subjects; (2) a nationwide questionnaire survey responded to by 2,229 mathematics and science teachers in grades 4-12; and (3) interviews with 200 teachers and 100 administrators in 6 urban districts in 6 states nationwide. Included is a figure titled “Percent of items testing types and levels of thinking” and two tables titled “Percent of teachers… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Engagement and Perception’s Influence on Achievement

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Can increasing student perception and engagement though alternative teaching methods, such as introducing math in an everyday context improve student test scores? Literature on this subject suggests improving student engagement and introduction of math in everyday applications can improve student comprehension. This study looks at a second grade classroom in rural Michigan. Nine different data sources were utilized including a pre and post study parent survey, a daily classroom observational chart, conference interviews, comparison of pre and post-test of lessons taught traditionally and using everyday math, a teacher journal of observations made during lessons, an evaluation of student report cards, and comparisons of state standardized test and district objective scores. The study found student improvement regardless of lesson delivery, and improved engagement with introduction of everyday math.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Math and Economics: Implementing Authentic Instruction in Grades K-5

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this study is to outline a partnership program that involved a local elementary school district, an institution of higher education, the local business community, and a state economic education advocacy group to integrate economics into math in grades K-5. The “Economics: Math in Real Life” program was provided in collaboration with a Title I program to integrate economics and personal finance content into mathematics instruction to demonstrate real-life applications of math concepts and increase students’ knowledge in this content area. Pretests and posttests were administered to gauge effectiveness of the authentic instruction program in increasing student knowledge in math and economics and teacher knowledge in economics. Empirical results indicate learning occurred in both math and economics for students in grades 3-5 and in economics… Continue Reading