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Eric.ed.gov – Vermont Teachers’ Understanding of Mathematical Problem Solving and “Good” Math Problems.

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 – Kentucky Writing and Math Portfolios.

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 – Alabama’s Education Report Card, 2009-2010

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In a more consistent and viable manner than ever before, education in Alabama is moving toward its ultimate goal of providing every student with a quality education, thereby preparing them for work, college, and life after high school. Alabama’s graduation rates from 2002 to 2008 increased significantly, tripling the national average increase and ranking fourth in the country. Alabama’s progress in reading continues to prove the state’s reading initiative is effective. Educational assessments clearly show the historic gains Alabama made in reading in 2007 (greatest gains in Reading in America and in the history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress) continue to remain steady. Alabama’s trailblazing distance learning program, ACCESS, remains a spectacle of achievement recognized and reported on by national television programs and newspapers across… Continue Reading