Developmental courses in English, math, and reading have an important purpose in higher education, especially in the open-access world of community colleges. These classes--also referred to as "remedial"--are intended to give less-prepared students a chance to catch up and meet the challenges of college-level coursework. However,…

In 1967-68, the San Jose Unified District, in cooperation with the Education Division of the Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., implemented a special program for disadvantaged, underachieving, eighth-grade students. The primary objective of the program was to improve the motivation and achievement of disadvantaged students by providing special…

Produced by the California State Department of Health, the report provides information on compensatory education projects for handicapped children in state institutions, funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, as amended by P.L. 89-313. Programs providing developmental services to developmentally disabled, mentally…

Intended for use by California policy makers and educators, this report examines the link between elementary secondary education and the preparation of people for a high-technology future. It describes engineer and technician job projections in high-technology industries, explores the capacity of California to meet the demand for workers in those…

An introduction to five case studies of mathematics teachers and ancillary essays on implementation of instructional policy change at the classroom level is provided. The case studies and associated discussions focus on California's new Mathematics Framework, which features changes in textbooks, tests, and commonly held conceptions of subject…

Disputing the claim that improved student learning requires stronger academic standards and stiffer tests, the authors of this book contend that effective state reform depends on coherence in policy and practice, and opportunities for professional learning. It draws on a study of a program in California that worked to improve mathematics teaching…

Analyzed survey-based information on state policies and school practices together to explore the impact of content-driven state education reform on instruction in middle-grades mathematics. Found that content-driven state policies have great influence on instruction at the school level, and are associated with desired instructional practices at…

In 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) included a Trial State Assessment (TSA); for the first time in the NAEP's history, voluntary state-by-state assessments (37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) were made. The sample was designed to represent the 8th grade public school population in a state…