Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial research design, this study investigates the effect of the first year of a three-year teacher professional development program on grades 1 and 2 student achievement in mathematics. Although the findings reported in the present report do not meet the standard cutoff for statistical significance (e.g., 95%…

This report describes efforts to measure teachers' knowledge of their own students' abilities in mathematics and offers preliminary findings. It provides a description of the sample, a description of the study design and its realization, and descriptive statistics for teacher judgment accuracy. The work described here was completed as part of a…

Numerous authors have reviewed research to determine which skills are considered fundamental to successful academic and social outcomes for students (Hattie, Briggs, & Purdie, 1996; Masten & Coatworth, 1998; Wang, Haertel, & Walberg, 1994; Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004). These skills include: (1) cognitive and…

Contemporary state math standards emphasize that students must demonstrate an understanding of the mathematical ideas underlying the computations that have typically been the core of the elementary school math curriculum. The standards have put an increased emphasis on the study of fractions in upper elementary grades, which are the years during…

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that allows countries to compare outcomes of learning as students near the end of compulsory schooling. PISA core assessments measure the performance of 15-year-old students in mathematics, science, and reading literacy every 3 years. Coordinated by…

"PISA 2012 Data Tables, Figures, and Exhibits" is a companion publication to the report entitled: "Performance of U.S. 15-Year-Old Students in Mathematics, Science, and Reading Literacy in an International Context. First Look at PISA 2012. NCES 2014-024". PISA 2012 assessed students' mathematics, reading, and science literacy.…

Reviews studies of adolescent pregnancy since 1982 and relates them to a study of teen pregnancy in Duval County (Florida). Discusses incidence, causes and health, social and economic consequences. (FMW)

This document contains findings of a study that examined the relationship between the use of disciplinary actions in Florida schools--in particular, out-of-school suspension, expulsion, and corporal punishment--and juvenile crime and delinquency. The primary data source was a random sample of 43,397 students in grades 6-12 enrolled in Florida…

The gold standard in making causal inference on program effects is a randomized trial. Most randomization designs in education randomize classrooms or schools rather than individual students. Such "clustered randomization" designs have one principal drawback: They tend to have limited statistical power or precision. This study aims to…

Opponents of school choice argue that private schools are not "accountable" because they are not subject to detailed oversight by a regulatory bureaucracy. They claim private school employees can be expected to engage in abusive and criminal behavior more frequently. School choice supporters respond that parents hold private schools…

Assessment of farmworker needs and resource agencies revealed that a significant number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers are not receiving essential services available to them. Interviews conducted with 475 farmworkers gathered demographic data and information about perceived needs, knowledge and use of agencies, and satisfaction with services.…

During the 1990s, an increasing number of states have become interested in social indicators as basic tools of governance. Many states have been working aggressively to develop programs and initiatives that make systematic use of social indicators, and to develop the underlying data system to measure and track such indicators. This report reviews…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various academic subjects. The 1996 NAEP in mathematics assessed the current level of mathematical achievement as a mechanism for informing education reform. In 1996, 44…

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…

Hispanic representation in all categories of employment by the State of Florida must be increased through implementation of effective affirmative action and equal opportunity employment programs. The Florida State Commission on Hispanic Affairs analyzed statistical data provided by the State Bureau of Employment Assistance to ascertain employment…