In an investigation of the learning of science content knowledge in a postgraduate preservice education course, it was found that the 'failure of further learning' effect can be overcome, at least in part, in well-designed courses. Nevertheless the persistence of certain misconceptions among some students did indicate the partial salience of the…

Regardless of how many times people are told by the Educational Testing Service not to use the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) as a gross measure of school productivity, the test continues to be used for that purpose. This article shows how misleading SAT scores and per-student-expenditure correlations are used to justify spending less money on…

"SAMHSA News" is the national newsletter of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Published six times a year (bimonthly) by SAMHSA's Office of Communications, SAMHSA News contains information about the latest substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention practices, recent statistics on mental health and…

Identifies misconceptions related to the fundamental characteristics of atoms and molecules held by twelfth-grade students. Data were obtained by administration of semistructured interviews to a stratified, random sample of 30 students. Fifty-two misconceptions were observed and reported. Some of the misconceptions identified parallel the…

Debunks eight misconceptions concerning U.S.'s alleged "lavish" spending on education in comparison to other countries. The share-of-national-income approach and measures of per pupil spending are frequently misinterpreted and often exclude education need and education resource cost. Nations with an expensive, highly productive labor…

Using principal-components analysis, this paper highlights the nature of the alleged gap between new and older universities in the United Kingdom, as portrayed in recently published league tables. Although the tables may capture some recognized differences, they rank performance by limited criteria that favor the old university sector and fail to…

When learning is taking place, students test their hypotheses and evaluate them, and modify their current theories on the basis of new information. This phenomenon is known as "hypothesis testing view" or "theory changes." Many students change their rules to another while they are taking a test. This study introduced a new…

Mixed results for U.S. adults on the First International Adult Literacy Survey reveal the worthlessness of posting international test scores without considering cultural, social, and economic contexts. In the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, U.S. eighth-graders' performance was average, but fourth-graders' results were…

To meet the need for factual and objective information relating to public schools, this report examines the following perceptions about American education: (1) trends in SAT scores show a decline in the quality of public education; (2) schools are costing more and producing less; (3) reducing the educational bureaucracy will free much money needed…

This brief presents the most current data available on the health, education and family well-being of children in California's immigrant families, who represent 51% of the state's total child population. It challenges misinformed and negative stereotypes about children in immigrant families. For example, 85% of children from immigrant families in…

Too often, conversations about Latinos in education are based on ignorance. Put simply, ignorance is "not knowing." As often as not, people in these conversations assume they know more than they actually do--based on individual experiences or cliches shared by others--rather than on data. Excelencia in Education addressed this by providing…

The role that independent colleges and universities play in meeting the national interest of providing educational opportunity is not always recognized. The information in this report demonstrates how independent colleges and universities provide affordable access to students from a diverse array of backgrounds. Students who attend these…

This scientifically representative poll of 1,200 Floridians finds that public opinion about K-12 public education spending is seriously misinformed. Floridians think public schools need more money, but the main reason is that they are badly mistaken about how much money the public schools actually get. Key findings of the study include: (1) Half…