This article summarizes research conducted on calculator block items from the 2007 fourth- and eighth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress Main Mathematics. Calculator items from the assessment were categorized into two categories: problem-solving items and noncomputational mathematics concept items. A calculator has the potential to…

Elementary school mathematics curricula are being developed that are designed to use calculators. As the calculator-integrated curricula are developed, tests must be developed that involve the use of calculators. Some examples of how achievement tests using calculators would be different are considered. (RH)

Students, parents, and sometimes even teachers often believe that complex mathematics is too difficult for certain learners. But the programs described in this article demonstrate that anyone can learn, understand, and use complex math. Lesa M. Covington-Clarkson boosted the confidence of black 6th graders by teaching them to use graphing…

In this paper we present findings from two studies focusing on computer algebra system (CAS) calculators. In Victoria, Australia, it is currently mandatory for students to use graphics calculators in some grade 12 mathematics examinations. Since 2001, a pilot study has been conducted involving Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students…

Discusses implications for educational policy drawn from the report "The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2000." One finding may support the inclusion of special needs students in assessments. Implications for the use of educational technology focus on the use of computers and calculators in instruction and assessment. (SLD)

Conceptually, the laboratory approach is based on Maria Montessori's and Jean Piaget's theories that students learn through becoming involved and experiencing mathematics. Teaching them means creating situations where structures can be discovered and where students can verify and relate ideas to objects. Following a discussion of definitions and…

One of the most hotly contested issues in mathematics education today is the use of calculators in elementary schools. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has gone on record recommending the use of calculators in the earliest grades. NCTM's recommendation that calculators be introduced under the guidance of skilled teachers is…

The goals of the project were: (1) to develop elementary mathematics instructional materials which incorporate the use of hand calculators; (2) to develop an appropriate teacher training program; (3) to improve students' basic mathematics skills; (4) to improve students' understanding of mathematics concepts and processes; (5) to improve students'…

Described are important changes that will be introduced in the mathematics sections of the new Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The three main changes are (1) permission to use calculators; (2) inclusion of open-ended questions; and (3) content revisions consistent with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics "Curriculum and Evaluation…

Presented is a summary of the actions taken by American College Testing in response to calls for reform in standardized testing. The areas of reform discussed are test development, test content, skills levels, test criteria, and new testing initiatives, such as alternative-response-format questions and calculator use. (MDH)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) collected data on the mathematics performance of 9-, 13-, and 17-year old Americans in 1973, 1978, and 1982. An additional assessment in grades 3, 7, and 11 is planned for 1986. Educational objectives to be used in the 1986 assessment were contributed, reviewed, and revised by a committee of…

This document summarizes "Mathematics Counts," the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Teaching of Mathematics in Schools in Great Britain, chaired by Dr. W. H. Cockcroft. It provides a digest of the report, paralleling the following chapters: (1) why teach mathematics? (2) the mathematical needs of adult life, (3) the…