The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducted the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), a multi-domain adult skills assessment with an extensive background questionnaire, in 2012. PIAAC is a global effort to understand how individuals' education, workplace experiences, and other…

Research over the past few decades points to ways precalculus and calculus courses can be strengthened to improve student learning in these courses. This research has informed the development of the Algebra and Precalculus Concept Readiness (APCR) and the Calculus Concept Readiness (CCR) assessments. In this article, the authors present three…

The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a cyclical, large scale study of adult skills and life experience focusing on education and employment that was developed and organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In the United States, the study was conducted in 2011-12 with a…

In my experiences, students with Developmental Disability (DD) are routinely excluded from Algebra and other high-level mathematics courses. People with DD do not have the opportunity to learn Algebra, which may support the understanding and provide purpose for learning money and budgeting skills that, perhaps, could help them avoid financial…

Describes a study of young children's thinking about numbers and operations with numbers. Issues explored include how young students interpret mathematical questions, aspects having to do with the language of mathematics, the mathematical potential of some children, and the range of procedures that children use when solving problems. Stresses…

This paper reviews 25 studies of intervention research in mathematics with subjects classified as mentally retarded. Research has primarily been conducted in three areas: basic skills and concepts; rule learning and problem solving; and applications, including time, money, and measurement skills. Results are discussed in relation to instructional…

This document contains the lesson plans for a 12-week course in basic workplace pre-algebra that was developed for clothing and textile workers through the joint effort of Northeastern Illinois University's Chicago Teachers' Center and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. A chart for recording students' mastery of 25 course…

This report provides a description of and content specifications for video and print resources designed to reinforce basic language arts, mathematics, and problem-solving skills through the integration of five economic concepts into the curriculum of the early elementary grades: (1) scarcity, (2) opportunity cost, (3) consumption, (4) production,…

This basic skills resource tool for the teacher illustrates, through models and practices that are proven successful at state and local levels, how to implement the processes and techniques presented in BASICS. BASICS is a package of integrated materials developed to assist teachers, administrators, and counselors in bridging vocational and…

Field tested with students in grades 10-12, this manual is designed to teach students in marketing courses basic mathematical concepts. The instructional booklet contains seven student assignments covering the following topics: why basic mathematics is so important, whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, weights and measures, and dollars…

In recognition of the fact that young children develop informal number concepts and strategies for solving several basic types of verbal addition and subtraction problems before entering school, but lose this ability after a few years of schooling, the study created and tested an intervention designed to build on the children's early insights. A…

The operating characteristics of 114 mathematics pretest items from the Praxis I: Computer Based Test were analyzed in terms of item attributes and test developers' judgments of item difficulty. Item operating characteristics were defined as the difficulty, discrimination, and asymptote parameters of a three parameter logistic item response theory…

Based on research and teacher experience, this resource guide contains teaching methods and activities that teachers can use in teaching mathematics to adult basic education and General Educational Development students. The following eight sections are included: (1) an alternative method for teaching percents; (2) unit conversion or dimensional…

Activities in this edited volume of reprints from the Mathematics Teacher were selected in response to recommendations made by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics for improving curriculum content. Specific areas addressed are problem solving, expanding basic skills, using calculators, using computers, and using manipulatives. Each…

This booklet provides a brief overview of the Connecticut ninth-grade proficiency test by listing the skills to be assessed on the test. Sample questions exemplifying each skill are also included. Areas assessed include: (1) basic writing skills in the language arts (mechanics of written expression, composing and organizing skills, and library…