This purpose of this study is to investigate how the course designed based on constructivist principles has been implemented, what actions have been taken to solve problems and what thoughts have arisen in the minds of teacher candidates with regard to the constructivist learning approach. In this study, an action research was employed which…

A mixed modal study was conducted that compared the results of Mississippi Biology subject area mean scores of students that used 4X4 block, A/B block, and traditional year-long schedules in large, medium, and small-sized schools. This research also explored data about whether schedule configurations allow sufficient time for students to construct…

Through course management and careful measurement of student performance, and through appropriate use of media and microprocessors in instruction, more effective courses can be developed. (Author/MK)

This book contains data reported to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction before August 12, 2002 about state testing results. It contains preliminary 2001-2002 state testing results for: (1) grade 3 pretest, in reading and mathematics; (2) end-of-grade tests at grades 3 through 8, multiple choice tests; (3) alternate assessment…

Published twice a year and distributed nationwide, "Strategies for Success" keeps readers informed about events and developments in the field of drug testing. It reports the latest research findings on the effectiveness of drug testing as a tool for reducing substance abuse. Each issue also provides a wealth of guidance and resources on…

The North Carolina End-of-Course Testing Program was established to provide student, school, and school system information about achievement in high school courses. Approximately 83.4 percent of the 77,154 students who took the biology test were in the tenth grade. Students taking biology in the ninth grade (8.3 percent) were on an accelerated…

This report presents results from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) tests administered in the spring of 1997 and results from end of course tests in Algebra and Biology. Only a slight decrease in the percentage passing the eighth-grade social studies test marred the otherwise across-the-board rise in percentages meeting minimum…

Since 1959, ACT has collected and reported data on students' academic readiness for college. Because becoming ready for college is a process that occurs throughout elementary and secondary education, measuring academic performance over time in the context of college readiness provides meaningful and compelling information about the college…

Reported are results of a study designed to replicate a study at North Carolina State University which investigated the effectiveness of a diagnostic/prescriptive system for increasing the science achievement of university students and examined the relationship between selected student characteristics and participation in voluntary diagnosis.…

Results involving 701 female and 933 male advanced science students in the United States from the Second International Science Study are discussed. Focus was on differences between females and males. Gender differences were found, particularly in opinions regarding science and society, and with respect to general questions about school. (TJH)

The Grade 12 Diploma Examination Program, an integral part of high school diploma requirements, is intended to develop and maintain excellence in educational standards through certification of academic achievement. It consists of course-specific examinations that are based on the prescribed Program of Studies for Senior High Schools for the…

This paper summarizes and compares three studies which used different approaches to diagnostic/prescriptive instruction: (1) voluntary diagnosis and remediation; (2) required diagnosis with no formal remediation; and (3) required diagnosis with prescribed remediation. It includes an examination of the influence of selected student entry…

Methods for and results of implementation in the United States of the Second International Science Study's (SISS) advanced-science subsample are discussed. Analyses of student, teacher, and school effects on achievement in advanced biology, chemistry, and physics results are included. American students scored among the lowest four SISS…

It is feasible for school districts to develop and use subject area tests as reliable as those previously available only from commercial publishers. Three projects in local item development in a large school district are described. The first involved only Algebra 1. The second involved life science and career education at the elementary level; and…

Beginning in Spring 1998, Virginia students participated in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments designed to test student knowledge of the content and skills specified in the state's standards. This document contains questions that students were required to answer as part of the SOL End-of-Course assessments. These questions are…