The South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) measures 16 basic skills objectives as mandated by legislation enacted in 1978. The BSAP Reading and Mathematics Tests were administered April 17 through 21, 1989. The tests for grades 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 consisted of 6 multiple-choice questions for each of the 11 objectives in reading and…

The School District of the City of Saginaw (Michigan) operates a compensatory education delivery system in reading and mathematics consisting of two programs, Elementary and Secondary Academic Achievement (A2). The program was designed to provide direct instruction to 2,613 students in grades 1 through 12. The goal of A2 was to improve the pupils'…

Many students, and a particularly high proportion of females, do not study mathematics beyond minimum high school requirements. Research indicates that segregation of mathematics classes may help reduce the incidence of female students dropping out of that subject. To improve female students' attitudes toward mathematics and to increase the…

To improve female students' attitudes toward mathematics and to increase the enrollment of females in upper level mathematics courses, students enrolled in grade 10, 11, and 12 at A. Y. Jackson Secondary School were placed in sex-segregated math classes. This study focused on four main areas: attitudes, achievement, enrollment, and perceptions of…

This report evaluates the reading and mathematics lab programs for elementary and secondary students in the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District. The reading program served 510 students in 13 schools and mathematics program served 240 students in 7 schools. A variety of assessment instruments were used to pinpoint students'…

It is generally accepted that mathematical reasoning, like language acquisition, is part of normal cognitive development. This paper proposes that other variables must be considered when explaining the differences in the acquisition of mathematical reasoning skills in young children. Considered is some of the evidence that suggests that certain…

Limitations of using linear, unilevel regression procedures in modeling student achievement are discussed. This study is a part of a broader study that is developing an empirically-based predictive model of variables associated with academic achievement from a multilevel perspective and examining the differences by which parameters are estimated…

As part of an overall regional needs assessment, an overview is provided of testing programs in the mid-Atlantic region, consisting of: the District of Columbia; Delaware; Maryland; New Jersey; and Pennsylvania. The testing programs vary widely by objective and approach. One of the major needs assessment activities is the examination of student…

The Second International Mathematics Study compared 13-year-old students from 20 countries in five mathematics content areas. Japanese students ranked first in all five areas. This report compares Japan and the United States on three factors potentially related to student performance on mathematics tests. These include: (1) time spent on…

Student's attitudes toward mathematics were studied in the literatute in relation to (1) IQ and achievement scores and (2) vocational choice and then measured using two new tests which were developed for this study. Positive and negative statements about mathematics were constructed, so that students could indicate degree of agreement or…

Nearly 15,000 students were administered the Alaska Statewide Assessment Test--virtually all fourth and eighth grade students. Preliminary results indicated that eighth graders made substantial improvements in both reading and mathematics performance. Fourth grade scores were basically unchanged since 1983. There was also little change between…

Hierarchical linear modeling allowed the indentification of specific school characteristics and policies which help explain the relationship between social class and minority status with mathematics achievement, the relationship between social class and minority status with mathematics course enrollment, and school means for achievement and for…

Prescription Learning is a multi-media diagnostic prescriptive program providing individualized instruction using six instructional strategies. Nine elementary schools and four middle schools in the Portland Public School District used Prescriptive Learning to provide supplemental reading and math instruction to low-performing students. Selected…

This study was conducted to determine whether the traditional classroom approach to instruction involving the addition and subtraction of number facts (digits 0-6) is more or less effective than the traditional classroom approach plus a commercially-prepared computer game. A pretest-posttest control group design was used with two groups of first…

The Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools administers the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) districtwide to document the learning which has occurred and to guide classroom teachers and administrators as they establish curricula which is responsive to student needs. This report presents the results from the tests administered in April, 1986 to…