This speech, presented by the U.S. Secretary of Education, speaks to mathematics educators about the need to reach for high standards of learning in mathematics as an ever more important part of preparing students for an increasingly complex global economy. One of the major concerns is increased polarization and dissension about how mathematics is…

This report presents findings from an evaluation of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) program in 22 large urban school districts. The USI program has supported educational reform in large public school districts that have a high percentage of students living in poverty and has directed its efforts toward the…

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, selected a nationally representative sample of approximately 22,000 kindergartners in the fall of 1998 and is following these children through the end of the fifth grade. Baseline data about these children, their families, and their kindergarten programs were collected…

This report examined the extent to which student attendance, teacher certification, and teacher absence explained differences in reading and mathematics achievement among elementary and middle schools in New York City (beyond that explained by such student demographics as receiving free lunch, being an English language learner, and receiving…

This study examined the association between food insecurity, participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and child well-being. Participants were children age 6-12 years in families in which at least one child participated in the NSLP. Data came from the 1997 Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Food…

This study examines how neighborhoods, schools, and families can influence the mathematics achievement of eighth graders, using data from the 1988 National Educational Longitudinal Study combined with U.S. Census data. These data allow simultaneous analysis of all aspects of students' lives. Results indicate that there are associations between…

This report, the fifth of a series of annual reports on the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), presents a review of students' performances in spring 2001 in Grade 3 Reading Comprehension (English and Spanish); Grade 4 Reading and Writing (English and Spanish); Grade 5 Reading and Mathematics; Grade 6 Reading; Grade 7 Reading and Writing;…

The Learning Equation (TLE) is a software product that provides mathematics programming to students. It was introduced to grade 9 students in Alberta in 1997-1998, and in 1998-1999, its use was extended to grades 7, 8, and 10. TLE is designed to follow the Alberta mathematics curriculum closely. It can be implemented in several ways, and in some…

This paper estimates the effect of inservice teacher training on children's reading and mathematics achievement in Jerusalem elementary schools. The training was based on pedagogical methods developed in U.S. schools. The research used a matched-comparison design that exploited the fact that only a few schools received extra funds for training.…

This study investigated factors that contribute to the mathematics and reading achievement of students in Italy. The Walburg Productivity Model (H. Walburg, 1984) served as a framework to analyze the interconnections among family processes, family structure, and socioeconomic status. Campbells Differential Socialization Paradigm (J. Campbell,…

Data from Population 2 of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were used to explore relations between teacher classroom practices and student achievement. The sample consisted of 3,400 students and their 319 teachers. Principal components analysis focused classroom practices into four factors: (1) project creation; (2)…

To add to previous research on gender differences in mathematics ability and achievement, this study was designed to investigate gender differences in problem-solving strategies for two extended constructed-response mathematics questions in grade 3. It is a followup to a study of gender differences on constructed-response and multiple-choice items…

The primary objective of this research was to examine the effect of scoring items known to be multidimensional using a unidimensional model. Although several simulation studies have examined this, few studies have been conducted using data obtained from actual test administrations. In this study, open-ended mathematics items from a mandated state…

Informal and formal mathematical abilities were studied in the preschool, kindergarten, and first grade children in Beijing, China and Chinese-American children in New York City. Test of Early Mathematical Abilities-2nd Edition (TEMA-2) was administered to the three groups of children (children from Beijing, Chinese-American from lower-class, and…

This study analyzed base-year student data files from the 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88) cross-sectionally to identify relationships between school violence and student achievement in reading and mathematics. The analysis identified student behavior variables related to three measures of school violence: (1) personal…