This report presents the basic and advanced skill averages for students participating in Chapter 1 programs of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Nevada in the 1989-90 school year. The report averages are based on a post-test measure only as most Nevada school districts are in the midst of changing instruments to determine student…

Three schools in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District have operated for 5 years as Investigative Learning Magnet Schools (ILMS). The ILMS emphasize such student outcomes as inquiry, problem solving, critical thinking, and observation skills, and have a curricular focus on science, math, and computer skills. This report examines the ILMS'…

This study investigated the effects of Oregon's Lane County "Problem Solving in Mathematics" (PSM) materials on middle-school students' attitudes, beliefs, and abilities in problem solving and mathematics. The instructional approach advocated in PSM includes: the direct teaching of five problem-solving skills, weekly challenge problems,…

International comparisons show that U.S. students perform well in reading, less well in science, and more poorly still in mathematics. Researchers have found that several factors in combination appear responsible for the complex pattern of achievement, and no quick fix appears available for problem areas. Research suggests that it is quality and…

In this paper, performance assessments are cast within a sampling framework. A performance assessment score is viewed as a sample of student performance drawn from a complex universe defined by a combination of all possible tasks, occasions, raters, and measurement methods. Using generalizability theory, the authors present evidence bearing on the…

The purpose of this project was to develop and field test supplementary mathematics curriculum materials that could be used in a typical school setting to introduce elementary school children to calculators and computers in the process of solving everyday mathematical problems. The materials were designed to help teachers: (1) familiarize children…

Most of us want our students to feel that mathematics is an enjoyable and rewarding study for them … but do we succeed? Some of our students are successful whereas others are anxious and fearful. The performance of Malaysian students in mathematics has been generally been not good. It has been realized that poor mathematics performance of students…

This report describes and presents the 1984-85 results of the norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing programs used in the Los Angeles Unified School District (California) to evaluate student progress and to identify instructional areas needing remediation. The norm-referenced Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), Form U, is used to…

This book is intended for everyone in California concerned about how well students are prepared for college. It describes the competencies in mathematics necessary for success in college and university work. This statement discusses the following: (1) an emphasis on encouraging students to experience the beauty and fascination of mathematics; (2)…

This issue of the journal contains abstracts and critical comments for ten published reports of research in mathematics education. The reports concern teaching probability and estimation of measurements through microcomputer games, mental addition, use of calculators at the intermediate level, logical reasoning hierarchies, two approaches to the…

A great number of 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. In an attempt to redress this situation, A. Y. Jackson Secondary…

The stability of Rasch test item difficulty parameters was investigated under varying conditions. Data were taken from a mathematics achievement test administered to over 2,000 Australian students. The experiments included: (1) relative stability of the Rasch, traditional, and z-item difficulty parameters using different sample sizes and designs;…

This issue contains abstracts and critical comments for published reports of research in mathematics education. The reports are concerned with: (1) relationships between class size, teaching practices, and student achievement; (2) sex differences related to attitudes; (3) comprehension of mathematical relationships expressed in graphs; (4) effect…

This issue of "Investigations in Mathematics Education" contains: (1) a review of E. Fischbein's book "The Intuitive Sources of Probabilistic Thinking in Children;" (2) nine abstracts of research studies in mathematics education; (3) a list (by EJ number) of mathematics education research studies reported in the January to…

While the seventh and ninth grade Maryland Functional Mathematics Tests (MFMT) appear valid and well constructed, the 65 percent passing rate for Montgomery County Public Schools' ninth grade students raises questions about the 81 percent passing score set for the MFMT. This standard is far stiffer than the 59 percent set for the Maryland…