Workforce projections worldwide show a growing need for people with strong backgrounds in math and science. As the eighth largest economy in the world, California benefits particularly from enterprises in the "STEM" fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). How well California's current public school students are…

States are increasingly focusing the mission of their elementary and secondary education systems on preparing all students for success in postsecondary education and 21st century careers. As standards have increased, so too have graduation requirements. Today, 20 states and the District of Columbia have adopted such high school graduation…

The study of preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers' fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive…

Four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Howard University, Jackson State University, Talladega College, and Xavier University of Louisiana, participated in a project titled, Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement (LCSAA), whose goal was to increase the participation of African American students in the fields of…

This study uses Early Childhood Longitudinal Study data to investigate the importance of three general aspects of teacher effects--teacher background qualifications, attitudes, and instructional practices--to reading and math achievement gains in first grade. The results indicate that compared with instructional practices, background…

Over the past decade, standardized test results have become the primary tool used to judge the effectiveness of schools and educational programs, and today, standardized testing serves as the keystone for educational policy at the state and federal levels. This paper examines the relationship between fourth grade mathematics achievement and…

A core component of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) is the provision of free after-school tutoring services, labeled "supplemental educational services" (SES), to eligible students. Importantly, an explicit NCLB requirement makes each state responsible for evaluating individual SES providers with regard to effectiveness in…

This paper examines the integration of Turkish labour migrant children in four countries across Europe in terms of their educational performance. By looking at the PISA 2003 (Programme for International Student Assessment) data pertaining to mathematics achievement of 15-year-olds, it explores the effects of ethnicity, gender and family…

In general, studies on gender and mathematics show that the advantage held by boys over girls in mathematics achievement has diminished markedly over the last 40 years. Some researchers even argue that gender differences in mathematics achievement are no longer a relevant issue. However, the results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study…

Behavioral Research and Teaching (BRT) has developed a series of mathematics tests to assist local school districts in identifying students in grades 1-8 who may be at risk of not meeting year-end mathematics achievement goals. The tests were developed using the state mathematics standards for the relevant grade levels and administered to students…

This is the first in a series of MPR Research Briefs published on the outcomes and experiences of California community college students. California Community Colleges (CCC) enroll roughly two-thirds of all California college students and nearly one-fourth of all community college students in the nation. Their low fees and open-admission policies…

In recent years, a number of analyses assessments used in different countries have appeared. Analyses emerging from international comparisons such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have focused on what might be termed "cross-sectional" comparisons;…

Using strict and lenient mathematics achievement cutoff scores to define a learning disability, respective groups of children who are math disabled (MLD, n = 15) and low achieving (LA, n = 44) were identified. These groups and a group of typically achieving (TA, n = 46) children were administered a battery of mathematical cognition, working…

Background: Stereotype threat research revealed that negative stereotypes can disrupt the performance of persons targeted by such stereotypes. This paper contributes to stereotype threat research by providing evidence that domain identification and the difficulty level of test items moderate stereotype threat effects on female students' maths…

Levels and Dronkers (2006) showed that educational achievement differs between immigrant students from different regions of origin (Latin America, Northern Africa, and Western Asia). This follow-up paper establishes whether these differences in educational achievement between immigrant students from different regions of origin can be explained by…