It has been suggested that males perform better than females in mathematics after ninth grade because more males than females enroll in advanced mathematics courses in high school. However, factors other than enrollment may be involved. Therefore, this study investigated whether the performance of males (B=500) and females (N=500) was different in…

Causal attribution theory, including the concept of learned helplessness, has been used to explain student motivation and achievement in school. In this paper, a model is developed which explains how attribution theory could explain student effort and achievement in mathematics. According to the model, student perceptions of success or failure in…

This technical report, the final product of the deliberations of a panel charged with an external review of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), considers three broad issues: (1) the apparent lack of comparability between the findings of the 1984 and 1986 reading assessments (reading anomaly); (2) the accuracy of NAEP trend…

To determine if a relationship existed between physical skills and achievement in reading, mathematics, and listening comprehension of fifth-grade students, a study evaluated 334 fifth-graders in Starkville, Mississippi, on 20 physical fitness, motor fitness, and sports skills, as well as the Stanford Achievement Tests. The physical skills test…

This report is part of an overall regional needs assessment effort undertaken by Research by Better schools and it summarizes test results from state education agencies in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Performance trends over the past several years were analyzed. Major findings indicate that: (1)…

The 1985 Indiana Mathematics Contest included tests in Algebra (First Course), Geometry, Algebra (Second Course), and Comprehensive. Test-writing responsibilities were delegated to mathematics and mathematics education faculties at four state universities, with the mathematical content based on course objectives in the state guidelines. Fourteen…

In order to determine which kind of mathematics program would produce the best results for kindergarten children, three programs from different theoretical perspectives were developed. The first program, behavioristic in focus, made use of texts, worksheets, and seatwork. The second, cognitive-developmental in outlook, stressed conceptualization…

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for grades kindergarten through 6. Two schools began using CSMP in fall 1978, with the curriculum…

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. The original purpose of this draft report was to present a…

The Atlanta Public Schools administer a systemwide achievement testing program annually to assess the academic progress of students enrolled in kindergarten through the eleventh grades. The 1981 administration of the California Achievement Tests revealed evidence that test-level assignments have improved. The regular education students were tested…

Learned helplessness is a variable which has commonly been considered in research on sex-related differences in mathematics achievement. In this study, learned helplessness has been defined in terms of a debilitating or facilitating response resulting from failure on mathematical word problems. The construct has been called Performance Following…

The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe how mathematics is being taught in elementary schools in the state of Washington; (2) identify variables that relate significantly to how mathematics is being taught; and (3) identify variables that relate significantly to mathematics achievement. A sample of approximately 206 elementary schools was…

This study investigated the attitudes, behavior, and mathematics achievement of 200 second- through fifth-grade children who received a midmorning snack of nuts and raisins. It was hypothesized that a nutritious snack would counter low blood sugar in children who consumed a high-sugar breakfast or had no breakfast at all. Experimental subjects…

An analysis of three issues concerning the possibility that sex differences in causal attributional patterns may be important mediators of sex differences in persistence in one's mathematics education are addressed. These issues include: (1) the exact nature of the sex differences in attributional patterns for school achievement and the…

The relationship between the referential communication accuracy of mothers and their 4-year-old children and the children's achievement in vocabulary and mathematics at age 12 was examined in 47 American and 44 Japanese mother-child pairs. Positive correlations were found in both cultures. (Author/BN)