An aspect of the complex relationship between students homework and academic achievement (Cooper, Robinson, and Patall, 2006) was examined by correlating TIMSS 2003 mathematics results with the data about homework in 46 countries of the TIMSS study. The TIMSS results had no statistically significant correlation with the teachers' emphasis on…

This paper discusses the application of Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to the evaluation of the effectiveness of Basic Skills programs in the Newark (New Jersey) school district. Whether HLM is able to handle regression effects in Basic Skills examination data is studied. The analysis uses data from the Stanford Achievement Tests for…

Educational reformers increasingly seek to manipulate policies regarding assessment, curriculum, and professional development in order to improve instruction. It is assumed that manipulating these elements of instructional policy will change teachers' practice which will then improve student performance. These ideas are formalized into a…

It is well documented that children of middle-class parents generally do better at school than their working-class peers and despite increases in school retention rates in Australia, this remains the case. Social reproduction theories are often used to describe this phenomenon. Social reproduction theory assumes that a family's class position is…

In February 1998, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) developed and published a report called "An Action Strategy for Improving Achievement in Mathematics and Science" which laid out a series of strategies for improving achievement in mathematics and science. To facilitate the implementation of some of…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provides extensive comparisons of cross-national rankings in achievement as well as rich, descriptive analyses of the students, teachers, and schools participating in the study. In spite of the wealth of achievement and descriptive data available, the two are rarely linked in research.…

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, selected a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in the fall of 1998 and is following these children through the end of fifth grade. This report details findings from…

A pre-post combined experimental and quasi-experimental study determined if the effects of former successful applications of Accelerated Learning (AL), memory, and cognitive skills interactive media training could be replicated in multiple classrooms. The 10-week experimental application (40 minutes daily, Monday through Friday) of training…

This booklet contains information and resources to plan for reading and mathematics improvement goals for elementary, middle/junior high, and high schools in the Washington public schools according to the Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission and the results of the 2001 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). This booklet…

Using the international database of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), this study estimated the effect of class size on student performance in 18 countries, combining school fixed effects and instrumental variables to identify random class-size variation between 2 adjacent grades within individual schools. Conventional…

At the request of the Massachusetts Department of Education, Achieve, Inc., conducted an evaluation of the state's K-12 mathematics standards and grade 10 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests in English language arts and mathematics during the spring and summer of 2001. The state's English Language Arts standards were not…

The purpose of the Idaho Direct Mathematics Assessment (DMA) is to measure Idaho students' mathematical problem-solving skills, including their ability to apply basic skills to problem-solving situations as stated in the Idaho Achievement Standards document. Problem solving is valued as an essential tool for success in a complex, modern world. The…

Since the 1960s, gender differences in mathematics performance have been a major topic in educational and mathematical research. This study entails a gender comparative analysis of students' mathematics performance as determined by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and by the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency. In a public school system in rural…

The knowledge and use of mathematics is essential in everyone's life; therefore, learning mathematics is central to elementary and secondary education. American students, however, continue to lag behind their world peers in mathematics achievement. Furthermore, substantial achievement gaps exist between groups of these students. The Learning First…

This report describes a program for increasing class achievement by raising the motivational level of adolescents. The targeted population consisted of high school mathematics students from a metropolitan area located in central Illinois. The problem of low motivation level found in the targeted students was documented by student surveys. Evidence…