Reports on three studies that investigate the effects of teaching mathematics in a mixed-ability setting on student achievement and teacher attitudes. Concludes that students' achievements need not be compromised in a heterogeneous setting. Participation in the project workshops also had a positive effect on teachers' attitudes toward teaching…

Describes the implementation of a comprehensive developmental-mathematics program at Onondaga Community College (New York) that provides students with assistance, from the evaluation of their entry-level skills through their transition to credit-level courses. Discusses key elements of the program, such as placement testing, diagnostic services,…

Project SEED, begun in 1963, is an integral part of mathematics instruction in several urban districts. To provide at-risk students with tough academic challenges, Project SEED recruits mathematicians and scientists from universities, corporations, and the community to work in elementary and middle-school classrooms. Program tips are provided.…

This study examined effects of contextualized math instruction on problem-solving performance of 17 middle school remedial students and 49 average-achieving prealgebra students. Results showed that both remedial and average students receiving contextualized-problem instruction outperformed comparison groups receiving word-problem instruction.…

Relates various types of educational spending to mean mathematics achievement and its social distribution among students using a nationally representative database of 7,217 12th graders. Spending on instruction and capital expenditures was related to differences in achievement between socioeconomic status groups, with lower spending associated…

Asks whether the National Curriculum, introduced to British primary schools in 1989, has succeeded in raising standards of attainment in mathematics. Analyzes mathematics standards of eight cohorts of year 6 students from five primary schools from 1989 to 1996. Reveals no evidence of rising standards in attainment. (DSK)

Examines the impact of street mathematics on African-American students in one inner-city elementary and one urban high school. Offers suggestions for using street mathematics as an alternative to traditional mathematics instruction for at-risk students. (SLD)

Analyzed the mathematics standards of 8 cohorts of Year 2 children from five randomly selected British primary schools within one Local Education Authority; children had completed Mathematics 7 from the National Curriculum. Found evidence of stable standards of attainment over the eight years. Found fewer overachievers than expected. Examined the…

Investigated the effects of cooperative learning on secondary students' mathematics achievement and attitudes. In one class, students used cooperative-learning groups. In a second class, students studied independently. Results from a student survey and students' chapter test scores indicated that students who used cooperative learning had…

Investigates the effect of mathematics portfolio assessments on middle school students' achievement. Discusses portfolio contents, students' attitudes toward the ability of portfolios to reflect their achievement and toward their active involvement in assessment, and the success of the evaluations. (JPB)

Examined whether changes in format of mathematics items in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) had any effect on gender differences in performance using a Swedish sample of 8,851 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Results show no significant changes in gender differences when item format is altered. (SLD)

Looks at differences among six Asian-American ethnic groups in terms of student-level and school-level characteristics and examines factors related to their educational aspirations. Discusses implications for counselors to help Asian-American students achieve academic success in secondary and higher education. (Author/MKA)

Describes some basic difficulties in early algebra and their causes and presents some strategies for overcoming them. Lists five areas as being essential foundations for learning algebra: (1) seeing the operation, not just the answer; (2) understanding the equals sign; (3) understanding the properties of numbers; (4) being able to use all numbers;…

Describes the design of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and results for Dutch students in grade 8. Presents these results in an international perspective and discusses differences between the results of these Dutch students on the written test (far above the international mean) and in the performance assessment (close…

Suggests ways researchers can use international comparisons to improve student learning, using math performance of U.S. and Chinese sixth-graders on four types of tasks. Chinese students did better on computation; U.S. students excelled at process (open performance) assessment tasks. U.S. kids need to develop symbolic and algebraic thinking. (MLH)