The Measurement and Evaluation Center of the University of Texas at Austin conducted a standard-setting study in 1991 to reassess the use of the College Board's Achievement Tests in mathematics, Level I and Level II for course placement and credit by examination in an elementary functions and coordinate geometry course. Students in 20 sections of…

This study investigated the predictive relationship between initial student attitudes, admissions test scores, years of high school math taken, and the student's subsequent achievement in introductory college chemistry. A group of 179 students who began as new freshmen during the same fall semester and took an introductory chemistry course during…

This study examined whether students perform better academically if they are in a multi-ethnic school setting, in the minority in a predominantly single-ethnic school, or in the majority at a predominantly single-ethnic school. The study looked at three ethnic/racial groups: White, Black, and Hispanic; and analyzed urban students' mathematics and…

Nearly all school districts in Nevada qualify for Chapter 1 funds for educationally and economically disadvantaged children. All Chapter 1 programs are evaluated annually, and children participating are given pre- and posttests to measure their gains during the school year. Program evaluation data for 1990-91 are summarized. The first section…

This study of college-bound 11th graders assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of instruction that used a structured cooperative learning technique. The students worked in dyads with scripts that contained two learning situations with two roles: (1) explainer and checker; and (2) solver and checker. Both students then worked on summary…

Information was sought about three main issues related to voluntary national tests for fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade mathematics: (1) the relationship between the National Assessment Governing Board and the U.S. Department of Education; (2) costs of developing the national voluntary tests and procedures for hiring contractors; and (3)…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in the United States know and can do in various academic subjects. The 1996 NAEP in mathematics assessed the current level of mathematical achievement as a mechanism for informing education reform. In 1996, 44…

Mathematics achievement and the relationship of low socioeconomic status (SES) students with teachers have been a major concern for educators. Although there are social and economic explanations of failure of low SES students, ultimate success and failure may be significantly affected by differing personal beliefs about learning among students and…

The Optional Extended Year (OEY) program was initiated in Texas in 1995 and first implemented in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in 1996. The primary focus of the OEY programs is to reduce student retention in grade through four school day options: (1) extended day; (2) extended week; (3) intersessions for year-round schools; and (4)…

This paper discusses a radically different set of assumptions to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students. It is argued that disadvantaged children, when exposed to carefully organized thinking-oriented instruction, can acquire the traditional basic skills in the process of reasoning and solving problems. The paper is presented in…

This evaluation examines the progress made in the areas of achievement and enrollment by students at the Central Middle Magnet School in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District after the Computers Unlimited program had been in operation for 4 years. The evaluation design used data on student demographics gathered from the Research Office of the…

Each year at the Greater Lawrence Technical School (Massachusetts), students are identified who lack the necessary basic skills to successfully complete a typical high school program. This problem led to the development of an alternative instructional program designed to accomplish remediation in the basic skills using computer-based instruction.…

An overview and summary are presented of the implementation of the Connecticut Mastery Test for grade 4. The testing program assesses essential skills in mathematics and language arts including listening, reading, and writing for students in grades 4, 6, and 8. The criterion-referenced mastery test assesses how well each student is performing on…

This report contains preliminary results from the 1992 mathematics assessment by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of nationally representative samples of about 26,000 4th, 8th and 12th grade students in 1,500 public schools and private schools in 44 states; and compares data to findings from the 1990 NAEP mathematics tests.…

Two elementary schools in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District have been in operation for 5 years as Applied Learning Magnet Schools (ALMS). The ALMS are math and science magnet schools that emphasize skills in math, science, reading, language arts, and social studies. This report examines ALMS student achievement and enrollment during 5…