David Baker and Cornelius Riordan mistakenly claim that Catholic schools failed in the 1950s because they were mediocre. Their article is a house of cards built on a distortion of history and a single new finding that Catholic schools' social-class composition has changed. The "elitism" problem, stemming from rising costs, can be remedied by more…

Describes ways of thinking about probability and some common student misconceptions. Suggests ways of addressing students' misconceptions and illustrates these ideas with an example. (ASK)

Private and public schools may share more similarities than differences. A Fordham Foundation survey of 336 public, Catholic, and independent elementary schools found more pedagogical variations within each school type than across categories. An Economic Policy Institute study found that all types had income-related parent-involvement problems.…

Reports on a study of student understanding of the wave nature of matter in the context of the pattern produced by the diffraction and interference of particles. Errors made by students after standard instruction indicates the presence of similar conceptual and reasoning difficulties at three different educational levels. (Contains over 20…

Describes an activity that employs the study of unicorns as an enjoyable and vivid means by which young children can learn to distinguish fact from fantasy. Students learn about the characteristics of animals suspected of being unicorns. (DDR)

Peggy Farber's stories (in the March 1998 "Kappan") about a few individuals at Boston Renaissance Charter School have a place in evaluating the program. However, the real story cannot be drawn from a few isolated, highly selective anecdotes. A balanced evaluation would have framed the discussion around the schools' progress with…

At regular intervals during the past 20 years, George Psacharapoulos has presented aggregate rates of return (RORs) to investments in education for each major geographical region. He claims high aggregate social RORs for primary education throughout the world. Reexamination of the data shows that none of Psacharapoulos's ROR patterns exist in…

Examines misconceptions about simulations for performance technology concerning what they reflect, varieties, uses (instruction, awareness, performance assessment, team building, transfer, research, therapy), levels of fidelity, design approaches, formats (graphic models; card, race, and cyclical games; interactive fiction; production simulations;…

Many students of chemistry demonstrate alternative conceptions about some fundamental aspects of chemistry. Suggests that research evidence provides strong support for this view. Contains 45 references. (DDR)

Reports the findings of a study that suggest that alternative ideas can form part of a progression toward a scientifically acceptable model. Argues that teaching may be inadvertently promoting alternative ideas as endpoints. Contains 38 references. (DDR)

Public Agenda's recent study debunks five myths: only parents support the public schools; people think their community schools are performing well; those criticizing schools are clinging to an idealized past; people care little about poor, minority students' academic success; and most Americans distrust academic standards and standardized testing.…

Reports and analyzes the day and night cycle, the seasons, and the phases of the moon as seen by Norwegian deaf pupils aged 7, 9, 11, and 17 years, and by hearing Norwegian pupils 9 years old. Among the 9-year-olds there was no difference in the inner coherence of the conceptions between deaf pupils. (Author/SAH)

Considers the process of conceptual change and describes empirical studies into children's naive theories of physics concepts. Uses the Representational Redescription model to explain how naive theories are a feature of conceptual change. Provides a starting point for considering how children's naive theories might mediate their ability to learn…

Presents five plant science stories and examines the real truth behind them. (Contains 28 references.) (ASK)

State mandates in Kentucky, Oregon, Mississippi, and Tennessee have raised questions concerning multiage grouping's viability. Some educators are implementing multiage classrooms and schools with insufficient forethought, planning, and stakeholder participation. A recent study underlines the importance of teacher readiness, parental involvement,…