Predictions about processes linking gender to students' choices of advanced courses were derived from the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model and expectancy value (EV) theory. The predictions were tested for the domains of mathematics and biology using data from 1,148 students attending academically oriented secondary schools in…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education": U.S. Could Net $45 Billion Annually if One Year's Worth…

This article reports on the Pittsburgh Public Schools Oral Ratings Assessment for Language Students (PPS ORALS) project, a Title VI Foreign Language Assistance Program grant-funded project to create an online testing Software program that makes large-scale oral testing in a world language not only feasible, but also easy to create, administer, and…

One hundred thirty-seven students in 12th grade physics classes participated in a quasi-experimental study comparing the jigsaw classroom method of cooperative instruction with traditional direct instruction. While no differences were found between the two conditions for physics achievement gains, the results revealed differences in students'…

Iowa's educational system is defined by the strong working relationship between the local school districts and area education agencies. Local districts provide the instructional program and area education agencies provide support services. Districts define how services will be organized and provided as they ensure a free appropriate public…

This publication briefly describes the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in geography. In early 1994, about 19,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12 across the nation participated. This was the first comprehensive geography assessment by NAEP and will provide baseline data to measure future progress. Sample questions…

This book describes results from the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in U.S. history, conducted at grades 4, 8, and 12. Included in this report card are the results of students' achievement at each grade and within various subgroups of the general population. The report discusses the relationships between student…

This study examines the instructional experiences of a national sample of 1992 high school seniors in the subjects of science and mathematics. The study analyzes data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The information on instruction comes from the NELS:88 1992 survey of teachers, which collected questionnaires from…

Beginning in February 1994, twelfth-grade students who have passed the Ohio Ninth-grade Proficiency Tests in all areas will take the Twelfth-grade Proficiency Tests in writing, reading, mathematics, and citizenship. This fact sheet describes the Twelfth-grade Proficiency Test in citizenship. The test is designed to measure a twelfth-grade level of…

This handbook serves a four-fold purpose: (1) it functions as a reference guide for counselors using the Otis Spunkmeyer Student Motivational Program (SMP); (2) individuals in other corporations who are interested in sponsoring their own Student Motivational Program (SMP) may use it to train counselors; (3) it serves as a program overview for…

High School marks the end of adolescence and the entrance into adulthood. During his junior and senior years in high school, a young male begins to establish his individuality. This study examines high school students' perceptions of teacher effectiveness based on teachers' age and gender. The researcher focused on gender conflict between young…

This study was undertaken to explore whether incest, extrafamilial sexual abuse, and physical abuse are linked with different psychological or behavioral consequences, and whether abuse affects males and females differently. In 1989, a survey instrument was administered to all 6th, 9th, and 12th graders in 84% of all the public schools in…

The Minnesota Student Survey, including questions on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus transmission and sexual activity, was completed by approximately 88,000 6th-, 9th-, and 12th-graders during the 1988-89 school year. Sexual activity questions were not asked of sixth graders. Over 90% of high school students knew about sharing…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has developed a new generation of assessment tasks for assessing student achievement in the visual arts. Using paper-and-pencil and performance formats, these tasks draw on the concepts, skills, and processes used to create and understand visual images from a variety of world cultures and…

This study explores methods for detecting gender-based differential item functioning (DIF) on the 12th grade multiple-choice and constructed-response science tests administered as part of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Several combinations of conditioning variables were explored for DIF detection on both tests, and…