Investigated the relative importance society places on various cognitive skills using data from 1902-13 Ohio high school entrance examinations and Ohio 9th-grade proficiency tests of the late 1990s. The earlier exams demanded deep declarative knowledge of culturally valued information but only simple interrelations between facts. The modern exams…

Surveyed preservice teachers regarding their perceptions of effective teachers' characteristics and whether those perceptions were related to educational beliefs. Respondents believed that many characteristics reflected effective teaching (student centered, effective classroom and behavior manager, competent instructor, ethical, enthusiastic about…

Provides guidelines for what to expect in an article using logistic regression techniques, discussing tables, figures, and charts to be included to comprehensively assess results and assumptions to be verified; demonstrating the preferred pattern for applying logistic methods, with an illustration of logistic regression applied to a data set; and…

Taiwanese and U.S. preservice teachers at the beginning and end of their preservice programs completed a teacher efficacy scale. The two groups had conceptually different expectations of teaching, however, their efficacy beliefs showed similar patterns regarding ability to adjust teaching methods to individual students' needs. Participants'…

Examined the efficacy beliefs of elementary teachers regarding character education. Data from the Character Education Efficacy Belief survey indicated that respondents felt efficacious about most aspects of character education. Teachers who earned their undergraduate degrees from private, religiously affiliated universities had a greater sense of…

Examined efficacy beliefs and choices of differentiated instructional strategies needed for effective teaching in inclusive classrooms. Israeli preservice teachers completed teacher efficacy scale and instructional strategy scales. Overall, personal teaching efficacy related to choice of instruction, but teaching efficacy did not. Participants…

Investigated the relationship between oral language and early reading development by administering to 39 children a broad range of oral language, background, and reading ability measures in kindergarten and first and second grade. Overall, semantic abilities, not phonological awareness, predicted second grade reading comprehension. Phonological…

Examined advanced mathematics achievement among high school students using data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. Examination of school- and student-level factors indicated that gender and economic disparities existed, even with the most advanced students. This disparity varied by school. Parent education related to…

Using Longitudinal Study of American Youth data, researchers investigated factors related to middle and high school students' learning or growth in statistics, algebra, and geometry. Results indicated substantial growth in all three content areas in both middle and high school. Factors related to student learning included student characteristics…

Collected data on elementary and secondary schools' rates of daily student attendance and chronic absenteeism and on specific partnership practices that schools implemented to help increase or sustain student attendance. Results suggest that schools interested in improving or maintaining good attendance can benefit from taking a comprehensive…

Surveyed secondary school teachers in schools with block and traditional scheduling regarding their preparation for using various instructional practices, their use of those practices, and the appropriateness of employing them as part of block and traditional scheduling. Overall, few differences were evident in opinions about level of use,…

Investigated elementary teachers' assessment and grading practices. Teachers conceptualized six factors when grading students, emphasizing academic performance and achievement- enabling behaviors. Teachers used three types of assessments: constructed-response, objective, and teacher-made major examinations. They differentiated between recall and…

Examined the validity of Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) scores as college admission criteria. Examination of teacher education program graduates' American College Test (ACT) scores, PPST subtest scores, PPST scores, undergraduate grade point averages (GPA), and student teaching ratings highlighted a concurrent relationship between…

Observed differences between third graders' self-regulatory behaviors in three instructional contexts (teacher directed, seatwork, and small group). Children were most self-regulated but most likely to be disorganized during small group work and seatwork; least likely to attend to instructions, monitor work, and seek help during teacher directed…

Compared two groups of preservice teachers participating in a field experience based on cooperating/mentor teachers' supervisory practice. Both groups received traditional orientation to student teaching and supervision. The experimental group's teachers had received in-depth training in supervision using the Praxis III/Pathwise framework. Results…