Rural schools perceive small size, geographic isolation, and sparse resources as limiting factors in meeting new science standards. A study of an integrated curriculum in a rural middle-level program found that this model, based on Beane's integrative curriculum planning strategies, had no trouble meeting the national life-science curriculum…

A study of 40 community-based rural schools and 40 consolidated rural schools revealed no differences in student achievement, and found that although consolidated schools implemented more middle-level components, the proliferation of middle schools was not causing consolidation. Recommends that the relationship between student achievement and the…

Data from 18,000 eighth-grade students from urban, suburban, and rural settings across the nation indicate that parental involvement varies across community settings. Rural parents are interested in their children's education, but may not be as well informed about school programs. Recommends that strategies should be developed to increase…

Investigates the relationship between a beginning elementary school teacher's beliefs and mathematics-teaching practices. Results indicate that the teacher's practice was more closely related to beliefs about mathematics content rather than beliefs about mathematics pedagogy. Beliefs about mathematics content were highly influenced by personal…

Describes an exploratory teaching experiment carried out to test the hypothesis that it is feasible to develop a disposition toward more realistic mathematical modeling in pupils. The learning and transfer effects of an experimental class of 10- and 11-year-old students that were compared to the results of two control groups support this…

Presents remarks from the Presidential Address at the 75th Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics held in Minneapolis in April, 1997. Two major challenges addressed were the need to change classroom practice and the need to rethink the definition of "basic". (AIM)

Reviews the four sections of the two-volume set, "International Handbook of Mathematics Education," with specific comments on various chapters contained therein. Suggests that this handbook be used as a general resource for specific topics. (AIM)

Explores the relationship between classroom discourse and mathematical development in a first-grade classroom. Addresses issues such as the teacher's role and the role of symbolization in supporting reflective shifts in the discourse. Contrasts the analysis of reflective discourse with Vygotskian accounts of learning that also stress the…

Investigates changing teacher roles associated with two teachers' use of innovative mathematics materials at Grade Six. Findings indicate that one teacher demonstrated little change in either espoused beliefs or observed practice while the other teacher demonstrated increasing comfort in posing non-routine problems to students and allowing them to…

Investigates the calculation strategies used by female students in Grades Two and Three to solve word problems. Findings indicate that students used three main intuitive models: (1) direct counting; (2) repeated addition; and (3) multiplicative operation. Concludes that children acquire an expanding repertoire of intuitive models and the model…

Investigates the effects of learning mathematics in a cooperative small-group setting on different types of student interactions in low-level ninth-grade classes. Findings indicate an increase in students' activity, a shift toward on-task verbal interaction, various opportunities for students to receive help, and positive attitudes toward the…

Reports on a collaborative research project with a middle school mathematics teacher. Discusses varied commentaries on mathematics teaching using an enactivist framework. Highlights the manner in which the teacher listens as a metaphoric lens through which to reinterpret practice, as a practical basis for teaching action, and as a means of…

Discusses the effectiveness of four models of school/agency partnerships as vehicles for professional development and educational reform--models based on level of involvement, interaction, impact, or organization. Across models, common characteristics of effective partnerships include dynamism, mutual goals, parity, and commitment. Partnerships in…

Two case studies address the relationship between dual labor markets and rural schools, particularly the demographic transformation of rural school districts that host meatpacking plants that recruit immigrant workers. These schools have experienced an increase in non- and limited-English-speaking students. Employee turnover is reflected in school…

In an exploratory project to enrich the reading experiences of 84 rural low-income first-graders, 15 female community members were trained to work with children in nontraditional and traditional activities that addressed reading-related skills. Student achievement test scores improved from exceptionally low reading achievement in the fall to…