This report describes the efforts of three urban school districts participating in the Urban Schools Science and Mathematics Program (USSAMP) to enhance mathematics and science education in the middle grades and to prepare more African-American, Latino, and female students for career opportunities in technology and science. In Atlanta (Georgia),…

A study was done of the effects of school practices and curriculum offerings on eighth graders nationally. The study used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, a survey of 24,600 eighth graders in 1,035 public and independent schools as well as the Hopkins Enhancement Survey of school practices. The results reveal that in…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "The Nation's Report Card," is a congressionally mandated survey of educational achievement of American students in a variety of curriculum areas and of changes in that achievement across time. Part 1 of this report consists of the results of NAEP's 1990 national…

Testing of and interviews with (n=83) eighth-grade students who were presented with a set of linear equation-solving and checking tasks found two categories of checking behavior: structurally erroneous behavior and executionally erroneous behavior. Relates solving and checking behavior and metacognition. (16 references) (Author/MKR)

As almost every state revises its mathematics frameworks or develops new ones, current testing practices remain almost unchanged. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), in its "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics," argues for greater emphasis on application, reasoning, and conceptual understanding, but the…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a method to improve student motivation and academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of seventh and eighth graders from a middle school in a small midwestern community. Motivational problems were documented by means of academic grades, homework contract referrals to the…

This research examines students' ability to work with algebraic variables and their notations as a result of the type of instruction they received, and places their work on scales that illustrate its location on the continuum from arithmetic thinking to algebraic reasoning. It presents data from pre- and post-instruction clinical interviews…

The effect of collaborative testing on junior high school students' scores was investigated. Twenty-two students in grades 7, 8, and 9 were given curriculum-based tests in their pre-algebra classes. Some tests were taken individually in the traditional manner, and others were taken collaboratively by students in pairs over a 10-week period.…

This book contains activities using a technique that allows students to practice routine arithmetical operations without getting bored. Math Loops is a game in which each student receives a card containing answers to a mathematics question or problem and must listen for another student to call out the question. As the game progresses around the…

Recognizing the relationship between homework completion and academic achievement, this action research project targeted eighth graders in all subject areas who failed to complete homework assignments and provided them with creative strategies to improve homework completion. Participating in the project were eighth graders from a small, suburban,…

This document contains the revisions to the 5-8 Mathematics curriculum produced for Manitoba (Canada) teachers. It contains an introduction and seven content sections: Problem Solving, Algebra, Data Management, Geometry, Measurement, Number Concepts, and Number Operations. The introduction includes discussion of: rationale, goals, big ideas…

This teaching module with its 80-minute videotape of lessons from U.S., Japanese, and German classrooms is designed to help moderators facilitate discussion among educators. This guide is intended to help moderators make appropriate decisions about sessions and suggest items to consider when discussing the Third International Mathematics and…

This book serves as a guide for Australian parents who want to take an active role in the mathematics learning of their children. It presents material so that families will learn, think, and talk about mathematics. Many family-life lessons, such as weighing out ingredients for a cake or choosing the best route to the zoo, are presented. The book…

Steps that parents and children can take to ensure that students properly prepare for college are covered in this guidebook. The guidebook is divided into four steps. In step one, reasons why it is important to go to college are covered. Some of these reasons include better job opportunities, more earning potential, and the increased variety of…

This paper is the report of a year-long study of a mathematics teacher's attempts to document her observations of students. One goal of the project is to determine whether it is feasible for a teacher to keep a record of informal assessments such as observations and interviews. Another goal is to determine how useful such information could be to…