There has been concern over the validity of the Algebra Diagnostic Test (ADT) used to determine the actual level of student preparation for the first quarter of calculus as taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It has been hypothesized that performance-based questions, along with the more traditional multiple choice questions,…

This paper presents analyses of score reliability for a mathematics placement test developed by the Mathematical Association of America in 1984 for use with undergraduate college students. Subjects included all 589 students seeking admission to the college mathematics curricula at a private university in the South during the course of the study.…

A study examining performance differences on the Ohio Colleges Early Math Placement Test of students receiving algebra and geometry instruction in a traditional, year-long structure versus students in an intensified block structure found the traditional structure more effective. Using block scheduling for all courses and students is unwise. Some…

A conference proceedings on mathematics education research contained the following keynote addresses: "Doing and Constructing Mathematics in Screen-Space" (Mason); "Students' Understanding of Geometry: Theoretical Perspectives" (Pegg); "The Australian Research Council and its Role in Supporting Education Research"…

This brief report documents growth in mathematics achievement during the high school years and its relationship to differential course taking in mathematics. Data are taken from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), which was designed to monitor the transition of the nation's 1988 eighth graders as they progress from junior…

The purpose of this study was to determine if teaching techniques and teacher attitudes tend to reduce math anxiety in secondary-level students. The research group consisted of 48 secondary students enrolled in Algebra I at a rural school in West Virginia, with the experimental period lasting 12 weeks. The control group was instructed in the…

Argues that teachers must recognize and use students' characteristics and behaviors of resiliency to improve mathematics achievement in all student populations, including low achievers. Observes 20 high school mathematics teachers, and discusses their use of six promising instructional strategies. (SR)

In an effort to determine the validity of placement tests used at Rancho Santiago College (Santa Ana, California), for placing students into mathematics courses, a study was conducted comparing the course performance of students who met test cut-off scores ("eligible" to take the course) with students who did not meet the cut-off scores…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there would be a significant difference in the achievement levels of two groups of eighth-grade Algebra I students when one group receives instruction from a non-traditional (Saxon) method of instruction, and the other receives instruction from a traditional method (Fair and Bragg text). The study was…

The validity of teachers' reports of students' instructional experiences (content exposure or coverage) and content validity of a given course were studied by examining the consistency of reported content coverage for teachers across two consecutive years (1988 and 1989). In addition, the sensitivity of the test to instruction was examined by…

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…

This study examines the effectiveness of multiple methods of soliciting attributions. The Attributional Style Questionnaire, specific attributions, and causal dimensions are used to predict the grades and feelings of frustration of college algebra students. The results show that, contrary to current theoretical work, both specific attributions and…

This study investigated how different components of teacher/teaching assistant interventions improved or reduced student motivation. The study was part of a larger project in which ethnically diverse students were videotaped during their 5 algebra classes for 6 weeks in their urban public high school. A total of 40 students (10 groups of 4) from 5…

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.…

Project SEED is a U.S. nationwide program in which professional mathematicians and scientists from major universities, research corporations, and the community teach abstract, conceptually oriented mathematics to full-sized classes of elementary school children on a daily basis as an extra-period supplement to their mathematics program. The…