In this study, the authors examined the academic performance of 18 urban districts that participated in the 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The districts participated in grade 4 and grade 8 reading and mathematics assessments. Eleven of these districts also participated in the…

Ensuring a safe learning environment for students is a major responsibility of educators and policymakers around the world. Based on the secondary analyses of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data collected from 33 countries in 1999, the study found that 8th graders who witnessed their friends' violence…

Whilst school violence is a major public concern and a focus of educational reforms both in the USA and South Korea, few studies have comparatively examined the rates of school violence and school factors associated with them. Analysing nationally-representative data from eighth graders, their mathematics teachers and principals in 150 South…

Discusses large corpus and pedagogical word lists. Develops two word lists based on 80 compositions of second-, fifth-, eighth-, and eleventh-grade students from a metropolitan school district in western United States. Compares both favorably to the Dolch list. Notes remaining need to investigate vocabulary of individual beginning reading texts.…

A study conducted in Finland investigated the relationships between trait and test anxiety and low and high achievement in 552 sixth- and eighth-graders. Before the final English language test of the spring term, the students responded to a questionnaire concerning worry, tension, test-irrelevant thoughts, physical reactions (e.g., rapid…

Many students in the United States do not possess a sound geographic vocabulary. This study compared two instructional methods, drill and varied activities, that might be used to develop that vocabulary. Eighth-grade social studies classes at three sites (one urban, one rural, and one transitional) were used to assess learning of the 50 United…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows U.S. 4th graders scoring above the international average in both math and science, 8th graders slipping in both subjects, and 12th graders scoring at or near the bottom. Research indicates high expectations, a focused curriculum, better-prepared teachers, and balanced instruction…

Summarizes National Assessment of Educational Progress findings regarding the reading proficiency of students in Catholic and public schools in fourth, eighth, and eleventh grades. Contrasts results in terms of family background and social status, school characteristics, and behavior associated with academic performance. (DMM)

Describes study that compared the achievement of high and low ability eighth-grade students working cooperatively during computer-based instruction. Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping based on ability are explained, posttest results are analyzed, and implications for instructional design are discussed. (23 references) (Author/LRW)

Compares models of the classroom dynamics for a traditional laboratory setting and a problem-solving-centered environment, both at the eighth grade science level. Descriptive data indicate no differences in the models, whereas path analyses suggest that, in the problem-solving model, student behaviors significantly correlate to lesson structure,…

An explanation of why Asian American students perform better than others in school may lie in the nature of the learning programs they receive at home. The purpose of this paper is to define such programs that account for most of the differences in academic achievement among racial/ethnic groups. Data were used from the National Education…

Examines relationships between student interests and aptitude in selected academic fields and their success in intensive courses on these subjects. Discusses a two-year study of 33 mathematics students and 32 literature students in the eighth and ninth grades in the Soviet Union. Shows that differentiated, intensive study did not strengthen…

A resource book for grades 6-8 contains materials to enrich a unit on South Asia. Material is divided into 13 sections. Sections 1-4 outline the rationale, goals, and objectives of the unit. Emphasis is placed on providing background for the understanding of South Asian cultural groups in the United States. Ten objectives are listed, including the…

The paper summarizes a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, "Reading, Science and Mathematic Trends: A Closer Look," in which achievement trends are compared in several subjects for 4th, 8th, and 11th grade black students, white students, low achievers, and high achievers. Findings indicate that while overall…