Information is presented about the grade 12 diploma examinations for Mathematics 30, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, and Physics 30 that were administered in 1986. Topics explained include: (1) general format of the examinations (stating the content, emphasis, and time allotments); (2) examination schedules (listing the calendar dates and times for the…

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…

As part of the third follow-up to the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, the Third Follow-Up Questionnaire was administered to a sample of the members of the high school class of 1972 who had been surveyed in 1972 and 1974. The questionnaire contains 158 items about education and work experience and is divided into the…

Locus of control, a generalized belief about causality in one's personal life, was identified as a potential variable impinging upon the acquisition of science-related attitudes in classes of high school students from 10th grade biology, and 11th and 12th grade chemistry, and of college elementary education majors. Correlations of the…

Reports a study to examine secondary school students' (n=200) responses to two figurally and spatially similar problems from mathematics and science that require different responses before and after instruction. Results indicated that most students gave the same response to both questions. Reasons for this pattern are discussed. (MDH)

This study investigated the effects of heuristically based assignments and tests on adolescents' written responses to literature. In order to examine both tests and instruction, two separate but related experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 investigated whether the inclusion of guided prewriting on essay tests for two poems and two short…

This investigation examined students attending U.S. and Canadian visual and performing arts secondary schools for distinguishing personality characteristics, locus of control, acceptance of talents, labeling, family dynamics, anxiety levels, perceived personal and school problems, and views of peers, artists/teachers, and counselors. One hundred…

This study investigated the effects on the performance of different age group students of: (1) method of task presentation; (2) format of test questionnaire; and (3) the numerical content of the tasks. The sample consisted of 556 students from grades 7, 9 and 12. The tasks, used for assessing reasoning skills, were taken from the Video-Taped Group…

In 1986, a total of 11 different populations involving more than 1000 schools and more than 20,000 students participated in the Second IEA Science Study (SISS). This digest discusses findings related to curricular patterns and student outcomes. Ratings were done at grades 5, 9, and 12, to ensure that the achievement tests reflected the science…

This newsletter introduces the 1994 NAEP U.S. history assessment, which tested a representative sample of 22,000 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students across the United States. This issue presents a context for understanding the U.S. history assessment. The newsletter is divided into the following sections: (1) "The NAEP U.S. History…

Survey instruments used in the collection of data for the High School and Beyond base year (1980) through the third follow-up surveys (1986) are provided as Volume II of a user's manual for the senior cohort data file. The complete user's manual is designed to provide the extensive documentation necessary for using the cohort data files. Copies of…

This study examined the structure of adolescent self-concept (SC) structure for males and females by using three different measures of each SC facet in a covariance structure analysis of the data. Specifically, the purposes of the study were to: (1) test the hypothesis of the invariance of a multidimensional, hierarchical SC structure for males…

This study examines the nature of the initial implementation of a new multicultural sociology curriculum by eight teachers in the 11th- and 12th-grades of seven Israeli high schools. The study examined: (1) the extent and ways in which teachers reframe their theories of action as they learn to implement the new curriculum; (2) the factors that…

A study compared the historical awareness of 2,000 East and West German children in the sixth, ninth, and twelfth grades. Because of differing school systems and the general design of the study, researchers analyzed ninth grade data. The study was conducted during the disintegration and reunification of Germany. Students from the two regions…

Details of the design and data analysis associated with the 1988 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are presented. The 1988 NAEP surveyed American students' knowledge of reading, writing, civics, U.S. history, and geography. Small-scale studies were conducted for mathematics and science. Populations included public school students…