In standards-based science fairs, children learn more about what they are interested in. They deepen understandings of how science works and improve inquiry skills--including the ability to communicate and share research results. Parents learn more about science inquiry and their child's science abilities. The standards-based science fair builds…

This article describes how assessments in PE Metrics were developed following six steps: (a) determining test blueprint, (b) writing assessment tasks and scoring rubrics, (c) establishing content validity, (d) piloting assessments, (e) conducting item analysis, and (f) modifying the assessments based on analysis and expert opinion. A task force,…

The study determined the degree of implementation of the language provisions in the National Policy on Education (NPE)in Nigerian primary and secondary schools. The study adopted the survey design. The sample size consisted of 1,620 pupils in primary schools, 1,620 students in secondary schools totalling 3,240 and 300 English Language teachers.…

After an outdoor excursion hunting for a "special leaf" on a delightful fall day, students returned to the classroom and were instructed to capture the leaf on a blank page in their science notebooks. They were asked to document as many details as possible, based on their observations. The overall focus of the notebooks was for students to capture…

The aims of this study are (a) to examine the sources of differential functioning by gender via differential bundle functioning (DBF) in mathematics assessment and (b) to use DBF to explore whether the differential functioning displayed is construct-relevant or construct-irrelevant. Three qualitatively different areas, namely curriculum domains,…

Some form of a short interrupted time series (ITS) is often used to evaluate state and national programs. An ITS design with a single treatment group assumes that the pretest functional form can be validly estimated and extrapolated into the postintervention period where it provides a valid counterfactual. This assumption is problematic. Ambiguous…

"Welcome to Conversions Rock" is a new math program designed to build and reinforce the important skills of converting fractions, decimals, and percents for students in grades 6-8. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation, this program seeks to provide skill-building, real-world math to help students become successful in the classroom and beyond. [A…

Introducing opera to sixth-graders may sound like a recipe for disaster, but a New Jersey music teacher has discovered how to get his students excited about "Aida": by making it the basis of a class video. This article presents a no-nonsense, seven-contact-period approach that's incredibly effective, fun, and as free as a couple of mouse…

How many scientists throw out their notebooks at the end of each year and start over no matter how many empty pages remain? How many of them approach a new research question or experiment without using knowledge gained from the previous years? The answer to each of these questions is of course, few if any, yet we ask our students to do that every…

Today's young students, when they grow to be adults, will have to make decisions the consequences of which will impact their lives and the lives of others. As consumers, they will need to understand that they can't have everything they want. They will have to make spending, savings, and investing decisions that benefit their own families over the…

The Common Core Standards have defined literacy and outlined the mission for English Language Arts in a way that provides a natural fit with the National Standards for Language Learning. Taking advantage of this connection, language teachers can showcase the importance of learning languages by demonstrating how literacy is learned, practiced, and…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the National Standards for Foreign Language Education have several areas of commonality: (1) both standards have the goal that all students, by the end of 12th grade, will have the skills they need to be successful world citizens; (2) the literacy skills that are found in the Common Core are the same…

This study examined the extent to which seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics teachers are aware of National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards documents, Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics and Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and agree with NCTM's vision of school mathematics as expressed in…

Rigor is an important concept both in and out of school. To many teachers and teacher educators, rigor includes using national and state standards to inform curriculum; using best practices to guide instruction; testing and evaluating students to assess learning; and maintaining fidelity to academic disciplines. In this article, the authors…

Like peanut butter and jelly, kindergarteners and dinosaurs go well together. Therefore, the authors developed a cross-curricular unit based on the books "All Aboard the Dinotrain" (Lund and Fine 2006) and "Dinosailors" (Lund and Fine 2003). Dinosaur learning centers were used to engage students and address the National Science Education Standards…