This paper extends the theory of conditional covariances to polytomous items. It has been mathematically proven that under some mild conditions, commonly assumed in the analysis of response data, the conditional covariance of two items, dichotomously or polytomously scored, is positive if the two items are dimensionally homogeneous and negative…

The principal mode of environmental education is to integrate environmental education into science classes. Biology is a life science. To study biology it is necessary to talk about the living environment and the relationship between biological organisms and their environment. Studying biology not only enables students to learn a great deal of…

There is a rich history of researchers developing curricular materials aimed at enhancing student learning in American classrooms. Though many of these innovations have been successful on a small scale, institutionalizing them so they become part of a district's instructional culture has been a challenge. As large districts try to scale up and…

Formative research is used to inform intervention development, but the processes of transmitting results to intervention planners and incorporating information into intervention designs are not well documented. The authors describe how formative research results from the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) were transferred to planners to…

NMSA/AMLE's position paper "This We Believe" has come to be recognized as the best articulation of the middle school concept, the accepted standard. But inevitably, a position paper speaks in visionary generalizations; to move these ideals into actual practice is a very demanding task, but one that has to be undertaken if needed and…

This article reports on the reading comprehension crisis of older students in the middle and high school grades in our nation. Its goal is to establish a common foundation for intervention by educators and clinicians alike, by providing a brief description of the state of the field in comprehension theory. In particular, the Kintsch…

This chapter is concerned with how assessments of students' work in classrooms, although primarily intended to promote learning, can also become an important source of information for evaluating a school's effectiveness within an accountability system. The authors begin their discussion by considering issues of fairness, to schools and to their…

In this article, the author explores the intersection between race/ethnicity and caring in the educational experiences of middle school Puerto Rican girls. Critical race theory and Latino/Latina critical theory are used as data analysis frameworks because of their emphasis on the roles of race/ethnicity and racism in shaping the circumstances of…

This paper examines geographical education for children under 13 years of age in Finland in the present situation, in which geography is taught as part of "Environmental and Natural Studies", the school subject integrating biology, geography, environmental studies, civics, physics and chemistry. In the content analysis of school…

This case study involving three social studies teachers illustrates how the personal theorizing process, conducted as part of the teachers' preservice education, influenced their instruction during their first year of teaching. In addition, the evolution of the teachers' beliefs, as described through their personal practical theories (PPT's) of…

Fifty-three school counselors and administrators employed in middle and high school settings were surveyed regarding their thoughts about school districts working collaboratively with non-school mental health professionals to respond to the mental health needs of students. In addition, the survey sought to understand what school counselors and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among students' self-perception, attitudes toward school, study and organizational skills, achievement motivation, attributional style, gender, parental involvement and style, parental income and parental level of education, and students' academic performance or achievement. Using…

English language learners (ELLs) in today's U.S. middle schools and high schools face significant challenges from state writing assessments, and data suggest that they do not fare well. This paper seeks to uncover some of the reasons by posing the question: What is the available research base and practice literature to help teachers prepare ELLs…

Presents an article on strengthening the educational value of the elementary musical presentations. Importance of the theories of constructivism and multiple intelligence in improving student learning; Factors which should be considered in planning a music program for elementary students; Suggestions for music educators who are developing music…

The purpose of this study was to provide a description and analysis of repertoire performed at middle school band contests in northern Illinois. Repertoire from 10 Illinois Grade School Music Association--Northern Division district level contests were analyzed in relation to the frequency pieces were performed, dates of publication, publishers…