Using transcript data from 1,700 California high school students, this study investigated the influence of students' background characteristics on course placement in mathematics and science. Results showed course placements varied substantially across the four schools surveyed. Variations were explained in part by differing curriculum…

In this lesson plan, students are assigned a member of the California Assembly to research and a political faction to represent. Students examine representative bills voted on by the California Assembly to determine if their member's voting record coincides with the views of their political faction. Ultimately, students must decide whether, and…

Describes how two low-achieving, high-poverty school districts raised the test scores of their students. The El Centro school district's inquiry-science approach raised elementary science test scores, as well as mathematics and reading scores. Twin Falls improved test scores by adopting the Standardized Timed Curriculum, which involved components…

In recognition of the fact that science centers and other informal educational institutions can play a role in the reform of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, several major research and professional programs are currently underway. This article discusses one such effort, the Center for Informal Learning and…

While a graduate student at Stanford University, Veronica Mendoza, the author, conducted research on six Latino students from a troubled high school in San Jose, California. The school, located in a crime- and poverty-riddled neighborhood, is predominately Latino. Some of the students may go on to community college, at best, after graduation.…

In 2002, Principal Candy McCarthy of Alisal High School took a big risk on behalf of her teachers and students. Because her school had been designated "under-performing," she received supplemental funding for school improvement purposes. McCarthy decided to use all of the additional funds to purchase collaborative planning time for…

What pass for the study of international relations is often more an examination of foreign affairs, transnational interaction from ethnocentric perspectives. Many analysts accept the assumptions and values of their own political culture, then superimpose them on other nations. If another state does not act in accordance with those values, its…

This paper presents part of the results of a completed study entitled "A Longitudinal Study of Minority Ph.D.s from 1980-1990: Progress and Outcomes in Science and Engineering at the University of California during Graduate School and Professional Life." It focuses particularly on the graduate school experience and degree of preparation…

The four studies presented show how expertise, from the cultural-historical theory of activity, is constructed interactively in everyday problem situations. They also demonstrate that purely situational analyses of discourse are insufficient as attempts to explain expertise. The four studies are presented as individual chapters: (1) Expertise as…

Designed to sensitize primary grade students to the responsibilities of protecting wild animals, this teaching unit contains a variety of interdisciplinary worksheets and activities. Although focusing on wild animals indigenous to San Mateo County (California), materials are easily adaptable for use in other areas. Examples of activities are…

The lack of U.S. students' knowledge of history and geography has been portrayed on television and in the newspapers as a national problem. California's public schools are taking significant steps to ensure that all students have a well developed understanding of their society and the world. This guide for parents answers some of the most commonly…

Findings from an evaluation of Teacher Education and Computer (TEC) Centers were presented. The California State Legislature authorized 15 TEC Centers to provide staff development services to teachers and administrators. Evaluation of the Centers focused on several policy issues in order to describe the major accomplishments of TEC Centers on a…

This framework, centered in the chronological study of history, proposes an integrated and correlated approach to the teaching of history and the social sciences. The framework is structured around three major goals, each comprising several curriculum strands which are to be developed from kindergarten through grade 12. The three goals are: (1)…

This document offers a perspective on the use of computers in education to assist California educators with the design and implementation of educational activities that encourage the effective and creative use of computers and computer software throughout the school curriculum. It is organized in six strands, each identifying a basic core of…

This resource guide was prepared for the teachers of academically talented children in grade four. As part of the curriculum materials developed for Special Class Demonstrations, this guide indicates a level and depth of study which was found to be rewarding and satisfying for gifted students. Because of the pace at which nearly all special class…