Given its important role in mathematics as well as its role as a gatekeeper to future educational and employment opportunities, algebra has become a focal point of both reform and research efforts in mathematics education. Understanding and using algebra is dependent on understanding a number of fundamental concepts, one of which is the concept of…

Gender differences of gifted and talented students in mathematics performance were examined using the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) of 1995. The LEAP test is a statewide criterion-referenced test administered to all Louisiana public school children in Grades 3, 5, 7, 10, and 11. In this study, the database was restricted to…

The extent to which a teaching method that emphasizes Mastery Learning Strategies facilitates the learning of low and high socioeconomic status children in desegregated classrooms was studied. Participants were 117 seventh graders in desegregated mathematics classes in an Israeli junior high school. (BS)

This paper draws on mathematics achievement data from Milwaukee middle school students to illustrate the value-added approach to estimating school performance. Value-added indicators differ from traditional attainment indicators such as average test scores in that they are designed to capture the contribution of schools to growth in student…

In this article, a heterogeneous latent growth curve model for modeling heterogeneity of growth rates is proposed. The suggested model is an extension of a conventional growth curve model and a complementary tool to mixed growth modeling. It allows the modeling of heterogeneity of growth rates as a continuous function of latent initial status and…

As part of compliance with with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, this document presents the State Report Card of Arizona for 2009-2010. The report card provides tables relating to percentage of students who passed AIMS in Arizona by subject and grade. The tables shown in this document include: (1) Mathematics Grade 3; (2) Reading Grade 3; (3)…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gender accounts for student differences in performance and achievement in mathematics. Data for the study were drawn from the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) of seventh and eighth grade students from Japan, Belgium, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario), France, the United States,…

The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth found large and consistent sex differences in mathematical reasoning ability favoring boys, as reported by Benbow and Stanley (1980, 1981). This investigation studied the development and consequences during junior and senior high school of the sex differences found in seventh grade. (Author/PN)

A 16-item questionnaire concerning independence and 3 divergent thinking tests were administered to 3 groups of preadolescent boys (N=91) and their mothers as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of exceptional giftedness. Results indicate significant correlation of mothers' and boys' independence scores with divergent thinking test scores. (TJH)

The extent to which motivation/attribution variables explain self-confidence in learning mathematics (SCLM) and whether students make attributions for their successes/failures in mathematics were studied, using 489 seventh graders. Attributional style, effort as a mediator of ability, failure as an acceptable phase in learning mathematics, and…

Middle school data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are analyzed in this article to compare achievement difference between seventh and eighth grades. The statistical computing involves a selective subtraction of item scores in more than 40 countries. The research findings indicate that not all TIMSS items have…

In this study, we tested the claim that sex differences in mathematics achievement are related to boys' and girls' differing achievement-related beliefs. We compared the mathematics report card grades, 2001 Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) Numeracy subtest scores, performance attributions, and self-efficacy of 161 British Columbian public school…

This study investigated the effect of students' ability and type of instructional program, structured and unstructured, on easy and difficult posttest items. Seventh-grade students worked through 14 instructional activities in The Geometer Sketchpad, a dynamic geometry program, and accessed a Geometry tutorial developed to parallel the state…

"Saxon Elementary School Math," published by Harcourt Achieve, is a core curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade 5. A distinguishing feature of "Saxon Elementary School Math" is its use of a distributed approach, as opposed to a chapter-based approach, for instruction and assessment. The program is built on the…

This study investigated the interactive effects between students' opportunity to learn (OTL) in the classroom, two language-related testing accommodations, and English language learner (ELL) students and other students of varying language proficiency, and how these variables impact mathematics performance. Hierarchical linear modeling was employed…