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297 pages

297 pages

297 pages

297 pages

64, [3] pages : 23 cm

64, [3] pages : 23 cm

64, [3] pages : 23 cm

64, [3] pages : 23 cm

64, [3] pages : 23 cm

The "Education Evaluation and Remedial Assistance" section 10-14n of the Connecticut General Statutes, requires that the State Board of Education administer an annual statewide proficiency examination in basic reading, language arts, and mathematic skills to all ninth-grade students. This report describes the development of the test and summarizes the results of the second administration. The objectives of the test are outlined and range from the provision of a statewide information base on all students before entering high school, to the use of results for budget request preparation, and the use of the test as a screening process to diagnose student skill deficiencies so that follow-up aid may be administered to improve basic skills. The implementation, process and the identification of test content are outlined. Descriptions of the individual tests and their objectives follow. The process of constructing and reviewing items, conducting a pilot test and selecting procedures for setting the statewide level of expected performance, constitutes the next section. The third section is comprised of test administration procedures and discusses the scoring procedures utilized for each test. In conclusion, statewide results are summarized by state and by school district. Sample writings and holistic scores assigned them are appended. (AEF)

Click here to view the University of Florida catalog record

Click here to view the University of Florida catalog record

Click here to view the University of Florida catalog record

Click here to view the University of Florida catalog record

Teaching students to think mathematically or to apply mathematics to the solution of real-world problems has become a national priority. This paper explores a method of developing the basic problem-solving skills in a remedial mathematics course at the college freshman level. The first part of this paper describes some basic problem-solving skills including stage-specific and general skills. A protocol of a student's solution to the Days problem using pair problem solving is presented and some difficulties preventing students from arriving at correct solutions are discussed. One method of developing the basic skills in the context of a problem-based mathematics course is considered. The rudimentary skills required for solving a problem should be the focus of the early stage of problem solving instruction. The appendix contains a handout to help students learn the role of the listener and to distinguish it from the more natural role of the helper. Eleven references are listed. (YP)

Teaching students to think mathematically or to apply mathematics to the solution of real-world problems has become a national priority. This paper explores a method of developing the basic problem-solving skills in a remedial mathematics course at the college freshman level. The first part of this paper describes some basic problem-solving skills including stage-specific and general skills. A protocol of a student's solution to the Days problem using pair problem solving is presented and some difficulties preventing students from arriving at correct solutions are discussed. One method of developing the basic skills in the context of a problem-based mathematics course is considered. The rudimentary skills required for solving a problem should be the focus of the early stage of problem solving instruction. The appendix contains a handout to help students learn the role of the listener and to distinguish it from the more natural role of the helper. Eleven references are listed. (YP)

Teaching students to think mathematically or to apply mathematics to the solution of real-world problems has become a national priority. This paper explores a method of developing the basic problem-solving skills in a remedial mathematics course at the college freshman level. The first part of this paper describes some basic problem-solving skills including stage-specific and general skills. A protocol of a student's solution to the Days problem using pair problem solving is presented and some difficulties preventing students from arriving at correct solutions are discussed. One method of developing the basic skills in the context of a problem-based mathematics course is considered. The rudimentary skills required for solving a problem should be the focus of the early stage of problem solving instruction. The appendix contains a handout to help students learn the role of the listener and to distinguish it from the more natural role of the helper. Eleven references are listed. (YP)

268 pages ; 26 cm

268 pages ; 26 cm

250 pages : 24 cm

Cover title: Contemporary's Building basic skills in mathematics

In 1985, Indiana joined the growing list of states assessing students' achievement at various levels. During February 1985, over 63,000 third-grade students took the 40-item Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test. A mean of 34.7 was achieved. An item analysis was performed for a random sample of 6,439 students (approximately 10%). Findings confirm the national assessment results that students generally do very well computing with whole numbers, and no single item was answered correctly by less than 70 percent of the sample. Difficulties with items on geometry and problems involving graphs and charts are discussed. (MNS)

The main objective of the authors' proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness of math placement policies for entering community college students on these students' academic success in math, and their transfer and graduation rates. The main research question that guides the proposed study is: What are the effects of various basic skills mathematics paths on the course-taking patterns of community college students? Their study combines descriptive analyses with a regression discontinuity (RD) design to estimate the effect of developmental education. They have two closely related goals: (1) To provide a descriptive analysis of the course taking patterns (basic skills and college level) of community college students; and (2) To use a regression-discontinuity design to test the effect of assignment to different levels of basic skills courses in mathematics on subsequent educational outcomes. The sampling frame for their analysis consists of about 158,000 community college students who were placed into mathematics in one of nine Los Angeles County Community Colleges between June 2001 and September 2009 and for whom a Continuous Placement Score (CPS) is available in the management information system maintained by the Los Angeles Community College District. The authors have been able to identify the assessment and placement practices in 4 of the 9 community colleges. Table 1 describes the placement rules for these 4 colleges. This evaluation provides insights to the district and the state about the effect of placement on successful course sequences that have the potential to promote persistence and save millions of dollars to the state. (Contains 4 tables.)

Title varies slightly

Title varies slightly

Title varies slightly

This review and synthesis focuses on issues concerning the relationship between basic mathematics competency and vocational education. A section which outlines the problem--the lack of basic competency in computational skills in youth and adults--discusses the work of the National Assessment of Educational Progress to evaluate student performance and declining scores on Iowa Tests of Basic skills and California Achievement Tests. Support for remedying skill deficiencies is described as coming from implementing career education in the mathematics classroom and the public's support of increased emphasis on careers in high school as shown by the Phi Delta Kappa based on Gallup Polls of Public Attitudes Toward Education. A section that makes special note of the problem of defining"basic skills" suggests that skills can be specified only as being basic when that to which they are basic is specifically stated. The need for vocational educators to search for and specify the mathematical applications that underlie vocational emphasis is briefly considered. The section following provides examplars of the varied approaches of mathematics and vocational educators to the issues of mathematics in vocational curricula, individualization, metrication, and instruction for special needs groups. Concluding lists of observations and recommendations summarize the information presented in the monograph. (YLB) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Program Description.

Students make errors in mathematics for a variety of reasons. It is the job of the educator to identify the source of these errors and to assist students in correcting them. The purpose of this monograph is to help identify, analyze, and evaluate students' computational proficiency. This monograph is divided into four sections: "Whole Numbers"; "Fractions"; "Decimals"; and "Percents." Each section is arranged according to specific computational skills. Each computational skill is examined via the following components: (1) skill (giving the specific computational skill to be examined; (2) example (offering a sample problem that could lead to typical student errors); (3) entry conditions (listing the mathematical prerequisites for mastery of the skill being examined); (4) correct solution (showing correct answer to the given sample); (5) errors, identification and analysis (highlighting typical student errors and analyzing their possible source); and (6) practice (providing problems similar in scope to the example). (YP)

This report describes a Prescription Learning Company basic mathematics multi-media laboratory at an elementary school in Austin, Texas. Research assumptions that the Prescription Learning approach makes are explored and reviewed. A sample of 12 fifth grade students participated in attitude and achievement results of the laboratory. Twenty-four teachers also participated in an attitude study. Findings suggest that the Prescription Learning laboratory seems to have a positive effect on achievement, and both students and teachers have positive attitudes toward the laboratory. Recommendations for changes in the laboratory are presented. (Author/PK)

This report describes a Prescription Learning Company basic mathematics multi-media laboratory at an elementary school in Austin, Texas. Research assumptions that the Prescription Learning approach makes are explored and reviewed. A sample of 12 fifth grade students participated in attitude and achievement results of the laboratory. Twenty-four teachers also participated in an attitude study. Findings suggest that the Prescription Learning laboratory seems to have a positive effect on achievement, and both students and teachers have positive attitudes toward the laboratory. Recommendations for changes in the laboratory are presented. (Author/PK)

x, 274, 22 pages : 28 cm

Students entering Chicago State University with less than the minimal level of competence in performing basic operations are assigned to a special course. The course is based on 34 computational objectives in four categories: (1) operations on counting numbers, decimals, and fractions; (2) conversion among fractions, decimals, and percents; (3) percent problems; and (4) prose problems involving proportions. A student earning a grade of 85% on a test of these topics may exit from the course at any time. The course is individualized in that each student completes instructional units at his/her own pace and in an individually determined sequence. Tutorial help is provided and is tailored to the student. The authors have evaluated the program using both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced instruments. They conclude that it is a valid remediation program. (SD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a computer assisted remediation program on basic skills mathematics achievement, academic self-concept, and locus of control of students in a dropout retrieval program. A nonrandomized pretest-posttest experimental design was used to compare students from urban settings in two groups. Students in the experimental group participated in 12 weeks (60 sessions), 50 minutes per day, of Individualized Manpower Training System (IMTS) instruction plus a 10-minute daily period of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in mathematics. The only difference between the experimental and control groups was that the experimental group received 10 minutes of CAI in mathematics daily and the control group received 10 minutes of IMTS instruction in mathematics daily. Analysis of covariance indicated no significant difference on any dependent variable for type of instruction and the interaction between sex and type of instruction. The IMTS program with or without CAI had a more significant impact, by t-test, on males' academic self-concept and locus of control. (Author)

This booklet presents descriptions of adult education programs on basic skills in mathematics that have been validated as successful by the National Diffusion Network. These projects have been developed by individual school districts throughout the nation in response to their local needs and are being promoted by the National Diffusion Network (NDN). The Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP) of the U.S. Department of Education has reviewed and validated the data presented by each project, and these programs are available for adoption by other districts. The introductory pages of the booklet contain an alphabetical listing of 46 programs, an index of programs by mathematical topic, and an index of programs by the grade level(s) for which they have been validated. The summaries of each project then follow. Most include audience, description of the program, costs, services, and contact person(s). (MNS)

This statement by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics includes a definition of "basic skills" in mathematics and a rationale for the position that "basic skills" must include more than computation. Ten basic skill areas are identified and discussed. Basic skills and the student's future, minimum essentials for high school graduation, developing the basic skills, and evaluating and reporting student progress are each considered briefly. (DT)

This statement by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics includes a definition of "basic skills" in mathematics and a rationale for the position that "basic skills" must include more than computation. Ten basic skill areas are identified and discussed. Basic skills and the student's future, minimum essentials for high school graduation, developing the basic skills, and evaluating and reporting student progress are each considered briefly. (DT)

This statement by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics includes a definition of "basic skills" in mathematics and a rationale for the position that "basic skills" must include more than computation. Ten basic skill areas are identified and discussed. Basic skills and the student's future, minimum essentials for high school graduation, developing the basic skills, and evaluating and reporting student progress are each considered briefly. (DT)

This study examined emerging educational trends in Minnesota following the implementation of the Minnesota Basic Skills Tests. Data consisted of demographic and test score information for all 8th grade students taking the regular administration of the mathematics and reading Basic Skills Tests from 1996-01. Students' performance in reading appears to be improving over time, though this increase is leveling off. Mathematics performance has shown no clear pattern over the study period, though there are hints at improvement. Gender difference in mathematics have consistently decreased over time. Gender differences in reading favor females and are not decreasing. The relative percentage of white students is decreasing over time, as Minnesota becomes a more diverse state. Test performance differences between black and white students are large, especially in mathematics. Students with limited English proficiency (LEP) and students with individual education plans (IEPs) have lower test scores than their typical peers, though the performance gap is decreasing for LEP students. Students with both LEP and IEPs perform at extremely low levels. Students from low-income families have lower test scores than their counterparts who are not low income. (Contains 18 figures, 31 tables, and 15 references.) (SM)

The Mathematics Basic Skills Development Project served 15 secondary school locations in the Minneapolis Public Schools' Target Area in 1972-73. The objectives of this project were to develop and use an instructional system which would enable low achieving secondary students to learn basic mathematical concepts and skills. An instructional unit was to be considered successful if over 50 percent of the students who studied it achieved mastery (85 percent or more correct) on a criterion-referenced posttest. Instructional materials to be used in an individualized setting for the remediation of deficiencies in mathematics basic skills were developed, revised, and produced by the project following precise behavioral objectives. In this third year of the project, 2,128 secondary students and 38 teachers made use of the project's revised materials. Four instructional units were given preliminary trials, and revision was indicated for two of the four units. More than 2,100 students completed 6,937 units in 11 instructional areas. Over 50 percent of the students completing units in each area achieved mastery as shown by criterion-referenced posttests. Percents of students achieving mastery ranged from 52 percent in Area Measurement to 85 percent in Dividing Fractions. These were all students who had been below the mastery level on diagnostic tests of these mathematics basic skills. Recommendations are given. (Author)

A new diagnostic modeling system for automatically synthesizing a deep structure model of a student's misconceptions or bugs in his/her basic mathematics skills provides a mechanism for explaining why a student is making a mistake as opposed to simply identifying the mistake. This report consists of four sections. The first provides examples of the problems that must be handled by a diagnostic model. It then introduces procedural networks as a general framework for representing the knowledge underlying a skill. The second section discusses some of the pedagogical issues that have emerged from the use of diagnostic models within an instructional system. This discussion is framed in the context of a computer-based tutoring/gaming system developed to teach students and student teachers how to diagnose bugs strategically as well as how to provide a better understanding of the underlying structure of arithmetic skills. The third section describes our uses of an executable network as a tool for automatically diagnosing student behavior, for automatically generating "diagnostic" tests, and for judging the diagnostic quality of a given exam. Included in this section is a discussion of the success of this system in diagnosing 1300 school students from a data base of 20,000 test items. The last section discusses some future research directions. (Author/MN)

A new diagnostic modeling system for automatically synthesizing a deep structure model of a student's misconceptions or bugs in his/her basic mathematics skills provides a mechanism for explaining why a student is making a mistake as opposed to simply identifying the mistake. This report consists of four sections. The first provides examples of the problems that must be handled by a diagnostic model. It then introduces procedural networks as a general framework for representing the knowledge underlying a skill. The second section discusses some of the pedagogical issues that have emerged from the use of diagnostic models within an instructional system. This discussion is framed in the context of a computer-based tutoring/gaming system developed to teach students and student teachers how to diagnose bugs strategically as well as how to provide a better understanding of the underlying structure of arithmetic skills. The third section describes our uses of an executable network as a tool for automatically diagnosing student behavior, for automatically generating "diagnostic" tests, and for judging the diagnostic quality of a given exam. Included in this section is a discussion of the success of this system in diagnosing 1300 school students from a data base of 20,000 test items. The last section discusses some future research directions. (Author/MN)

A new diagnostic modeling system for automatically synthesizing a deep structure model of a student's misconceptions or bugs in his/her basic mathematics skills provides a mechanism for explaining why a student is making a mistake as opposed to simply identifying the mistake. This report consists of four sections. The first provides examples of the problems that must be handled by a diagnostic model. It then introduces procedural networks as a general framework for representing the knowledge underlying a skill. The second section discusses some of the pedagogical issues that have emerged from the use of diagnostic models within an instructional system. This discussion is framed in the context of a computer-based tutoring/gaming system developed to teach students and student teachers how to diagnose bugs strategically as well as how to provide a better understanding of the underlying structure of arithmetic skills. The third section describes our uses of an executable network as a tool for automatically diagnosing student behavior, for automatically generating "diagnostic" tests, and for judging the diagnostic quality of a given exam. Included in this section is a discussion of the success of this system in diagnosing 1300 school students from a data base of 20,000 test items. The last section discusses some future research directions. (Author/MN)

The operating characteristics of 114 mathematics pretest items from the Praxis I: Computer Based Test were analyzed in terms of item attributes and test developers' judgments of item difficulty. Item operating characteristics were defined as the difficulty, discrimination, and asymptote parameters of a three parameter logistic item response theory (IRT) model. Three types of item attributes were considered: (1) surface features (for example, whether or not the item stem contained an equation); (2) aspects of the solution process (for example, whether or not the solution required application of a standard formula); and (3) response type (free-response or multiple-choice). Because the attribute set included large numbers of categorical variables, an approach based on binary regression trees (Breiman, Friedman, Olshen, and Stone, 1984) was implemented. The results were quite impressive for asymptote parameters (85% of variance explained), somewhat less so for difficulty parameters (36% of variance explained) and fairly unimpressive for discrimination parameters (only 12% of variance explained). In addition, the tree-based approach was found to be particularly useful for identifying important interaction effects and for developing graphical summaries of the modeling results. Six tables and eight figures support the analyses. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/SLD)

The Connecticut Statewide Basic Skills Proficiency Test is required for all ninth-grade students in Connecticut public schools, vocational-technical schools, and endowed or incorporated high schools and academies. The examination covers basic reading, language arts and mathematics skills. Students who score below the level of expected performance must be retested annually in the nonproficient area(s) until they score at or above the statewide standard. This report describes the testing program and includes sections on: (1) test design; (2) test development procedures; (3) test administration and scoring; and (4) the October 1982 proficiency test results. The average scores of ninth grade students for 1982-83 improved in all areas over the previous year. Mathematics scores, which have been consistently lower than the other skill areas tested, showed the most dramatic improvement over a 2-year period. Summaries for the 1982-83 test results are contained in the appendix. (ML)

This report offers research and analysis of outcomes for 15,743 students who enrolled in basic skills mathematics classes at Rio Hondo College in California between fall 1996 and summer 2001. The research was done at the request of the basic skills mathematics faculty. Although the California Community College Chancellor's Office defines remedial math as Math 020 and Math 030 only, Rio Hondo includes Math 050 and Math 070 in their definition of basic skills math because they are not transfer-level courses. Counting enrollments rather than individual students, the overall success rate (grades of A, B, C, or CR) for basic skills math was 43%. Course enrollment success rates were 41% at the Math 020 level, 49% at the Math 030 level, 41% at the Math 050 level, and 42% at the Math 070 level. Of the original 5,579 students enrolling in Math 020, 2,068 (or 37%) attempted Math 030, and about 64% of those who attempted that next level succeeded. A total of 1,109 (20%) of the original group attempted Math 050, and their success rate was 55%. Only 382 (about 7%) of the original 5,579 students attempted Math 070. Of those 382, the success rate for Math 070 was 62%. Withdrawals were high because of enrollment requirements for Math/Science Center module courses. Success rates improve markedly for all sections when withdrawals are excluded. (NB)