The focus of this study is on the participation rates of girls in senior level mathematics and physical science courses rather than on achievement. It also emphasizes differences between boys and girls and how gender shapes a decision about whether or not to enrol in a subject area such as algebra or physics. It looks at the girls' and boys' own constructions of their reasons for enroling or not enroling in the courses. Finally, it focuses on secondary schools.
The British Columbia Assessment of Mathematics & Science evaluates how well students in grades 4, 7, and 10 understand various principles of mathematics and science, solve mathematics and science problems, and apply higher- level thinking skills to the two fields of study. The assessment also measures students' attitudes about mathematics and science and gathers information on teaching practices in mathematics and science classrooms. This report outlines the results of that assessment, touching on student attitudes and on teaching practices. It also focuses on how well students perform in mathematics and science, and on how student achievement levels have changed since the last mathematics assessment in 1990 and the last science assessment in 1991.
This books contains papers written on issues related to externally mandated mathematics tests and their influence on school mathematics. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the book, including brief abstracts of each chapter. Chapter 2 presents a summary of the overall problems associated with the need for valid information. Remaining chapters include: (3) Implications of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards for Mathematics Assessment (Norman Webb & Thomas A. Romberg); (4) Curriculum and Test Alignment (Thomas A. Romberg, and others); (5) State Assessment Test Development Procedures (James Braswell); (6) Test Development Profile of a State-Mandated Large-Scale Assessment Instrument in Mathematics (Tej Pandey); (7) Assessing Students' Learning in Courses Using Graphics Tools: A Preliminary Research Agenda (Sharon L. Senk); (8) Mathematics Testing with Calculators; Ransoming the Hostages (John G. Harvey); (9) Gender Differences in Test Taking: A Review (Margaret R. Meyer); (10) Communication and the Learning of Mathematics (David Clarke, and others); (11) Measuring Levels of Mathematical Understanding (Mark Wilson); (12) A Framework for the California Assessment Program to Report Students' Achievement in Mathematics (E. Anne Zarinnia & Thomas A. Romberg); (13) Evaluation--Some Other Perspectives (Phillip C. Clarkson). A reference list organized by chapter contains 300 citations. Appendices include the NCTM Evaluation Standards, a classification matrix, illustrative questions, history and rationale for student mathematics journals, SMP Project student log sample pages, and the report of Vermont's Mathematics Portfolio Assessment Program. (MKR)
Today new ways of thinking about learning call for new ways for monitoring learning. Reform in School Mathematics builds from the vision that assessment can become the bridge for instructional activity, accountability, and teacher development. It places teachers in key roles while developing the theme that we cannot reform the way in which school mathematics is taught without radically reforming the ways the effects of that teaching are monitored. Among others, this volume addresses the issues of the specification of performance standards, the development of authentic tasks, the measure of status and growth or a combination, the development of psychometric models, and the development of scoring rubrics. The new models proposed in this book give teachers a wealth of nontraditional assessment strategies and concrete ways to obtain measures of both group and individual differences in growth.
