Improving Indicators of the Quality of Science and Mathematics Education in Grades K-12

Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309037402
eISBN Pdf: 9780309595704
Place of publication: United States
Year of digital publication: 1988
Month: January
Pages: 231
DDC: 507
Language: English

Caption

This book presents a carefully developed monitoring system to track the progress of mathematics and science education, particularly the effects of ongoing efforts to improve students' scientific knowledge and mathematics competency. It describes an improved series of indicators to assess student learning, curriculum quality, teaching effectiveness, student behavior, and financial and leadership support for mathematics and science education. Of special interest is a critical review of current testing methods and their use in probing higher-order skills and evaluating educational quality.

Improving Indicators of the Quality of Science and Mathematics Education in Grades K—12
Copyright
Preface
Contents
1 Summary and Recommendations
- INDICATORS OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
- RECOMMENDATIONS
  - Indicators of Learning in Science and Mathematics
  - Indicators of Student Behavior
  - Indicators of Teaching Quality
  - Indicators of Curriculum Quality
  - Indicators of Financial and Leadership Support
2 Science and Mathematics Education
- SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL LITERACY
  - Literacy in Science
    - The Nature of the Scientific World View
    - The Nature of the Scientific Enterprise
    - Scientific Habits of Mind
    - Science and Human Affairs
  - Literacy in Mathematics
    - Practical Literacy in Mathematics
    - Civic Literacy in Mathematics
    - Using Mathematics as a Tool
    - Cultural Literacy in Mathematics
- A CONCEPTION OF SCHOOLING
  - Schooling as the Behavior of Students and Teachers
  - Incentives and Constraints
  - The Distribution of Excellence
3 What Are Indicators?
- DEFINING INDICATORS
- INTERPRETING INDICATORS
  - Choice of Variables
  - Problems of Aggregation
    - Aggregation Effects and the Ecological Fallacy
    - Inconsistent Aggregation and Self-Selection
  - Problems of Scale
- INDICATORS FOR WHOM?
- COLLECTING INFORMATION
  - Comparability Versus Depth of Information
  - Timing
  - Design of Expert Panels for Assessment
    - Rater Variability
    - Validity and Reliability
  - Coordination of Strategies for Collecting Data
4 Indicators of Learning in Science and Mathematics
- AN APPRAISAL OF CURRENT TESTS OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
  - Purposes of Testing
    - Evaluation of Student Learning
    - Improving Instruction
  - Criticisms of Current Testing
    - Multiple-Choice Tests Penalize Creative Thinking
    - Multiple-Choice Tests Are Not Representative of Real-Life Problem Situations
    - Multiple-Choice Tests Are Undesirably Coachable
    - Multiple-Choice Tests Exert Undesirable Influence on the Curriculum
    - Multiple-Choice Tests Are Not Based on Theory
    - Science Content in Multiple-Choice Achievement Tests is Questionable
  - Some Virtues of the Current Testing System
- NEW METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
  - Global Assessment
  - Assessment of Conceptual Knowledge and Processing Skills
    - Speed of Processing
    - Pattern Recognition
    - Organization of Knowledge
    - Skill in Retrieving Information
    - Internal Representations of Problems
    - Procedural Knowledge
  - The Development and Use of New Methods
  - Summary
  - Recommendations
- IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES
- ASSESSING ADULTS SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL LITERACY
  - Desired Attributes of Indicators
  - Target Populations for Assessment
  - Data Collection Strategies
  - Assessing Grasp of Grand Conceptual Schemes
  - Recommendation
5 Indicators of Student Behavior
- STUDENTS AS KEY ACTORS
- STUDENT ACTIVITIES
  - In-School Activities
  - Out-of-School Activities
  - Recommendations
- ATTITUDES TOWARD SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
  - Recommendation
- SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL HABITS OF MIND
  - Relevant Constructs
    - Engagement
    - Expectations/Autonomy
    - Connectedness
    - Competence
  - Recommendation
6 Indicators of Teaching Quality
- TEACHERS AS KEY ACTORS
  - Findings from the Literature
  - The Professional Teacher
- EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS AND LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE
  - College Education
  - Subject-Matter Knowledge
    - Sampling Strategy
  - Needed Research
  - Recommendations
- TEACHERS' USE OF TIME
  - Time-Use Outside the Classroom
  - Time-Use in the Classroom
  - Needed Research
  - Recommendations
- IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES
- WORKING CONDITIONS FOR TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
  - Resources for Teaching Science and Mathematics
  - Salaries as Incentives
  - Recommendations
7 Indicators of Curriculum
- DEFINING THE CONCEPTS
  - What Is Meant by Curriculum?
  - Indicators for Whom?
  - What Kinds of Indicators?
- MEASURES OF CURRICULUM CONTAINED IN OTHER CHAPTERS
- DEVELOPING INDICATORS OF CONTENT COVERAGE
  - Curriculum Frameworks
  - Establishing Subject-Matter Frameworks
  - Obtaining Measures of Content Coverage
    - State Guidelines
    - Textbook Series
    - Tests
    - Implemented Curriculum
    - Frequency of Mapping
  - Recommendations
- DEVELOPING INDICATORS OF CURRICULUM QUALITY
  - Depth of Treatment
  - Scientific Accuracy and Pedagogic Quality
  - Developing Criteria for Assessing Quality
  - Recommendations
- IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES
8 Indicators of Financial and Leadership Support
- RESOURCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
- FEDERAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
  - Recommendation
- NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
  - Recommendation
References
Appendix A Colloquium on Indicators of Precollege Science and Mathematics Education
- PARTICIPANTS
  - Testing Group
  - Curriculum Group
  - Teacher Effectiveness Group
  - Science Attitudes/Motivation Group
  - Science Literacy Group
  - Financial Indicators Group (Special Session)
    - Observers
Appendix B Review of Science Content in Selected Student Achievement Tests
- SCIENCE TEST REVIEW PANEL
Appendix C Summaries of Meetings with Representatives of State and Local Education Agencies
- SUMMARY OF MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF STATE EDUCATION AGENCIES
  - Quality of the Curriculum
  - Teacher Effectiveness
  - Assessment of Learning
  - Use of Resources
  - Student Attitudes and Motivation
  - General Science Literacy
  - Participants: State Education Agencies
- SUMMARY OF MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
  - Teacher Effectiveness
    - Possible Indicators
    - Use of Indicators
  - Quality of Curriculum
    - Possible Indicators
  - Assessment of Learning
  - Resources
  - Scientific Literacy
  - Student Attitudes and Motivation
  - General Suggestions
  - Participants: Local School Districts
Appendix D Current Projects on Indicators
- Development of Indicators from Existing Research and Data Bases
  - Studies to Improve Basic Data Collection
  - New Survey Data Applicable to Indicators
  - Efforts to Develop Indicators of the Quality of Curriculum
- REFERENCES
Appendix E Coordination of Strategies for Collecting Data
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