This study investigated changes in teacher candidates' perceptions of teaching in urban schools as they completed a 4-year teacher education program. Candidates were asked to respond in writing to two questions: "What are your concerns about teaching in an urban school?" and "What are the advantages of teaching in an urban school?" Data were collected before and after a freshmen-level tutoring experience in an urban school and at the conclusion of a yearlong internship in an urban school. Participation in the urban field experiences resulted in reduced concerns about student ability, personal safety, cultural conflicts, and language barriers. Candidates also reported an increased commitment to making a positive contribution by teaching in urban schools.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if identifying factors existed that would explain differential mathematics participation among females in high school, specifically the enrollment in high school Calculus. The factors investigated were socioeconomic status, educational aspirations, the education of both parents, and the number of siblings. The database used for this study was taken from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS: 88) and the follow-up conducted in 1992. The sample for the present research was composed of females enrolled in algebra at the onset of this study who scored in the fourth quartile on the mathematics section of the standardized test. The results showed a difference between the two groups in mother's education, SES, and educational aspirations. However, when applying all factors together in a logistical regression, the results of this research determined that the factors did not have predictive value in determining the probability of a mathematically talented female enrolling in high school Calculus. This research suggests that some factors that affect course taking in the general population of students may not be generalized to mathematically talented females.

No abstract

Because of the symbolic nature of fractions and the procedural operations required to manipulate fractions mathematically, the concept of fractions is often difficult for students in early grades to master (Van de Walle 1990). Perhaps this difficulty results in part from the numerical contradictions presented by fractions. Furthermore, fractions are part of a mathematsical language that is often foreign to students until they develop a personal understanding. “Children's literature presents a natural way to connect language and mathematics” (Midkiff and Cramer 1993, 303) and furnishes a foundation on which an understanding of concepts can be based. As students read, write, and discuss real-life situations requiring the use of fractions, they develop personal meanings for the abstract concepts.