BCTF Information Services—Research & Reports

Liz Bowie
As state increased school aid, grades went up
Baltimore Sun, January 8, 2009

A study prepared for the Maryland General Assembly shows that each additional $1,000 of state funding per student since 2002 translates into a corresponding, significant increase in pass rates in reading and math.

Brenda Branswell
Teachers face rising abuse; But not so much on internet: survey
The Montreal Gazette, April 6, 2009

Of the more than 1200 teachers who completed the survey, 38% said they had been the target of non-physical violence such as verbal abuse, harassment or threats from a student; 25% said they had received similar treatment from a parent; 24% said they had been physically attacked by a student. 

Andrea Gordon
Schools fail kids needing special ed, mom says
Toronto Star, April 6, 2009

The Ontario 2008 Auditor General's report highlights a number of problems with special education. For example, most of the ministry funding for special education goes to the boards based on enrolment, but is not directly targeted to the students. So, even though funding grew by 54% between 2001/2002 and 2007/2008, the number of students served grew by only 5%. 

Hope or Heartbreak: Aboriginal Youth and Canada's Future
Horizons 10:1 (March 2008)

Theme issue on Aboriginal youth. See especially, "Aboriginal Students and K-12 School Change in British Columbia," by Cheryl Aman and Charles Ungerleider.

Janet S. Hyde and Janet E. Mertz
Gender, culture, and mathematics performance
PNAS June 2, 2009 vol. 106 no. 22

Researchers find that girls in the U.S. have reached parity with boys in math performance; among the mathematically talented, the gender gap is narrowing in the U.S. and is not evident among some ethnic groups; there are females who possess profound mathematical talent. These findings point to socio-cultural factors impacting math performance rather than any innate biological differences.

Richard Vaughan
Cyberbullying pushes teenagers towards suicide
TES, March 20, 2009

New figures reveal nearly half of all bullying is taking place online. Students feel isolated in addition to feeling frightened and victimized. There is also strong concern over the number of students contemplating suicide or self-harm.

Promising Practices in Primary Mathematics Instruction
Lessons in Learning (Canadian Council on Learning), June 10, 2009

Examines classroom strategies and best practices that can be used in the primary grades to help young students succeed at math.