Race to the Top (RTT) is a first-of-its kind $4.35 billion competitive grant program designed to spur state-level education innovation to boost student achievement, close achievement gaps, and prepare students for college and careers. Originally authorized in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, RTT encourages states to develop…

This literature review seeks to find if the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 has produced more qualified teachers since before its enactment. The impact of the NCLB on student achievement and teacher quality needs have been examined since there have been 10 years after the law was enacted. Only 11% reported that the NCLB highly qualified…

This report discusses the current state of higher education, with a brief high-level overview of the market and a more detailed discussion and analysis of the financial aid system. It also discusses the important changes President Obama has made to make higher education more accessible and affordable. The key findings are: (1) The economic returns…

In recent years, the controversy surrounding testing has grown, and the charge of bias is the most often cited criticism of testing and assessment. A review of the literature indicates that psychometricians and other researchers speak of bias as a property of the test or of items in the test. Conversely, test critics speak of bias as a quality or…

Reports of declining test scores and high school graduates who can't read or compute have triggered a public demand for higher standards in education. In light of this demand, National Assessment re-examined its role with respect to raising educational quality in this country. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) asked seven…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results indicate that most students understand the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics; and that achievement levels have remained stable across time for older students and may be improving for younger students, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. However, NAEP data…

The changing achievement relationships among students, from elementary through high school, were investigated between their ages relative to their classmates and their ages at entry into first grade. A secondary analysis was performed on the data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The sample involved Caucasian students…

A study examines the effectiveness of two major types of instructional technology used in a majority of federally supported bilingual education programs, computer assisted instruction, and video instruction. The videotape technologies examined were bidirectional or interactive television and videotape. The variations of computer technology…

This biennial report is the 23rd report to the Congress on federally funded education programs and the 14th such report submitted by the Department of Education in fulfillment of a Congressional mandate. For FY 1995-1996, there is information on 151 programs administered by the Department. Programs are grouped according to the administering office…

The roles of assessment and testing within public employment and training programs supported by the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 (JTPA) were examined through a review of the literature and two surveys of the JTPA system. In 1987, the Center for Remediation Design and the Center for Human Resources (CHS) at Brandeis University in Waltham…

This report concerns the governance of the structure of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), especially the law and the role of the Assessment Policy Committee (APC). The major sources of evidence include interviews with APC members and National Institute of Education (NIE) staff, minutes of APC meetings and historical documents…

Major changes have occurred in compensatory education evaluation practices and policies since the introduction of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) and the Technical Assistance Centers (TAC) in 1976. This paper has three purposes: (1) to discuss these changes at the state and local levels; (2) to illustrate these changes with…

Compiled for school administrators who must initiate or respond to external mandate for change, this guide draws on the experiences of 10 rural school districts that participated in the federally funded Experimental Schools (ES) program for perspectives that can be used in the successful management of change efforts in school districts. Organized…

The strategic goals and objectives set forth in the Department of Education's "FY (Fiscal Year) 2002-2007 Strategic Plan" form the context for the broad outcomes that the Department believes should characterize American education. The Department administers more than 150 programs in support of these goals and objectives. This "FY 2007 Program…

Six documents were reviewed and recommendations relevant to the work of the Advisory Committee on Testing in Chapter 1 were summarized. A brief description of a framework for discussing different uses of assessment is followed by specific recommendations from each of the following sources: (1) "Working Paper: Reauthorization of the…