This report contains the results from the first administration of the fourth and sixth grade science and social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). As such, they are an important part of the state's efforts to educate all students to a higher level. Science and social studies data for grades 4 and 6 are summarized…

With the administration of the 2002 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), a questionnaire was given to students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 about Opportunity to Learn, Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, and to all students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 11 about Opportunity to Learn, Science, and Social Studies. Students responses to the questions were…

This second annual report on public K-12 education in Rhode Island focuses on fourth graders, an age group that represents the most vulnerable portion of the school population. As the percentage of proficient fourth graders increases, the secondary schools will find it easier to raise their levels of proficiency. Rhode Island administers a School…

The purpose of this publication is to help schools develop middle-level programs that reflect the Regents Policy Statement on Middle-Level Education and Schools with Middle-Level Grades. The document contains names and addresses of schools and individuals who are willing to help other schools implement the recommendations of the policy statement.…

The Florida Writing Assessment was implemented in grades 4, 8, and 10 in 1998 as required by the Florida legislature. The assessment is designed to measure students' proficiency in writing responses to assigned topics within a designated testing period. This report contains writing assessment results for the whole state, school districts, and…

The decision by New York State educators to create a new area of study and to require it of all students grew out of the realization that technology pervades almost every aspect of life. Technology education prepares students to use technology and offers the means to assess and influence the impact of technology on society and the environment. It…

One component of the Maryland School Performance Assessment; Program (MSPAP) is the state's performance-based assessments, criterion-referenced tests that require students to apply what they know and can do to solve problems and display other higher-order thinking skills. This document helps parents, teachers, students, and other citizens…

This Action Plan has been developed to ensure the success of the Arkansas Smart Step Initiative, the part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) that focuses on grades 5 through 8. As do other aspects of the ACTAAP, the Smart Start Initiative has four components, each of which is described here: (1)…

Beginning in Spring 1998, Virginia students participated in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments designed to test student knowledge of the content and skills specified in the state's standards. This document contains questions that approximately 80,000 students in grade 5 were required to answer as part of the SOL assessments. These…

This manual is designed to accompany reports prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the 505 school districts in that state, summarizing results of the Educational Quality Assessment. The normative sample is described as being stratified on two dimensions: district enrollment and wealth. Administrative procedures are summarized.…

During the 1997-98 fiscal year, the New York State Middle School Guidance and Career Development Cadres continued to be funded under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act. Twenty career cadres formed by each Tech Prep Consortium continued training middle school staff in career development principles. These career cadre projects…

For the 1993-94 school year, the Office of Educational Research (OER) of the New York City Public Schools was asked to conduct evaluations of the 12 magnet schools funded under the New York State Magnet School Initiative. The state initiative was planned to promote the development of magnet schools that promote multicultural educational…

This annual report is designed to provide information about the New Options program and to highlight recent program initiatives and accomplishments. It begins by describing the program, which assists middle and senior high school students, postsecondary students, and adults in exploring job opportunities traditionally held by the opposite sex. The…

An overview and summary are presented of the implementation of the Connecticut Mastery Test for grade 4. The testing program assesses essential skills in mathematics and language arts including listening, reading, and writing for students in grades 4, 6, and 8. The criterion-referenced mastery test assesses how well each student is performing on…

In the spring of 1990, over 9,000 4th-, 8th- and 12th-grade students (only 6 percent of all students in Massachusetts) were assessed using open-ended mathematical, scientific, social studies, and reading concepts. Beginning with the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program for 1992, open-ended questions will be administered to all students and…