Linking scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to statewide test results was studied. Results based on an equipercentile procedure suggest that such a link does not provide precise information. Information from a linking study should be limited to rough estimates of students in each NAEP achievement level. (SLD)

The Council of Chief State School Officers worked with state departments of education to compile this summary document on the current status of state education accountability and state education indicator reports. The summary is designed to provide state-by-state information (all 50 states, the Department of Defense Dependants Schools, the Virgin…

The National Assessment Governing Board has recognized the need to study associated policy and technical issues to ensure that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is ready to do the best job possible if called on to confirm the results of state achievement testing under the No Child Left Behind Act. This report describes the…

This report compares students' scores on the 2000 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) writing assessment with the writing scores of their counterparts in 1998 and 1999. In addition, the results of a writing study are discussed briefly. Delaware students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 took the 2000 DSTP writing assessment, responding to a text-based…

An evolved form of the Edwards and Beckworth (1989) model for probability selection for Scholastic Achievement Test takers using truncated normal distributions is presented. It is shown that the arguments of Holland and Wainer are not sufficient to reject this model. (SLD)

Large gains in scores have been observed over the first years of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS) program. The extent to which these gains in scores indicate that student learning improved was evaluated. Previous studies have suggested that KIRIS score gains might be appreciably inflated, something that might result…

This report examines the overlap between student test results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The two tests were compared and contrasted in terms of content and measurement philosophy, and analyses studied the statistical relationship between the ITBS and the WASL. The ITBS assesses…

To help teachers, administrators, and parents understand student performance in writing, a state-level report is prepared each year to analyze students writing scores and provide guidelines for the interpretation of the results. This report compares students scores on the 2001 Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) with scores on the 2000 DSTP…

Maryland participated in the State National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1996 and 1998 when samples of approximately 2,500 fourth and eighth graders in 100 schools participated in the testing sessions for mathematics (1996) and reading (1998). This report is an initial attempt to return information to Maryland about the relations…

The Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests (MMAT) were developed as a result of the state's Excellence in Education Act of 1985, which called for assessments of core competencies and key skills in reading/language arts/English, mathematics, science, and social studies/civics. The revised MMAT, like the original test, includes four multiple-choice…

Many states use a statewide assessment strategy to evaluate districts on common measures. Because districts in Nebraska are not measured on common instruments, comparisons of district performance are difficult. The accountability model described in this paper contains three components related to school district performance on academic content…

Missouri is in the middle of the process of developing a performance-based assessment system, the Missouri Assessment Program, which is being developed to measure student progress toward the "Show-Me Standards" adopted by the State Board of Education in 1996. To achieve these standards, students must have a strong foundation of knowledge…

This report on the 1977 mathematics assessment of British Columbian students in grades 4, 8, and 12 describes the item specification model; test administration procedures; results for each grade level; and overall results correlated to sex, mother tongue, and parental level of schooling. (SJL)

Reports on an ongoing evaluation of the Vermont portfolio assessment program. Indicates that the positive news about the instructional effects of the assessment program are in contrast with the empirical findings about the quality of the data the program has yielded. (SLD)

This study was conducted to analyze student background characteristics and educational history data that affect participation and performance of non-English language background students, including those with limited English proficiency, on Minnesota's Basic Standards Test. Data were obtained from individual student cumulative files in six schools…