Spurred by the federal Race to the Top competition, the state of Tennessee implemented a comprehensive statewide educator evaluation system in 2011. The new system is designed to increase the rigor of evaluations and better differentiate teachers based on performance. The use of more differentiated ratings represents a significant shift in…

This study examines the validity of a statewide teacher evaluation system in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three hundred and thirty-eight teachers from 16 at-risk schools located in eight school districts participated in an evaluation system pilot during the 2011-2012 academic year. Teachers received ratings on six teacher effectiveness process…

Minnesota Reading Corps is the largest AmeriCorps State program in the country. Its mission is to help every Minnesota child become a proficient reader by the end of third grade. To meet this goal, the Minnesota Reading Corps and its host organization, ServeMinnesota Action Network, engages a diverse group of AmeriCorps members to provide…

How state educational authorities in Kentucky use statewide test data to rank the state's 178 school districts was studied, using data from the "Kentucky Essential Skills Test: Statewide Testing Results" (1987). The methods used, means of refining those methods, the fairness/accuracy/validity of resulting interpretations, and problems…

In conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) calls for specific enhancements to existing assessment and accountability systems within definite timelines. The NCLB Act also stresses the use of reliable and valid data for decision making. The purpose of this study was…

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the positive consequences associated with high stakes test use and interpretation in Arizona were shared among all grade levels in the elementary school, not just the tested grades. In addition, a curriculum alignment variable was examined to observe its association with curricular…

This study addressed statistical techniques that might ameliorate some of the sampling problems currently facing states with small populations participating in State National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments. The study explored how the application of finite population correction factors to the between-school component of…

This study was designed to contribute to the validity evidence for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) by providing additional descriptive data about the performance standards in reading and mathematics at grades 4, 7, and 10. After the realignment of norm-referenced tests, large numbers of students taking the WASL had…

This paper reports on the investigation of the operation of the Teacher of the Year Award program in 28 states. It focuses on the method of selection for recipients of this award, and explores the nature of the judging process used in selecting candidates at both the state and national levels. Specific objectives are: (1) to determine the criteria…

A survey of 44 national authorities in best practices for students with severe cognitive disabilities found a high degree of professional congruence on the core of best practices embodied in the performance criteria for Kentucky's alternate assessment for students with significant disabilities. Concerns about more limited learner outcomes are…

The discussed and illustrated principles regarding teacher performance data and decision making are common sense ideas that have been developed based on a good deal of thought about the definition of minimally acceptable job performances. The presented scoring systems are ways of describing how much a teacher must do in order to be scored…

A project was conducted to involve New Jersey business and industry representatives in validating a set of student-based guidance and counseling standards developed by New Jersey counselors for statewide implementation. The Structured Group Interview technique of Task List Verification was selected as the validation method. The project design…

Content integration in performance assessment involves mixing different areas of knowledge in one assessment. In this type of testing situation, assessment tasks are designed to measure the ability of students to solve problems by applying their knowledge and skills in multiple content areas. This study examined the effect of integrated science…

The Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) is a mandated statewide assessment program that targets four core content areas. English language arts, including reading and writing, and mathematics are given to students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10; science and social studies are given to students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 11. The DSTP reading and…

The consequences of large state testing are often uniformity of expectations for achievement. The largest impact of higher standards, then, are realized by traditionally disenfranchised student populations, particularly the least affluent who are most likely to bear the yoke of low expectation. This paper advances S. Messick's (1981) fundamental…