The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study designed to measure trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades, as well as to collect information about educational contexts (such as students' schools, teachers, and homes) that may be related to student…

This guide was designed to help state and local education agencies conduct needs assessments to better understand the strengths, challenges, and needs unique to schools serving American Indian students. It includes surveys developed collaboratively with communities that serve American Indian students to reflect the most relevant topics. Using…

In this article, I offer an examination of findings from a recently completed qualitative study conducted in the south-eastern region of the US. In the study, nine teachers from three different schools representing two different school districts were interviewed twice about how they dealt with their students' Stanford Achievement Test 10 (SAT 10)…

This booklet grew out of a half-day class on equating that author Samuel Livingston teaches for new statistical staff at Educational Testing Service (ETS). The class is a nonmathematical introduction to the topic, emphasizing conceptual understanding and practical applications. The class consists of illustrated lectures, interspersed with…

There has been little data collected on how much testing actually goes on in America's schools and how the results are used. So in the Spring of 2014, the Council staff developed and launched a survey of assessment practices. This report presents the findings from that survey and subsequent Council analysis and review of the data. It also offers…

The role of the administrator has evolved over the past 30 years from manager to instructional leader. As instructional leaders, administrators are now responsible for student achievement on high-stakes state-mandated assessments. Therefore, it is imperative principal preparation programs provide the necessary training instructional leaders need…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has expended considerable effort to ensure high quality in data collection by developing standardized materials and survey operation procedures and using well-trained professional administrators. However, schools are allowed to minimize the disruption associated with pulling students out of…

In a developing nation like Turkey, the English language plays a significant role in educational and socioeconomic mobility. English is acquired and taught as a foreign language (EFL) primarily in the classrooms. However, the ways in which English language is represented in classroom instruction have been hardly examined and understood. With that,…

A comprehensive assessment of the literacy proficiencies of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and Employment Service/Unemployment Insurance (ES/UI) participants was conducted by the Department of Labor. The survey responses of a sample of 2,501 JTPA applicants and 3,277 ES/UI participants were scored, weighted, analyzed, and used to develop a…

Presents a validation procedure for the Computer Literacy Examination: Cognitive Aspect, a test assessing high school students' computer literacy levels. Steps in the test's construction process are explained, data collected during its validation phase are analyzed, and conclusions on its validity and reliability are discussed. The final test…

This paper provides an overview of the entire process necessary to developing a university-wide web survey, from the community-building process for creating support for the survey and determining the questions, to the specific tasks necessary for designing and administering an efficient web product. (Contains 17 tables.)

This booklet is intended for practitioners interested in administering, hand scoring, and providing individualized feedback reports on the Leader Attributes Inventory (LAI), an inventory designed to provide assessment data on 37 leader attributes. The following topics are discussed in the booklet's six sections: preparing the instruments for use;…

This booklet is intended for practitioners interested in administering, hand scoring, and providing individualized feedback reports on the Leader Effectiveness Index (LEI), a seven-item instrument designed to provide assessment data on leader effectiveness. The following topics are discussed in the booklet's six sections: preparing the instruments…

Course structures and educational practices in Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) member institutions were examined through a survey of all 58 DETC institutions. Usable responses were obtained from 55 (95%) of the institutions. Among the study's main conclusions were the following: (1) 52% of distance education students are male, 42%…

Approximately 1200 Danish school children aged 8, 11, and 14 participated in a questionnaire study under the caption, "Why I like to read." Data from Denmark formed part of an international study, in which 12 other countries used the same questionnaire to explore various functions of reading and to compare them over different countries.…