The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has commissioned studies of state academic standards in five core subjects. This is the fourth of these studies, focusing on state standards for mathematics. For this evaluation of mathematics standards, researchers developed nine criteria under the four areas of: clarity, content, reason, and negative qualities.…

The main document, of which this report is a summary, covers the assessment activities of the Minnesota Department of Education from June 1971 through December 1972. This summary report contains a chapter-by-chapter overview of the full report, with a concentration on the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the reading, mathematics, and…

This collection of essays addresses the issues that have arisen in the development and implementation of national and state standards in science, mathematics, history, economics, and the English language arts. The chapters are: (1) "The 1997 Mathematics Standards War in California" (Hung-Hsi Wu); (2) "Judging State Standards for…

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…

To understand the achievement gap between Black and White students, test performance on Delaware statewide assessments was studied. The study focused on Black-White test score gaps in reading, mathematics, and writing across grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 by achievement level, item format, and gender within each racial/ethnic group over time. The…

A stepwise regression technique was used to analyze assessment data while taking differences in nonschool variables across districts into account. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the inclusion of quadratic and/or interaction terms in a regression model would improve the prediction of school district average…

The status of New Jersey school districts' evaluation and reporting network of compensatory education programs is surveyed. The procedures involved in the analysis are explained, and the results are interpreted. The reported analyses compared actual student growth to growth that could be expected without Basic Skills Improvement (BSI) program…

The Michigan Department of Education implemented a large-scale social action program through its Compensatory Education School Aid Act of SY 1971-72. Schools received $200 per pupil and were held accountable for pupil achievement. This paper describes the educational delivery systems in three urban schools, the evaluation of pupil achievement, and…

In 1998, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation reviewed state academic standards in English language arts/reading, history, geography, mathematics, and science--the five essential subjects identified at the 1998 "education summit." Because many states have changed their standards in the past 2 years, the Foundation has evaluated them again. The news is…

This report summarizes the results of a study of the achievement of Illinois high school juniors in 1970 and 1981. The purposes were to provide a comparison of student performance over a period of time and to identify educational, social, and personal conditions that relate to performance on a test of Natural Science, Social Studies, English and…

This analysis addresses two important questions regarding appropriate uses of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) statewide average test score comparisons. First is whether NAEP state test score averages provide meaningful and valid comparisons of the relative educational quality or proficiency of specific states. The other…

This initial report required by the Maryland Educational Accountability Act provides descriptive information to public officials and the general public about Maryland public schools. In the Report, the reader will find information about: the nature of the educational accountability effort thus far; the objectives of the Maryland State Department…

Summarizes the recent history of education reform and statewide testing in Texas. Suggest that analyses comparing Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) reading, writing, and mathematics scores with one another and relevant high school grades raise doubts about the reliability and validity of TAAS scores. Discusses these problems. (SLD)

This brochure describes the state of Washington's efforts to improve its educational program and to ensure that the state's young people are receiving the knowledge and skills they will need in the 21st century. In 1993, Washington established a Commission on Student Learning to work toward four educational goals. These goals call for students to:…

This report contains a brief summary of the statewide findings of the 1974 Delaware Educational Assessment Program (DEAP). A number of reports and publications, prepared by the Department of Public Instruction, provide detailed analyses of the data. The body of this report gives a short description of the program, some comparisons of the…