This guide is designed to assist States, agencies, and/or facilities who work with youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk (N or D). The information in the guide will benefit those who are (a) interested in implementing pre-posttests, (b) in the process of identifying an appropriate pre-posttest, or (c) ready to evaluate current testing…

This report describes the implementation of policies and initiatives supported by Title I and Title II-A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) during the 2013-14 school year. Title I is one of the U.S. Department of Education's largest programs, accounting for $15 billion in the 2016 federal budget. Historically, Title I has…

This report describes the implementation of policies and initiatives supported by Title I and Title II-A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) during the 2013-14 school year. Title I is one of the U.S. Department of Education's largest programs, accounting for $15 billion in the 2016 federal budget. Historically, Title I has…

This document comments on the future of educational testing in the United States and the plans of the Bush administration for increased use of testing for educational accountability. The "achievement gap" does not appear to be closing. One of the keys to closing the gap is having the data to understand it so that teachers can use test…

Developed a zero-to-five index of the strength of accountability in 50 states based on the use of high stakes testing to sanction and reward schools and analyzed whether that index is related to student gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics test in 1996-2000. Findings show that students in high accountability…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is now accepted as the nation's report card, but getting there took over 30 years and a convoluted process beset by technical and political issues. After a summary of the history of the NAEP and its successful use as a monitoring instrument, the ramifications of the use of the NAEP as an…

The steady growth of state testing programs and its implications for the measurement community are discussed in terms of testing purposes (monitoring, accountability, and curriculum advancement) and test development, administration, and reporting. It is important that the measurement community address crucial issues to maintain its substantial…

Roles suggested for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in proposed national testing are discussed. Recent proposals center around monitoring, evaluation and accountability, and serving as a benchmark for other tests. Monitoring has been the traditional function of the NAEP, and in this role, its influence has been substantial.…

These discussions of performance-based student assessment provide a record of a decade-long exploration of unsettled issues in assessment. The first section provides the elements of a basic rationale for performance-based assessment, while the second section contains accounts of efforts to develop new performance-based systems in one city and four…

The issue of a national assessment tool in the form of national testing has recently gained momentum. The expectation is that tough national tests would raise national standards and improve educational equity. The goals are ambitious ones and the stakes are particularly high for disadvantaged youth who currently experience the worst effects of…

Educational testing is at a decisive moment, as the issue of standardized testing has become one of the most hotly debated education issues of the decade. The accuracy and relevance of standardized tests have been questioned by many researchers, evidenced in the 20-year report of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. There is general…

Current proposals for national testing are either for national multiple-choice tests in which all students would take the same test or for a system of performance-based examinations calibrated to national standards. The Bush administration's proposals, as enunciated in "America 2000," embrace both types, beginning with administration of…

In this article, the authors describe various rationales for accountability testing programs over the past century. This history forms the backdrop for current test-driven reforms, including Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which was signed into law in January 2002. The goals of the authors are first, to illustrate…