Research on test accommodations provides valuable information that informs policy and practice. This report presents a synthesis of the research literature published in 2022 on testing accommodations for U.S. elementary and secondary students (K-12). The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has reported on accommodations research since…

This paper examines and builds on an earlier contribution to this journal focusing on private supplementary tutoring -- widely known as shadow education -- in Francophone West and Central Africa. Drawing on wider literature about research methods in this domain, it examines the basis for the numerical estimates presented in the original article…

Accessibility to wearable technology has exploded in the last decade. As such, this technology has potential to be used in classrooms in uniquely interactive and personally meaningful ways. Seeing this as a possible future for schools, we have been exploring approaches for designing activities to incorporate wearable physical activity data…

Background: Historically, significant advances in scientific understanding have followed advances in measurement and observation. As the resolving power of an instrument increased, so have gains in the understanding of the phenomena being observed. Modern interactive systems are potentially the new "microscopes" when they are…

Leaders in schools, districts, and states, along with policymakers in Washington, D.C., are focusing new energy on closing long-standing gaps in performance that separate low-income students and students of color from others. It's critically important that their efforts succeed--for students, their families, their communities, and for their…

Students who take classes in education departments at universities receive significantly higher grades than students who take classes in other academic departments. The higher grades awarded by education departments cannot be explained by differences in student quality or by structural differences across departments (i.e., differences in class…

Federal education policy in recent years has encouraged state and local education agencies to embrace data use and analysis in decision-making, ranging from policy development and implementation to performance evaluation. The capacity of these agencies to make effective and methodologically sound use of collected data for these purposes remains an…

Argues that teaching is both art and science, but that it is possible to evaluate effectiveness empirically. Discusses common research problems, including the large number of variables that can affect successful teaching; the validity of measurement instruments; and the relevance of research to actual classroom practices. (KH)

Reporting how many people scored at a certain level or how many people passed a cut score is not the same thing as reporting the scores themselves. The newest (indefensible) cliche, derived from international test-score comparisons, says American kids get dumber the longer they stay in school. (MLH)

Today's school leaders must identify the most appropriate data sources for marketing their schools to parents, students, and the general public. Data sources include student achievement evidence, programs for students, student and staff demographics, school environment and resources, and parental/public support and participation. (Contains 18…

When the Educational Testing Service became the administrator of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1983, it introduced scales based on item response theory (IRT) as a way of presenting results of the assessment to the general public. Some properties of the scales and their uses are discussed. Initial attempts at presenting…

The question of validity, or how high-stakes tests are being used and interpreted, threatens to undermine the entire standards movement. Joint standards developed by three professional associations say decisions affecting students' life chances should not be based on test scores alone. Objectivity and teaching to tests are real concerns. (MLH)

Data from interviews, surveys, and archival records were used to examine gifted education policy implementation in Missouri. The study found that school districts tend to use a programmed approach to policy implementation when identifying gifted students with state guidelines usually being used prescriptively. Results suggest a need for greater…

While the "Standards for Evaluations of Educational Programs, Projects and Materials" provides a good checklist of prerequisites, such standards do not guarantee indisputable outcomes. Reanalysis of reading comprehension and mathematics mean achievement data from an international evaluation study illustrates how political bias can…

in this era of standards, high-stakes testing, and accountability, school leaders need to know how they can increase the achievement of their students. Researchers have found that high-achieving schools show common, key factors, including challenging learning experiences for all students, a principal who fulfills his/her role as the instructional…