There is much debate over the impact of high stakes testing as well as a growing body of research focused on both the intended and unintended consequences of these tests. One claim of both the popular media and education researchers is that high stakes tests have led to curricular narrowing--the idea that school time is increasingly allocated to…

In this article, the author takes a critical look at current assessment practices in social studies education, especially those at the state level. He defines some key assessment terms, then considers the major issues of statewide assessment, focusing on the reliability and validity of the means by which government agencies across the United…

Developed for use in New York State elementary school social studies program evaluations, this guide outlines procedures and suggests the design of forms for identifying key questions, gathering and analyzing relevant data, and developing plans for program improvements. It is intended to assess strengths and weaknesses within current programs as a…

The format and mode of operation of a special commission appointed by the Maryland legislature to examine the teaching of values in elementary and secondary public schools are presented. The Commission surveyed and evaluated values education programs, interviewed educators, and held meetings with citizens throughout the state. Consensus was…

This brochure is designed to acquaint persons involved in elementary and secondary instruction in New York State with State syllabi and the State testing program. The New York State testing program was mandated to measure student achievement and program effectiveness in the areas of mathematics, English language arts (reading and writing),…

Measuring History complements the cases presented in Wise Social Studies Practices (Yeager & Davis, 2005). Yeager and Davis highlight the rich and ambitious teaching that can occur in the broad context of state-level testing. In this book, the chapter authors and I bring the particular state history tests more to the fore and examine how…