This article presents findings from a recent study of the education policy uses and impact of international large-scale assessments, namely the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The paper focuses on two overlapping dimensions of PISA's education policy use in the context of Spain. These include political dimensions, such as…

Variation in test performance among examinees from different regions or national jurisdictions is often partially attributed to differences in the degree of content correspondence between local school or training program curricula, and the test of interest. This posited relationship between test-curriculum correspondence, or "alignment,"…

Training in tests and measures and attitudes toward testing were related to teacher's use of tests. Results support the contention that teacher's use tests extensively, but that they do not produce high quality tests. Results are discussed in terms of curriculum changes. (RB)

Presents conclusions of an independent measurement expert that the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) was constructed according to acceptable professional standards and tests curricular material considered by the Texas Board of Education important for graduates to have mastered. Also supports the validity and reliability of the TAAS and…

In many school districts, the pressure to raise test scores has created overnight celebrity status for formative assessment. Its powers to raise student achievement have been touted, however, without attending to the research on which these claims were based. Sociocultural learning theory provides theoretical grounding for understanding how…

Curriculum-based assessments (CBAs) are teacher-constructed tests designed to measure students' skill achievements at specified grades directly. This book explains how to generate and revise CBA systems, which can be developed for various types of curriculum. The chapters are: (1) "CBAs for Reading"; (2) "CBAs for Written Expression"; (3) "CBAs…

Better nontraditional instructional programs fully utilize five within-school features--the principal, instructional staff, curriculum, testing, and school spirit--so that even inside correctional institutions, education programs look the same as effective traditional schools, conduct their business of schooling in similar ways, and achieve as…

Longitudinal case studies of seven teachers in grades three, four, and five were conducted to determine teachers' use of curriculum-embedded tests in elementary mathematics instruction. Results indicated that among the three ways tests are used (student placement, content decisions, and student evaluation), student placement provided the most…

Argues that international tests of student achievement cannot be trusted to deliver the final word on students' ability or progress. Argues that educators need to support local movements to redesign curriculum and reconceptualize teaching for particular communities. Supports the "benchmarking" and "standards" movements in the management field. (SR)

The history of the relation between achievement tests and curriculum programs is reviewed, and it is concluded that content specialists are best qualified as sources of curricular goals to specify content, kinds of attainment, and standards. The specification of instructional intents is also considered from the perspective of modern cognition…

Few individuals in the history of education have had greater impact on education policy and practice than Benjamin S. Bloom. During a career that spanned more than 5 decades, his research and writing guided the development of many educational programs and provided insights into the untapped potential of educators to have all students learn well.…

There are a number of issues to consider in choosing tests, including alignment of tests and standards, the integration of tests with curriculum and instruction, the quality of the tests, and a clear definition of the purpose of the test. To address the various needs reflected by these issues, PLATO Learning, Inc., offers two curriculum-wide…

Examined reports by mathematics teachers of their degree of familiarity with various standards and assessments, then compared these reports with teachers' reports of their instructional practices in the classroom. Teacher awareness of state curriculum guides and state assessments has increased since 1995. (SLD)

It is claimed that curriculum-based external exit examination systems (CBEEES) based on world class content standards will improve teaching and learning of core subjects. Skeptics point out that Americans already take lots of tests, but advocates claim that CBEEES have uniquely powerful incentives because of characteristics that include their real…

This supplement is designed to be used in conjunction with the elementary level educator's guide to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum. The "Educator's Guide" shows the components of the TEKS that are eligible for testing, and this supplement provides information about the types of passages, test items, and…