The Maine Legislature requested the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct an assessment of standardized testing in Maine schools to understand the amount, cost, and usefulness of it. This report summarizes the resulting effort, which included a literature scan, document analysis, and surveys of two groups of school…

As high-stakes use of tests increases, it becomes vital that test developers and test users communicate clearly about the accuracy and limitations of the scores generated by a test after it is assembled and used. A procedure is described for portraying the accuracy of test scores. It can be used in setting accuracy targets during form construction…

Data from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) were used to explore how learning environments within bilingual classes where students perform very well on the Spanish version of the TAAS are shaped by forces surrounding the TAAS and how this shaping process affects teachers. Four elementary schools were selected based on the high…

The Montgomery County (Maryland) public school system has started using assessments other than multiple-choice tests because it is felt that this will provide school staff with better information about the success of the instructional program. One of the ways assessments can provide better information is by having teachers score student papers.…

As is consistent with national trends, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public School System is exploring the use of instruments other than multiple-choice tests for high-stakes testing. This paper presents information on racial, ethnic, and gender differences in performance on the various types of tests being administered in the district. Sharing…