In Texas, control of schooling has shifted from the public toward business-controlled management accountability systems--exemplified in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills ("the Texas Accountability System"). TAAS adversely affects teaching and learning by mandating a "test-prep" noncurriculum, discriminating against…

Describes Southern Methodist University's College Prep (CP) program, a competitive eight-week summer program that offers denied applicants the opportunity to gain fall admission. Thirteen of 24 participants fulfilled the admission criteria. High school GPA and standardized test scores did not differ significantly between the CP students and other…

Uses critical race theory to critique three articles on accountability, testing, and academics in schools with minority group and low-income students, raising questions about the viability of interest convergence theory in arguing that accountability promotes equity and pointing out that gender issues remain unanswered in debates focused on race…

A study of 1993 proficiency test results in Ohio found that school district scores were related to various district characteristics: school district wealth, percentage of minorities, attendance, school district size, and percentage of single-parent families. A current study in rural southeastern Ohio focuses on student and parent attitudes toward…

Presents a summary of the theory of multiple intelligences in the context of developmental learning. Emphasizes the implications of the theory for assessment, including a strong argument against standardized testing. Describes various methods to engage and assess the pluralistic abilities of each individual and cites practical examples such as…

Discusses six books that give a range of perspectives on the issues of assessment and accountability, from the use of standardized reading tests to creating student and professional portfolios. States that these books will provide teachers with the knowledge to make sound assessment decisions and with practical suggestions to document student and…

Certain that students' average standardized test scores did not reflect their faculty's teaching effectiveness, Department of Defense dependent schools in Wuerzburg, Germany, mounted a districtwide experiment involving performance tests and rubrics in writing and science. Teachers documented gains in students' high-level writing and science skill…

Compared results on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills to Texas (TAAS) score changes on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Texas fourth graders did improve significantly more on the NAEP mathematics test than their counterparts nationally, but this gain was smaller than their TAAS gains, and a similar gain was not seen…

Offers an inquiry-oriented approach based on the New Literacy Studies to help prospective teachers prepare for high-stakes standardized tests like the Communication and Literacy Skills (CLS) portion of the Massachusetts Educator Certification Tests. The paper describes a specific activity, inviting preservice teachers to explore the social nature…

High-stakes testing creates a system that is unfair and destructive to learning. This paper critiques several common defenses of high-stakes testing, including claims that this strategy is necessary for addressing educational inequalities. The paper argues that an emphasis on tougher standards, accountability, and standardized testing is uniquely…

Surveyed graduate students in a practitioner-based teacher education program regarding standards of learning and teacher training. Respondents considered teacher modeling of various instructional strategies and attitudes the most influential instructional strategy. They believed teachers needed training in cultural issues, learning styles, and the…

Discusses implications of states' requiring use of high school graduation exams. Finds testing requirements already blocking thousands of students from getting diplomas required for college admission, and complicating colleges' efforts to recruit black and Hispanic students. At the same time college officials praise tests for helping ensure that…

Examines whether employers can infer information about workers' precollege abilities from acquired college credentials and value attainment of credentials because they signal these abilities. Analysis of 1993 National Longitudinal Study of Youth data reveals that employers value attainment of a bachelor's degree for these reasons. Academic degrees…

Compares two approaches for preparing students to take standardized reading tests. Discusses study that used a pretest-posttest design with reading-comprehension passages and questions to assess improvement. Suggests that measurable gain in short-term developmental programs may require focusing on a more modest number of teaching objectives,…

Examines the use and effectiveness of software to help students pass the mathematics portion of the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test. Results indicated that administrative support, teachers' instructional style, teachers' perceived priority of learning about computers and software, computer availability and access, technical assistance, and…