This publication represents the first attempt to address the problem of adequate evaluation processes for testing language dominance and proficiency in bilingual education. It is produced by individuals intimately acquainted with the fields of language testing and bilingual education. Issues in language testing as well as its history are…

Public examinations in developing countries play a critical role in the selection of students for participation in the educational system. The examinations tend to be highly academic, bearing little reference to the everyday lives of students, limited to paper-and-pencil tests, and geared toward discriminating among high achieving students.…

This document is a study of standardized tests by sub-group, ranking the states according to scores divided (in turn) by gender, race and ethnicity, location of school, family income, parental education, teacher qualification and experience, limited English proficiency, special education participation rate, and per-pupil spending. The tests…

Talk of accountability (or the lack thereof ) dominates current Canadian education debates. We're not alone in this regard. Mawhinney (1998) observes that "the educational reform agenda in many industrialized nations today is driven by a perceived crisis in accountability" (p. 98). Unfortunately, as Earl (2001) also reminds us,…

Eighty-seven percent of all Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) students instructed during 2002-03 were continuously enrolled (CE) in one school from the first week of the school year until the last day of school. Across grade levels CE percentages steadily increased from only 82% in kindergarten to 94% in grade 12, except for a dip to 83% in…

This report describes 12 studies dealing with the knowledge monitoring component of metacognition. It is assumed that knowledge monitoring is basic to other metacognitive activities, such as evaluating learning, selecting appropriate strategies, or planning, because distinguishing between what students know and do not know ought to be a…

The author begins this article by relating the experiences of her fourth-grade students who had just completed an intensive four-week project that involved crafting arguments to convince their local school board to allow a field trip to the Missouri state capitol so they could explore their state's government in person and in depth. Just one year…

Current national efforts at education reform rely largely on the use of standardized testing, the cornerstone of federal education policy as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, with its requirements for regular testing of all students and demonstrations of adequate yearly progress on tests by all schools. The challenges…

Education in both England and the United States has undergone a profound change over the last two decades as part of neo-liberal and neoconservative political reforms. The reforms have been characterized by efforts to standardize the curriculum, to implement standardized tests in order to hold students, teachers, and schools accountable, to…

Cognition, mind, counseling psychology, lesson plans, learning styles, and Vygotsky are just a few of the many subjects discussed in this exciting work. Educators, students, counselors, parents, and others will find new understanding as they read and browse. How does the immigrant experience affect student outcomes? What are the effects of poverty…

Overview: A recent evaluation of children who had participated in the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) as toddlers found that at kindergarten age, these children were performing at levels expected for their age, despite the fact that they had multiple factors putting them at risk for school failure. The Study: In the winter and spring of 2002, 135…

This research study developed a value-added instructional improvement analysis model. North Carolina state testing results were used in regression and residual analyses of student achievement. This analysis allowed for identification of the "most effective" and "least effective" biology teachers in Wake County Public Schools…

The status of middle grade students (grades 6, 7, and 8) was studied in the New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools. The district is faced with major challenges in addressing the overall needs of middle grade students and the impact of early retention in grade that has resulted in several overage students. Most sixth graders are in elementary…

Learning about tests will help parents help their children perform better on all types of assessments. This guide explains the many types of tests that students can take and describes the benefits and limitations of each. Test use and improving test performance are discussed. Assessment usually takes place for purposes of instruction, screening,…

This profile summarizes and analyzes data to provide a broad range of educational indicators of the operation and performance of New Mexico's 88 school districts. The profile looks at the dropout rate and student enrollment, including the number of students receiving public assistance, special education, and bilingual education. Also studied are:…