California's students are failing to make the grade in mathematics. A recent study released by the RAND Corporation found that California's eighth grade students ranked 43rd on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics tests. A study conducted by the California State University system found that only 55% of high school…

In response to legislation passed by the 1989 North Carolina General Assembly, the State Board of Education developed and initially implemented End-of-Grade Tests (EOG) for grades 3 through 8 in the areas of reading and mathematics effective with the 1992?93 school year. These curriculum-based multiple-choice achievement tests are specifically…

The process used for this alignment was an abbreviated version of the alignment work and models developed by Norman L. Webb (1997, 1999, 2001, and 2002), and used in alignment studies of the Idaho state assessment system. While the full Webb alignment includes four dimensions, this study only considers two of the dimensions -- Depth of Knowledge…

Many students who attend school in California also take paper or computerized-adaptive tests developed in cooperation with the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). These tests report student performance on a single, cross-grade scale, which NWEA calls the RIT scale. This scale was developed using Rasch scaling methodologies. RIT-based tests…

This document addresses the CLAST results for Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) in June 2002. The results can be useful in developing strategies to enhance the CLAST pass rates of M-DCC students. Specifically, the document addresses the following three areas: first time pass rate increases in essay, reading, and mathematics, education majors…

This document addresses the CLAST results for Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) in 2001. The results can be useful in developing strategies to enhance the CLAST pass rates of M-DCC students. Specifically, the document addresses the following three areas: first time and retake pass rates, performance of first time examinees by skill area,…

This document addresses the CLAST results for Miami Dade Community College (M-DCC) in 2002. The results can be useful in developing strategies to enhance the CLAST pass rates of M-DCC students. Specifically, the document addresses the following three areas: first time and retake pass rates, performance of first time examinees by skill area,…

This document addresses the retention of second language students at Miami-Dade Community College in October 2002. Overall, retention of second language students has improved since the previous year. It should be noted that despite the increase in retention, fewer students are passing all of their lower level EAP courses. The report contains…

This report describes research on current assessment procedures affecting educational instruction. The targeted population consisted of third and fifth grade students, teachers, administrators, local school board members, and parents from one highly populated metropolitan public elementary school and a small suburban public elementary school near…

This critique of standardized tests begins by placing the use of such tests within a social context. It then addresses the matter of standardized testing in theory and practice in relation to teaching. The substance of standardized examinations, their common content, and the things they do not test are also explored. The relationship of good…

This essay, written for mathematics educators, addresses a series of questions related to the development of curriculum in mathematics education. The case is made that mathematics curriculum must be evaluated continuously to stay abreast of recent research results and needed trends. Also addressed is the question of how much mathematics…

This report presents findings of an analysis of state policies on student participation in assessments and accommodations for 2001. Major findings include: (1) participation options beyond the usual three (participation without accommodations, participation with accommodations, alternate assessment) have become more evident and include partial…

Large-scale testing programs are generally based on the assumptions that the test-takers experience standard conditions for taking the test and that everyone will do his or her own work without having prior knowledge of specific questions. These assumptions are not necessarily true. The ways students and educators use to get around standardizing…

In England and Wales, a National Curriculum initiated in 1988 was designed to ensure that all schools provided a curriculum which represented different areas of knowledge. The past 20 years has increasingly seen more emphasis on the link between the financial amounts spent on education and subsequent return on this money. The impact of the…

This video presentation (28 minutes, in color) examines roadblocks to Latino academic advancement as well as productive educational models; explores the relationship of standardized testing and cultural diversity and questions whether cultural bias can be eliminated from standardized testing; and looks at early childhood education programs and the…