Three commonly used means of assessment of student achievement are discussed. First, standardized tests are often used to assess student achievement. These tests are developed by professional testing and measurement specialists who are completely removed from the local student and classroom. There are many objections to the use of standardized…

Texas students have made extraordinarily large gains on statewide achievement tests, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), gains so dramatic that they have been dubbed the "Texas miracle." There is general agreement that these gains are attributable to the high stakes accountability system in Texas, but there is some question…

The 1983 report "A Nation At Risk" catapulted teaching and learning issues to the forefront of public concern. However, In spite of the findings of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, U.S. students and college graduates continue to fare well when their knowledge is tested postgraduation, and there is no evidence of a…

A hearing was planned by the California Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach to consider the role of the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) in the admission of students to California's public universities. The hearing was intended to provide a serious discussion of the merits and…

This report contains testimony and materials presented at the California Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Admissions and Outreach hearing, February 1998, held to examine the role of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) in undergraduate admissions to the public universities of California. In her…

This study used community contextual variables to investigate adolescent academic achievement, examining school districts and individual schools with 8th grade students. The first analyses were conducted for school year 1997-98. The school district model was replicated for 1996-97. Data came from the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau…

This report examines how to hold schools accountable for educational quality. Collecting and disseminating school performance data to parents and the public is one accountability measure that school districts can implement. Most states currently produce school report cards or school profiles, which offer important information on their schools.…

This report examines the top Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) performers and compares Delaware classroom environments with those of the top performing students. Data analyses show that Delaware's average class size is larger than any of the top performers, and student attendance, skipping, and tardiness problems…

This report examines students', teachers', and parents' reactions to standardized testing and whether the move to raise academic standards has improved the quality of college students and new employees. It is based on telephone interviews conducted in late 2001 with a national and random sample of 600 K-12 public-school teachers, 610 parents of…

This report examines students', teachers', and parents' reactions to standardized testing and whether the move to raise academic standards has improved the quality of college students and new employees. It is based on telephone interviews conducted in late 2000 with a national and random sample of public-school teachers, parents of public-school…

This report examines students', teachers', and parents' reactions to standardized testing and whether the move to raise academic standards has improved the quality of college students and new employees. It is based on telephone interviews conducted in the last quarter of 1999 using a national, random sample of 604 K-12 public-school teachers, 615…

This paper provides a meta-analysis of current trends in student achievement in science by socioeconomic status and gender within ethnic groups. Data from a variety of sources, such as the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) reports were used. In addition, trends in student…

This document compiles the one-page state "snapshot reports" for the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment at grade 4. In 2002, 45 states and 5 other jurisdictions at grade 4 participated in the writing assessment. Two states at grade 4 did not meet minimum school participation guidelines for…

Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the Grade 4 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) 2003 reading assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. The 53 reports in this series present bulleted text describing overall student results, bar charts showing NAEP…

Each state and jurisdiction that participated in the Grade 8 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) 2003 reading assessment receives a one-page snapshot report that presents key findings and trends in a condensed format. The 53 reports in this series present bulleted text describing overall student results, bar charts showing NAEP…