Many standardized measures with norms are available, but their utility for interinstitutional research, evaluation, and decision making is questioned. It is concluded that there seems to be little reason for using the standardized instruments now available, but that other sorts of instruments probably would not be any more useful for comparative…

Testing in the nation's schools is on the rise. From the classroom quiz to the large-scale standardized test, the pressure for education to be "accountable" has intensified. As children experience this new tide of testing, it is helpful to become more aware of the different types of tests and their purposes. Students in the United States…

Fourteen schools in Oregon have completed their three-year implementation plans as a part of Oregon's Round 2 funding cycle. Seven schools are currently in Round 3 and eight schools are currently in Round 4. Oregon SEA staff worked closely with these schools as they evaluated progress made during their implementation. This report includes an…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) made it clear that states, districts, and schools are to hold high expectations for all students and work to improve outcomes for low performing groups. A central part of these mandated improvement efforts is using data to identify groups of students who are achieving poorly on statewide tests and find…

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking and analyzing state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since 1992. The purpose of the current analysis is to update information on these policies that was last reported by NCEO in 2002 (based on 2001 data). The current analysis of states' 2003 participation…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama," as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Many teachers look at standardized tests as something to be dreaded. This author and teacher looks at standardized-test scores and sees a tool to bring students learning to new heights. This is a way for teachers to target instruction exactly where it's needed. A way to get students looking forward to end-of-the-year tests (really!) as a way to…

Since it was first published in 1997, there have been many changes in education and, specifically, in the leadership and management of people. These changes include new research and literature, and developments in policy and practice in many countries. This new volume gives much more attention to international research and practice, as educational…

In this book, the editors argue that while access to schools that enable and expect academic achievement is a necessary ingredient for the education of students, schools alone may not be sufficient to ensure universally high levels of academic development. Supplemental educational experiences may also be needed. The idea of supplementary education…

Recognizing the vast disparities in academic achievement throughout Arizona's public schools, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has recently started pushing for tougher standards and demanding for more school accountability. This study analyzes the ranking system implemented by the ADE that categorizes all public schools according to…

This paper reports on a study of three states (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Texas) that investigated their policies and practices imvolving standards, assessment, accountability, teaching quality, and public engagement. It focuses on common conditions contributing to success in raising achievement (consistency, consensus, and comprehensiveness);…

Under the new federal No Child Left Behind law, state assessments must be aligned to grade-level standards/benchmarks, and every school in Indiana and other states will soon be judged based on its ability to raise the percentage of students achieving proficiency on these tests. This will no doubt lead to much greater scrutiny of states'…

During the past two years, three independent studies--conducted by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), American Institutes for Research (AIR), and the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)--have examined the accomplishments, shortcomings, and continuing challenges of California's Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA).…

The accuracy and fairness of standardized testing is taken very seriously in the education world. These issues are a major focus of both the testing experts who develop standardized tests and the researchers who endeavor to ensure a test's fairness, reliability, validity, and accuracy. But many issues remain both controversial and complex. The…

This document is a supplement to the Test Content Description for the Georgia High School Test in English Language Arts. The sample items are representative of items on the actual Georgia High School Tests. The strands (major areas) being tested are Reading/Literature (47 to 49% of the test), Critical Thinking (37 to 39% of the test), and…