The Rural Educational Environment (REE) is a complex mixture of demographic and economic forces that interact to impact the rural school corporation. The condition of REE financial and human capital indicates REE health and may influence student performance on standardized tests. This paper proposes an ecosystem model of the impact of financial,…

All states are addressing the problems of accommodations for English Language Learners (ELL's) in state assessment systems, but Massachusetts is noteworthy for the way in which it handles this problem. Since the early 1980s, over 40 states have created a statewide assessment program. Testing in these states is typically modeled on the National…

This paper describes New Jersey's High School Proficiency Test (HPST) in reading, one of three tests given to all 11th graders as a state graduation requirement. Each reading passage represents one of four test types (narrative, informational, persuasive/argumentative, and workplace). Each passage is followed by multiple-choice items and at least…

This report summarizes ACT assessment scores of students attending Great City Schools (GCS) between 1990-99, examining achievement gaps by course preparation, race, gender, and poverty. Data included ACT composite scores and scores in English, reading, math, and science reasoning. The total number of ACT test-takers increased nationally by 20…

Few matters induce more dialogue among foreign language among educators than the problem of students' transition between levels of language study. Secondary school teachers worry about how best to integrate a diversely prepared freshman population into their curriculum. The aim of this edited volume is to assemble the theory, research, and vision…

This pamphlet for parents in English presents the components of the "No Child Left Behind" policy of the George W. Bush administration. Prefaced with remarks by President Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige, the pamphlet discusses the importance of high academic standards and provides guidance for parents in interpreting test…

This pamphlet for parents Spanish presents the components of the "No Child Left Behind" policy of the George W. Bush administration. Prefaced with remarks by President Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige, the pamphlet discusses the importance of high academic standards and provides guidance for parents in interpreting test scores.…

This study examined state and national benchmarks and standards for K-12 science instruction, curricular goals, and objectives for K-12 science, state, and national assessments that measure student achievement in science and student use of computers and technology for science in grades K-12. The study used survey data and student achievement…

Currently, there is no overall strategy for comprehensively addressing the academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). Their right to equal opportunities to participate and learn has been recognized by federal law. There is limited evidence regarding bilingual education and effective strategies for educating ELLs. Research indicates that 1…

In 1999, Colorado's Denver Public schools initiated the Pay for Performance pilot, which links teacher compensation to student achievement. Researchers examined its impact on achievement by comparing three measures of student achievement across pilot and control schools; teacher objectives; school, teacher, and student factors which impact…

In 1996, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began an initiative aimed at ending social promotion and raising achievement. The centerpiece of the initiative is a set of test-score cutoffs for third, sixth, and eighth graders, who must achieve a minimum score on standardized reading and mathematics tests to be promoted to the next grade. Students who…

This report examines elementary schools serving poor neighborhoods in New York City that have been able to bring their students up to or above the average for the city on standardized tests in the 1996-1997 school year to see how teachers, parents, students, and principals have worked together. After eliminating schools with new principals and…

The Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbances (SAED) is a standardized, norm-referenced scale used to identify children who qualify for the federal special education category of "emotional disturbance". It uses the five conditions on which identification of emotional disturbance is based under the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

This fall 1998 report describes student characteristics, enrollment, test scores, and outcomes at Jefferson College, Missouri. Statistics are grouped into seven sections. In the Admissions area, nearly sixty-nine percent of students graduated from an in-county high school or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program. Regarding Total Student Body,…

This document reports results from Rhode Island state standardized assessments with a particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy. These results are presented in the context of individual schools and school districts by illustrating the characteristics of student populations and indicators of each school's climate (such as graduation and…