The differential effects of language proficiency on standardized test performance of elementary school students (grades 4 through 6 are examined for the San Diego (California) Unified School District. Ethnicity is examined as a mediating variable circumscribing the relationship between language proficiency and test performance. Test performance is…

Changes in confidence to perform selected evaluation activities that occurred for 45 preservice teachers majoring in elementary school education during their student teaching experience were studied. Self-confidence was measured before and after the student teaching semester using the Mississippi State University Survey of Confidence in Teaching…

Two studies were carried out to evaluate the quality of multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model parameter estimates obtained from the computer program NOHARM. The purpose of the first study was to compute empirical estimates of the standard errors of the parameters. In addition, the parameter estimates were evaluated for bias and the…

This paper is the second report on the purpose, methodology, and results of a large-scale statistical analysis of standardized test scores from Chicago public elementary schools for 1988 and 1989. Major purposes were to develop methods for measuring student improvement (change) at the individual and school levels, to find ways of identifying…

Reasons why African American and Hispanic American students tend to have lower scores than do White students on standardized mathematics and reading tests are examined, focusing on a study from Texas. Results of the Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teachers (TECAT) for approximately 900 school districts show that where the…

From 1970 to 1985, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) underwent major modifications caused by: (1) the addition of the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) to the College Board's Admissions Testing Program (ATP); (2) the passage of test disclosure legislation; (3) the institution of test sensitivity reviews; and (4) the use of item response…

This study investigated the role of problem structure and metacognitive control in the analogical transfer of performance of 40 13- and 14-year-old gifted and highly gifted math students. Average and above average 16-, 17-, and 18-year-olds served as comparison groups. Students were given three algebra problems with solutions, followed by two…

National standardization data were used to reexamine the evidence of gender differences in achievement test scores reported in previous studies. Changes in differences over time, from 1963 to 1992, were examined, as were differences across all grade and achievement levels. Subjects participated in Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Iowa Tests of…

The primary purpose of testing in early childhood is to identify children who may be at risk for learning problems so they may be placed in appropriate educational environments. Testing is popular because educators take at face value the claim by test developers that using standardized test instruments to classify, retain, or promote children is…

Recent reports by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Research Council, the Mathematical Sciences Education Board, and the Board on Mathematical Sciences emphasize that coordinated improvement in the content of mathematics curriculum, classroom instruction, and teacher education is the key to improving mathematics…

This booklet reports the results of a recent National Science Foundation study of the impact of mandated testing programs on curriculum and instruction in elementary and secondary mathematics and science education, especially the impact on teachers with large percentages of minority students. The study included three strands: (1) an item-by-item…

This publication updates information from prior surveys of teacher education policy in 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of: (1) standards; (2) standards boards; (3) alternative preparation for licensure; (4) minority teacher recruitment; (5) early childhood education; and (6) clinical/field experience. In addition there is a new…

Information is provided for educators and the general public about the performance of students on the standardized tests administered in 1990 as part of the South Carolina Norm-Referenced Testing (SCNRT) Program. The first section of this report provides background information necessary for interpretation of the results. The second section reports…

Testing and assessment that are "more authentic" (performance-based or alternative) represent the most pressing issue in education today. Some of the major criticisms leveled at standardized testing are examined, and the advantages and disadvantages of more authentic assessment are reviewed. A general direction for integrating traditional and…

The California Critical Thinking Skills Test: College Level (CCTST) is a standardized test that targets core college-level critical thinking skills. It has been characterized as the best commercially available critical thinking skills assessment instrument. Building from CCTST validation studies in 1989 and 1990, this paper proposes avenues for…