This Brief builds on the work of the National Association of State Boards of Education 1997 Study Group on State Assessment Systems by examining one of the state board actions that is most likely to capture the publics attention: setting cut scores on state assessments. This process involves a large measure of human judgment and politics and a…

The 2000-2001 school year brought changes in statewide testing in Montana and in assessment requirements tied to two federal programs, Title I and Special Education. This document provides guidance to districts about their responsibilities relative to the involvement of students served by these programs in statewide assessment, describing the ways…

Results of a 50-state survey of statewide or systemwide approaches to assessment and outcomes measurement in postsecondary education are presented. Respondents were members of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) organization. The January-February 1987 survey of SHEEO academic and executive officers indicated that two-thirds of…

The merits of a state testing program that would measure the basic skills of college students and provide a basis for improvement was studied in Texas in 1985 by the Committee on Testing. Basic skills among colleges students and the use of postsecondary testing and remediation programs were studied in several states. The review included various…

For almost 20 years, student achievement in the United States has been measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported in recent years as "The Nation's Report Card." Based on a sample size of 25,000 students at each of three grade levels, it has provided the only data that reflect in a comprehensive way what…

This report presents the results of an assessment of social studies in the state of Massachusetts. From 240 to 390 test items were administered to all students in grades 4, 8, and 12. The test covered history, government/citizenship, geography, sociocultural environment, economics, multicultural environment, social studies process skills, and…

This manual is intended to provide Illinois school districts with guidance in developing learning assessment plans and using testing materials as part of the school improvement program mandated by the 1985 educational reform legislation for Illinois. Designed primarily to be a series of "how to" booklets, the manual is divided into six…

This memorandum discusses a number of recommendations proposed for changes in the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). The Higher Level Assessment Study Group discussed ways to further MEAP testing goals: expand testing into additional subject areas, for every pupil, on a cyclical basis; set higher standards encouraging student…