This study explores the factors influencing mathematics performance, teacher satisfaction, and school environment across six economies using data from PISA 2022. Employing hierarchical linear modeling, the research examines individual and institutional variables at the student, teacher, and school levels. Key findings reveal significant…

Testing students and using test information to hold schools and, in some cases, teachers accountable for student achievement has arguably been the primary national strategy for school improvement over the past decade and a half. Tests are also intended to be used as a diagnostic tool to identify individual student needs, so that students can be…

The "First-Year Effects of Early Indicator and Intervention Systems in Oregon" study provides information to the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon districts that are adopting or considering adopting an early indicator and intervention system (EIIS), as well as to other interested state and district education leaders who are…

We initiated the study in response to school counsellors' concerns over the effects of noneducational video gaming and texting on students' school performance. The research purpose was to examine the correlations between various factors and academic performance in grade 9. The factors included social relations (e.g., friends), extra-curricular…

Providing feedback to students in a sustainable way represents a perennial challenge for secondary teachers of writing. Employing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to give students personalized and immediate feedback holds great promise. Project Topeka offered middle school teachers pre-curated teaching materials, foundational texts and videos,…

We examined how ACT® Aspire® (from grades 8 to 10), PreACT® (from grade 10), and ACT® test scores (from grades 10 and 11) relate to students' chances of scoring a 3 or higher as well as 4 or higher on selected Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Data for the study was available for 49,220 students from 318 high schools who had taken at least one AP…

The School Improvement Division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) identifies, monitors, and supports low-performing schools. To identify low-performing schools, TEA assigns annual academic accountability ratings to its districts and schools, but these ratings are provided only once per year and are vulnerable to disruptions in the assessment…

In this paper we analyze the extent to which a mandated kindergarten assessment predicts 3rd grade outcomes, and the academic progression for students from 3rd grade to high school. We find that the kindergarten assessment strongly predicts 3rd grade outcomes, with the math skills assessment being especially predictive of 3rd grade academic…

This brief summarizes five benefits of schools providing the PreACT® to all their students. The PreACT 8/9 (an earlier version of the PreACT test that is more appropriate for students in grades 8 and 9) and PreACT assessments are designed to provide students with an indication of their educational progress in the context of preparing for the ACT®…

This paper presents the results of a national validity study examining relationships between new SAT Essay scores and first semester grades in English and writing courses, as well as first-year grade point average (FYGPA) in college. The sample includes more than 180,000 first-year students across 171 four-year institutions. Results show that…

The "Identifying Indicators That Predict Postsecondary Readiness and Success in Arkansas" study examined the extent to which Arkansas's middle school and high school indicators of postsecondary readiness predict a student's postsecondary readiness outcome and success outcomes. The study estimated the accuracy and strength of the middle…

These are the appendices for "Transitioning to College and Work. Part 2: A Study of Potential Enrollment Indicators," which examined potential indicators of college enrollment school and district staff might use to identify and support students at risk of not attending college. The study used administrative data from the Houston…

These are the appendices to the report, "Using High School Data to Predict College Success in Palau" (ED610714). Prior research, particularly for the United States, has shown that earning a community college credential increases an individual's likelihood of gaining stable employment, earning a living wage, and working in a higher-paying…

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 was marked by a transition to remote learning in Illinois schools and nationwide. The following school year, schools and families faced difficult decisions about how and when to return to in-person learning. School leaders, parents and caregivers, and students considered how to balance…

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is available for students in Key Stage 5 (KS5), to be taken alongside other qualifications, such as A levels. It differs from most other academic qualifications at KS5 because it is not examined, but instead involves students undertaking an in-depth project in an area of their choosing. Students are…