This quantitative study focuses on the relationship between foreign language learners' aptitude and proficiency test scores. Four groups of 136 beginning students received six months of Initial Acquisition Training (IAT) in four different language categories, according to the level of complexity for an English speaker: French (Category I),…

Although researchers call for inquiry learning in science, science assessments rarely capture the impact of inquiry instruction. This paper reports on the development and validation of assessments designed to measure middle-school students' progress in gaining integrated understanding of energy while studying an inquiry-oriented curriculum. The…

Both California state law and the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) require that all schools assess the English language proficiency of newly enrolled students who speak a language other than English at home and, annually, all English learners (ELs) already enrolled. California meets this requirement by administering the California English…