The next seven years will see important changes in the Washington Pre-college Testing Program for post-high school guidance. In the near future, the current cognitive emphasis of the program will be altered to include more attitudinal measures like a vocational interest inventory and an assessment of educational, employment, and life goals. In…

The "Measuring College and Career Readiness" report for each state represents a snapshot of the ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2009 and focuses on their readiness for college and careers. Designed to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness, the report is not intended to be comprehensive but…

This document contains the technical information for the 1998 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), Grade 4 Assessment for Reading, Mathematics, Listening, and Writing. It documents the technical quality of the assessment, including the evidence for the reliability and validity of test scores. The manual's chapters are: (1)…

This study used Washington state school district identification numbers to follow the progress of 14,860 fourth graders (in 1998) and 12,827 seventh graders (in 1998) for 3 years. The inauguration of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) made it possible to track individual student academic performance and examine the consequences…

The effects of Washington state education reforms on schools and classrooms were studied through surveys completed by about 150 elementary and middle school principals and about 400 writing and mathematics teachers in grades 4 and 7, the grades in which students take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) tests. The surveys asked…

A description is provided of the work of the Student Assessment Task Force, which was charged by the Washington State Student Services Commission Executive Board to "provide leadership to the state system on the topic of assessment." Following background information on the charge of the task force and a statement of its objectives and…

This study examined the experiences of 15 elementary schools in Washington state demonstrating relatively slow improvement on the reading and mathematics sections of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Since the passage of educational reform legislation in 1993, Washington has undertaken a systematic overhaul of its K-12 public school…

This brochure describes the state of Washington's efforts to improve its educational program and to ensure that the state's young people are receiving the knowledge and skills they will need in the 21st century. In 1993, Washington established a Commission on Student Learning to work toward four educational goals. These goals call for students to:…

In 1998, fourth graders participated in the mathematics component of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for the second year. A study of the results was conducted to determine which districts and schools had more students meeting the state's mathematics standards and how improved achievement came about. Data was gathered through…

This booklet is designed to help parents understand how Washington schools are raising their academic standards. It also points out questions parents should ask about their children's schools and describes some at-home activities that will help a child make the most of time in and out of the classroom. The educational improvement effort in…

This study examined how constructivist teaching and the organization of the learning environment relate to student achievement. The researchers used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among school and teaching attributes and student achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics as measured by the Washington…

Prepared by four state-appointed task forces, this report recommends policies and procedures for basic skills education in the State of Washington to assist local and statewide planning. Following introductory material on the mandate and members of the task forces, Section I considers the organization and management of developmental programs,…

The State of Washington school districts spent 89 percent, $6,814,516.00, of the $7,682,569.00 awarded to them for planned 1985-86 Chapter 2 program expenditures. The two largest budget categories in terms of dollars spent were for instructional materials, 26 percent, and capital outlay, 27 percent. Most of the capital outlay expenditures were…

The nature of educational evaluation and its interaction with policy in six state departments of education is examined. Case reports of research and evaluation units are presented for Virginia (by Gerald W. Bracey), Michigan (by David L. Donovan and Stanley A. Rumbaugh), Washington (by Alfred F. Rasp, Jr.), South Carolina (by Paul D. Sandifer),…

Test results (1968-1977) on the English and mathematics achievement subtests of the Washington Precollege Test (WPC), administered annually to the vast majority of college bound students in the state of Washington, were examined for evidence of test score decline. The following information from 300,000 students was analyzed by both sex and total…