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…

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 report highlights several trends in Oregon that show the correlation between chronic absenteeism and various academic outcomes. Oregon student patterns follow the national trend in that students with better attendance have better outcomes. Fifth-grade chronic absenteeism is a moderately strong predictor of chronic absenteeism in subsequent…

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive predictors of calculations and number line estimation with whole numbers and fractions. At-risk 4th-grade students (N = 139) were assessed on 6 domain-general abilities (i.e., working memory, processing speed, concept formation, language, attentive behavior, and nonverbal reasoning) and…

District and state education leaders frequently use screening assessments to identify students who are at risk of performing poorly on end-of-year achievement tests. This study examines the use of a universal screening assessment of reading skills for early identification of students at risk of low achievement on nationally normed tests of reading…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to objectively assess levels of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) of Chinese city children and youth aged 9 to 17 years old using accelerometers and to examine their differences by gender, age, grade, and weight status. Method: The PA and SB of 2,163 students in 4th grade through 11th grade…

This quantitative study uses data from North Carolina to examine the extent to which survey based perceptions of working conditions are predictive of policy-relevant outcomes, independent of other school characteristics such as the demographic mix of the school's students. Working conditions emerge as highly predictive of teachers' stated…

This is the first of two volumes of the National Center for Education Statistics' annual statistical report on the condition of education in the United States for 1990. This volume addresses elementary and secondary education, while the second volume covers postsecondary education (PE). Condition of education indicators (CEIs)--key data that…

The purpose of this study was to determine what, or part of what, makes academic success probable or improbable for a student. The core research question was, Which practices, characteristics, and circumstances of students, families, schools, school districts, and communities tend to give Maine students a higher probability of meeting state…

This document presents statistical data on the variables that affect the education of children aged 5 to 18 living in households. The data are culled from the October Current Population Surveys (CPS) for 1977, 1982, and 1983, and the March CPS for 1978, 1983, and 1984. The following variables are examined: (1) poverty; (2) race/ethnicity; (3)…

This reports discusses results of the Nevada Department of Education's fifth biennial survey to assess drug and alcohol attitudes and use among students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 (N=7,770). This 1998 survey also addresses issues of safety, violence, and school climate in keeping with the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994.…

A longitudinal study described variations and changes in New Zealand children's cognitive, social, communicative, and problem-solving competencies from school entry at age 5 years and examined the impact of early childhood education experiences, family resources, home activities, and school resources on those competencies. This report, the third…