Describes how to prepare students for high stakes tests in ways that do not detract from real learning, noting the need for teachers to take charge of the assessment process by becoming assessment literate. This means becoming informed as to what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate uses of test results and staying apprised of the latest…

Presents an overview of the English and Singaporean education systems, focusing on the high stakes assessment systems operating at the elementary level in both countries. The effects of these high stakes assessments on teachers and students are described, noting potential lessons for U.S. educators related to establishing credibility, engaging the…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has played a vital role in assessing and reporting on the state of U.S. education for more than 30 years. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, NAEP will play an even more prominent role in the evaluation of adequate yearly progress in the states, jurisdictions, and territories receiving…

Examines the assessment implications of the revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, discussing such challenges as finding valid and reliable ways to assess more complex cognitive processes and to assess metacognitive knowledge. The paper illustrates how the revised Taxonomy can be used to evaluate current approaches to assessment and suggest…

Examines several issues at the heart of the debate over high stakes testing, highlighting: the types of tests used, the effects on student motivation and morale, the degree of alignment between the test and the curriculum, and the distinction between assessment of learning and assessment for learning. The article notes the need for teacher input…

Asserts that high stakes testing may lead to a default philosophy of education that holds in high regard a narrow bundle of knowledge and skills, offering suggestions for what educators can do in the current context (e.g., maintain dialogue in schools, expand internal accountability, engage high standards, connect to higher-order concepts, and…

Describes the construct problem within achievement testing, asserting that current research in the cognitive sciences, measurement, and technology make this an opportune time to move forward in assessing critical aspects of learning. Designing new kinds of situations for capturing the complexity of learning requires breaking out of the current…

In an attempt to better organize supportive environments for teachers, teacher educators are examining specific environments which best influence teachers. Teacher behavior is produced as a result of the interactive effects of teacher characteristics, teacher educational environments, and the tasks in which teachers engage. (JN)

Examines the high stakes of large-scale mathematics assessment practices and ways in which they are agents of change, focusing on: types of instruments used; how test design informs instructional practice; how dissemination of test information informs instructional practice; and who is responsible or accountable for results. (SM)

Examines research on high stakes testing and its relationship to student outcomes, presenting data from Massachusetts and North Carolina on state trends related to high stakes testing. Findings suggest that non-white, non-Asian students, and students with special needs and English language learners, are the groups most deeply affected by high…

Examines how elementary teachers' understanding of new writing assessments and beliefs about students as writers mediate their acceptance of new narrative-writing assessment methods, noting dilemmas teachers face, staff developers' roles in resolving dilemmas, and ways teachers handle change. Experiences of teachers involved in the Writing What…

Addresses the discord between school-reform efforts and many jurisdictions' accountability requirements. The paper explores the elements of school accountability systems that aid and impede innovative practice. Information comes from principals at 20 reforming schools who spoke about the impact of accountability tests on school reform. (SM)

Describes the types of state assessment and accountability policies in place when Congress enacted the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, noting how districts in eight states responded to these policies and identifying four challenges facing states and districts as they implement the NCLB (e.g., the need to expand the size and scope of state…

The relationship of syntactic sensitivities to fluency and understanding are usually neglected when discussing reading fluency. The article describes oral reading and interpretation activities in one seventh grade class undertaken to improve comprehension and fluency. It also discusses evaluation methods, such as portfolios and recordings as…

Describes efforts to help teachers learn to use new math and reading assessments in their classrooms, highlighting characteristics of professional development that successfully foster change in teachers' ideas and practice. After describing a multi-year staff development/research project on assessment, the paper discusses factors that support and…