The graded test movement is currently attracting interest in the United Kingdom as a possible alternative to existing public examinations. Three key features of graded tests are: (1) emphasis on student success; (2) a progressive sequence of levels; and (3) tasks to be mastered by candidates being clearly specified. (LMO)

Three statewide assessment programs in Connecticut developed in response to the State Board of Education's goals and objectives are described. These include: (1) the Connecticut Assessment of Educational Progress; (2) the Educational Evaluation and Remedial Assessment Program; and (3) the Connecticut Mastery Testing Program.

The steady growth of state testing programs and its implications for the measurement community are discussed in terms of testing purposes (monitoring, accountability, and curriculum advancement) and test development, administration, and reporting. It is important that the measurement community address crucial issues to maintain its substantial…

In 1982, Lansing (Michigan) Public Schools took the stance that their low Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) scores were not reflective of what their students really knew and that, with some short- and long-range planning, scores would improve dramatically. The districtwide effort is briefly described here. (BW)

Describes procedure for combining Stanford Achievement Test items with local supplementary items to measure individual and aggregate student performance in mathematics. Two reports are generated from the test results: a diagnostic report of student mastery of each objective and an overall score. (TE)

Several forces are driving Alaska's school accountability initiatives. These include: (1) the Legislature's passage in 1997 and 1998 of the High School Graduation Qualifying Examination (HSGQE) and other accountability measures; and (2) the passage by the U.S. Congress of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. In the past, schools excluded some…

This policy brief addresses the inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments and ELL assessment accommodations. The inclusion of ELL students creates specific accountability policy challenges. States differ in the students they include and their inclusion policies and accommodation practices, and, at present, inclusion…

In the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is administered to all third grade students each year. The ITBS, which is one of the assessments used as a screening tool for the Academically Gifted Program, was given to approximately 7,700 third graders in 2000. The ITBS can be given as a…

The results in this report, from the fifth administration of the grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 reading, mathematics, and writing portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), represent an important step in Delawares efforts to educate all students to a higher level. Reading, mathematics, and writing data for grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 are…

This brief discusses ways to measure and report school quality. At present, the differences in state accountability systems make comparisons of schools and school systems very difficult. The most common approach to reporting school status is in the context of current status, an approach in which the school mean or median score for students in the…

This report contains results of Arizona's Instrument To Measure Standards, administered in grade 10 in Spring 1999 and reported in an updated version in this report of March 2000. For each high school, the following information is provided: (1) number of students in the summary; (2) the mean scale score; (3) the median score; and (4) the percent…

This document presents school and district information on the spring 2000 administration of the Arizona Instrument To Measure Standards (AIMS) organized by grade and alphabetically by district and school. Grade level is noted at the top of each page. AIMS scores for each subject are organized in columns under each subject area heading. Information…

This book contains data reported to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction before August 12, 2002 about state testing results. It contains preliminary 2001-2002 state testing results for: (1) grade 3 pretest, in reading and mathematics; (2) end-of-grade tests at grades 3 through 8, multiple choice tests; (3) alternate assessment…

This report provides a summary of test results from the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), including alternative tests taken for TASP purposes as authorized by state law, by student race/ethnicity for academic year 1999-2000. The results are provided for each Texas public university and community or technical college and for the entire state.…

Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) students in grades 3 through 8 took the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) multiple-choice tests during the months of May and June of 2002. These tests are the basis of the accountability program referred to as ABCs, Accountability, Basics, and Control. WCPSS EOG multiple-choice results for 2001-2002 show…