This study was patterned after a previous study by Skaggs and Lissitz (1992) in which inconsistency of differential item functioning (DIF) was reported across test administrations. They suggested multidimensionality of test data as one possible reason for inconsistency. Therefore, in this study, DIF indices which were developed recently with a…

This report summarizes information about student achievement, student opportunity to learn in science and mathematics, and student variables relating to that achievement for elementary and secondary students in the state of Illinois. Five tests were used for the basis of this report: The Illinois Inventory of Educational Progress, the American…

Recently, several states have expressed interest in linking their statewide assessments to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the hope that, through equating, they can be compared to national results. This study considers the degree to which existing statewide assessments may be linked to NAEP, without violating the basic…

During the 1982-83 school year, the California Achievement Test (CAT) was administered to students attending Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) in grades 3,5,8 and 11. This report describes and displays the county-wide and school test results which are further broken down by racial/ethnic group and sex. An analysis of the data…

Results from the fall 1987 administration of the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery (CSAB) to 3,203 kindergarten and 4,415 first-grade students within the Charleston County (South Carolina) School District are presented. The CSAB is an individually administered readiness test that comprises a hybrid of aptitude tests, diagnostic tests, and…

Results are presented of the 1985-1986 administration of the California Achievement Tests (CAT) in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. Each fall, the battery is given to grades three, five, and eight under a state mandate, and to grade eleven under a local mandate. Overall student performance improved slightly in 1985 from the already…

This analysis of the findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1996 for North Carolina documents the state's substantial and sustained gains in educational achievement since 1990. The education reforms of the 1980s are beginning to pay off in North Carolina. It has moved from its historic position at the bottom of all…

Key findings based on data from the Second International Science Study for 19,036 third, fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth graders in Sweden are discussed. Findings concerning achievement, attitudes, gender differences, future education, and career choices indicate that science achievement is increasing, and gender differences…

The Grade 12 Diploma Examinations Program of the Alberta (Canada) schools has three main purposes: to certify the level of individual student achievement in selected grade-12 courses; to ensure that province-wide standards of achievement are maintained; and to report individual and group results. Eight grade-12 courses have diploma examinations…

The results of the May 1984 British Columbia Reading Assessment were presented in this summary report. Highlights of the survey, summary tables of important results, and conclusions and recommendations made by the Contract Team were outlined. The students in grades four, seven, and ten completed achievement surveys and attitude scales. Five…

As part of its academic testing program and the evaluation of academic achievement, the Des Moines (Iowa) Public School System administers two standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests. These are the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED). This document provides information regarding…

This report briefly describes the tests, subtests, test scores, and reports that fulfill the requirements of Arizona state legislation regarding educational accountability. It summarizes the fall 1994 Arizona statewide results by grade and across grades. Discussions of student achievement strengths and weaknesses by grade level and demographic…

The paradox of site-based school management with use of standardized tests or instructional management systems that restrict teacher choices was evident in one school district in North Carolina in which measurement of student success has centered on student performance on state-mandated tests. A study was conducted to see if students whose…

Factors associated with an unusually high rate of failure on the July 1991 National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) were analyzed for nursing students at Angelo State University in San Angelo (Texas). Of the 111 nursing degree recipients who took the examination for the first time in July 1991, 18 (16.2%) failed.…

This study is based on data from a state-wide assessment that included both multiple-choice and constructed-response items. The intent of the study was to see whether item types make a difference in gender results. The items on both tests were categorized according to whether they assessed procedural knowledge, concepts, problem solving, or…