The purposes of this study are twofold. First, to investigate the construct or factorial structure of a set of Reading and Mathematics computerized adaptive tests (CAT), "Measures of Academic Progress" (MAP), given in different states at different grades and academic terms. The second purpose is to investigate the invariance of test…

Kentucky's accountability system includes a school-processes audit known as Standards and Indicators for School Improvement (SISI), which is in a nascent stage of validation. Content validity methods include comparison to instruments measuring similar constructs as well as other techniques such as job analysis. This study used a two-phase process…

Most validity studies of ISLLC standards and indicators rely heavily on focus groups and perceptual surveys. This study included self-report and observational data on principals' use of time. A content analysis tested ISLLC's descriptions of instructional leadership with a related set of Kentucky's Standards and Indicators for School Improvement…

How state educational authorities in Kentucky use statewide test data to rank the state's 178 school districts was studied, using data from the "Kentucky Essential Skills Test: Statewide Testing Results" (1987). The methods used, means of refining those methods, the fairness/accuracy/validity of resulting interpretations, and problems…

Use of the School Climate and Context Inventory (SCCI) as a measure of school climate was investigated. The SCCI had previously been used as a measure of climate in a study of six rural high schools in Kentucky and Tennessee; in the current study, the SCCI was administered to 20 faculty members from each school. Split-half correlation and…

Educational refinement is defined as attempts to improve education through incremental improvements in the existing structure, while educational reform refers to change in the structure itself. A strong move is underway to reform education in the United States. It is argued that the development of assessments in support of educational reform…

The validity of various procedures for rank ordering school districts throughout a state on the basis of statewide test results was studied. Data were drawn from the 1987 administration of the Kentucky Essential Skills Test (KEST), which is given each spring to all children enrolled in public school grades kindergarten through 12 in 178 school…