High school graduation is "not yet a reliable indicator of college readiness", (Gaertner & McClarty, 2015, p2). As such, researchers are investigating the use of non-cognitive factors as predictors of College and Career Readiness (CCR). The College and Career Readiness Mathematical Practice Scale (CCRMS) was designed to measure…

The aim of the research reported here was to get some idea of the accuracy of grade boundaries (cut-scores) obtained by applying the 'similar items method' described in Bramley & Wilson (2016). In this method experts identify items on the current version of a test that are sufficiently similar to items on previous versions for them to be…

This paper describes the feedback included in operational achievement level setting (ALS) procedures for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It does not describe the feedback form field trials, pilot studies, or other research studies related to the NAEP. The NAEP ALS process includes three rounds of item-by-item ratings, and…

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…

Kentucky's school reform accountability goal of each school reaching an academic measure of "proficiency" by 2014 illuminated the findings in recent statewide reading test scores: 44.30% of middle and 71.25% of high school students scored below "proficient." The research question for this exploratory, descriptive study was,…

A study was undertaken to design and implement an experimental instrument for testing the influence of the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) film rating system on movie attendance. Sixty-five high school students were given synopses of four different fictional films, each of which had been assigned an MPAA rating of G (approved for…

This paper describes the processes that one school district, the Visalia Unified School District (California), went through in establishing a standards-based assessment and accountability system using multiple methods. First the district's standards-based assessment and accountability system and the methods used to establish it are described, and…

Field trials were conducted to test rating methods and the impact of feedback about consequences for the 1998 achievement levels-setting (ALS) process for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The field trials provided the opportunity to try out different methods similar to those used successfully by others, as well as to try out…

This paper discusses recent Illinois legislation related to education reform and some collaborative approaches being used to impact public policy. It shares implementation updates regarding the rules and regulations attached to the legislation and how these changes could impact educational excellence, equity, and accountability in the 21st…

Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) became mandatory for all states in mathematics and reading for grades four and eight. Under NCLB the stated role and purpose of collecting achievement data from states varies from being a "discussion tool" to a…

The national survey of teacher certification directors was designed to assess the status of state legislation mandating services for children from birth to age 5 and to assess the progress of state education agencies in developing certification standards for teachers of the preschool handicapped. Among findings were that only 16% of all states…

The relation between revenues from motion pictures and the picture ratings (G, PG, R, X) by the Motion Picture Association of America was examined. Successful films were those listed by "Variety" magazine as the top revenue producers for the given year. Data were collected for the years 1969-1979. The analysis showed that years in which…

Florida's Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is preparing all children for success in the mathematics and science, technology-dependent 21st century. Ongoing National Science Foundation funding catalyzed substantial changes in the systemic reform movement of mathematics and science education from 1994-99. The Miami-Dade USI produced…

The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) study describes either 3- or 4-year trends in average campus-level passing rates on TAAS at all grade levels. It discusses student, teacher, campus, and district characteristics as they may relate to student success on TAAS by looking at data for students in grades 4, 8, and 10 for four consecutive…

A set of career cluster standards was developed for the school-to-careers division of a large urban school district that is moving toward a career academy model for high school education. The process used to develop the standard was based on a standards development model consisting of the following stages: synthesis; collection of input; and…