In Kentucky, high stakes assessment of schools and school districts resulting from the state's educational reform initiative raises the issue of fairness. Should educational officials and teachers be held accountable for student performance despite vast differences in the socioeconomic conditions of the surrounding communities when extensive…

This report provides a summary for the years 1993 through 1997 of district and school-level results in Washington on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, fourth edition (CTBS/4) for grades 4 and 8 and the Curriculum Frameworks Assessment System (CFAS) for grade 11. For grades 4 and 8, the average national percentile scores in reading,…

A brief description is presented of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT), its content, and its use. The SweSAT has been used for college admission in Sweden since 1977. Some related research activities, including studies of sex differences, dimensionality, and effects of test coaching, are described. (SLD)

The Multilevel Assessment Program tests for urban schools are conducted annually across Australia's Northern Territory in reading and mathematics. The program allows performance to be monitored at the system level for Years 5 and 7. Results show that, in terms of system performance on the link questions, there was no difference between 1992 and…

Results from the various student testing programs of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) are summarized for 1991-92. Some 23,000 students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 took the criterion-referenced Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) in October of 1991. The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS), required…

Province-wide results from the Diploma Examinations Program of the Alberta (Canada) schools are presented for the three examinations of the entire 1991-92 school year (January, June, and August). The annual report also provides summaries of results by gender, for population subgroups, and for achievement-over-time studies. School marks,…

This document provides information on student performance at the state, regional, and school system levels on end-of-grade multiple choice tests for grades 3 through 8 in reading and mathematics and the end-of-course multiple choice tests administered in high school subjects in 1996-97 as part of the North Carolina Testing Program. The figures and…

This document presents 10 papers concerning the 1990 Trial State Assessment, which was restricted to the eighth-grade public school population in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and 2 U.S. territories. The following are the papers: (1) "A Critique of Sampling in the 1990 Trial State Assessment" (Bruce D. Spencer); (2)…

Results of Nevada students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 11 on tests of the Nevada Proficiency Examination Program are presented for the 1987-88 school year. Examinations prescribed for grades 3 and 6 in mathematics, reading, and language are the appropriate Stanford Achievement Tests. Tests mandated for grade 9 are the Science Research Associates'…

This special report on the assessment of French immersion students in Alberta focuses on critical issues and methodological problems with testing methods. After an introduction, the second section gives an overview of these issues and problems. Issues discussed include the following: whether students instructed in French immersion programs should…

Results from North Carolina's End-of-Course Testing Program in 1989-90 are presented. Participation, student characteristics, and achievement are summarized, largely in table form, for the following subject areas: (1) Algebra I, (2) Geometry, (3) Algebra II, (4) Biology, (5) Chemistry, (6) Physics, (7) U.S. History, and (8) English I. Background…

A study of fall 1984 College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) examinees was undertaken at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to examine the interrelationships among CLAST scores, the number of English courses taken, grades received, and basic skills in reading and writing prior to completion of the required English sequence. The study revealed…

Results are summarized for the Austin, Texas, Independent School District (AISD) achievement testing program during the 1984-85 year. The data are presented to compare AISD results to national and urban averages. The performance of AISD students on other tests is presented, as well as two-year and six-year trends. Both percentile and grade…

In response to state mandates, the Hawaii Department of Education (HDE) began reporting on the current achievement status and progress of students scoring in the lowest three stanines of the Stanford Achievement Tests (SAT). The Longitudinal Student Achievement Monitoring (LSAM) process is described and evaluated; it was established to monitor low…

A review of the significant research on gender differences in test performance is provided, including studies documenting these differences and theories forwarded for the factors related to differential test performance. Research covered addresses undergraduate admissions tests, graduate and professional school admission tests, validity studies,…