The 2017 NAPLAN results were followed by political and media attention focusing on a decline in achievement in writing. This article analyses NAPLAN data to identify the locus of the decline. Contrary to media reports in which it was suggested Year 3 was problematic, the article systematically compares NAPLAN results between 2011 and 2017 to…

District-level leadership often has been perceived as irrelevant to educational reform. This study compared district political and apolitical board and superintendent turnover to student performance change on the state criterion-referenced test. Results included student test score decline as board turnover increased, particularly in smaller…

This study of 139 K-12 Milwaukee public schools examines the effect of building condition on student test scores compared to other influences such as family background, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, attendance, and student discipline. The study analyzed performance on the Wisconsin Student Assessment System Mathematics, Science, Language,…

Many Americans share the belief that public education is in crisis; however, a number of researchers have challenged that assumption. This document examines what research reveals about public education in the United States and its students. Further, it distinguishes the areas in which education can affect children from the areas that lie beyond…

In 1989, North Carolina's scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) were the lowest in the nation, with a total score of 836 for North Carolina compared to 903 for the nation. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction developed a five-point plan to address this situation. The SAT results for 1990 show an increase for North Carolina to an…