The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program is a private school voucher program that provides state-funded vouchers worth up to $4,200 to eligible students entering kindergarten through 12th grade. Because the public and private school sectors administer different assessments, we recruited approximately 700 students to take a common,…

Independent schools are, for the most part, exempt from mandatory participation in standardized tests designed for state and federal comparisons, nor are they required to take part in comparative international assessments. The anxiety in the broader culture, however, is driving a growing interest among independent school parents (and prospective…

Many schools begin implementing wireless technology slowly by creating wireless "hotspots" on the fly. This is accomplished by putting a wireless access point on a cart along with a set of wireless laptop computers. A teacher can then wheel the cart anywhere in the school that has a network drop, plug the access point in and have an…

Adopting a new series of tests can raise student test scores. Scores can also be inflated by ensuring certain students do not take specific tests or by not counting some scores. Dramatic rises in standardized scores are likely to be accompanied by skepticism. (MD)

The purpose of this handbook is to acquaint principals and teachers with the California Achievement Tests, mandated by the Maryland State Department of Education. Reports of the test results are also discussed. The first chapter describes the test and provides examples of question formats. A table of the objectives measured is also included. The…

The Atlanta Public Schools administers a systemwide achievement testing program annually to assess the academic progress of students enrolled in kindergarten through the eleventh grades. The California Achievement Tests (CAT) were adopted in 1980 for that purpose. The results of the 1983 administration of the CAT are reported in this document. A…

Basic skills achievement test results of pupils in the Philadelphia School District, based upon the February 1979 Philadelphia City-Wide Testing Program involving kindergarten through grade 12, are reported. The city and district performance distributions show the combined percentages of pupils in scoring within various national percentile rank…

The Atlanta Public Schools administer a systemwide achievement testing program annually to assess the academic progress of students enrolled in kindergarten through the eleventh grades. The 1981 administration of the California Achievement Tests revealed evidence that test-level assignments have improved. The regular education students were tested…

Higher elementary student scores on standardized tests do not mean educational improvement. Scores can be affected by teaching "to" the test, coaching on test taking, and skewed norms. Test scores have been declining at the secondary level. Included is a discussion of secondary tests. (MD)

The results are presented of district-wide standardized testing in the Irving (Texas) Independent School District for the 1985-86 school year. This was the first year in which the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) was implemented. It was administered to students in odd-numbered grades, whereas all other students took the…

This report summarizes test score information on a city-wide, regional, and school-by-school basis for staff and community review of pupil progress in reading and mathematics achievements, Primary Unit through grade 11. The data were obtained in the 1979-80 school year. Norm- and criterion-referenced tests were used. The intent of the report is to…

Comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the reading portions of the California Achievement Tests. (JT)

Five new test batteries are reviewed: California Achievement Tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, SRA Achievement Series, and Sequential Tests of Educational Progress. The review covers six basic areas: test administration, norming, test scores, reporting and interpretation, aptitude test considerations, and general…

Through the Section 41, State Bilingual Education program and the E.C.I.A. Chapter 1, Migrant Education program, Saginaw public schools provide supplemental instruction and specialized services in 24 elementary and 6 secondary schools. In 1990-91, the bilingual program served 773 students, mostly Hispanic and some Laotian, while the migrant…

Matches between questions in the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System for 1995-96 (KIRIS96), the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Fourth Edition (CTBS4), and the California Achievement Tests, Fifth Edition (CAT5) and the Kentucky Academic Expectations as they are defined in the Kentucky curriculum framework were studied. Each…