Traditionally Australian primary school teachers have been viewed as generalists responsible for instruction across all content areas. Adopting self-determination theory as a lens, the aim of the study was to explore the extent to which generalist primary school teachers are interested in becoming subject matter specialists. Questionnaire data…

Despite common conceptions, evidence on whether No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has had adverse effects for low achieving students is mixed. We hypothesize that the incentive to shift attention away from the lowest achieving students increases with the rigor of state standards. Using panel data from students in North Carolina, we exploit two natural…

We examined whether the General Factor of Personality (GFP) is related to the "g" factor of cognitive ability using data from the Vietnam Experience Study which randomly sampled 4462 Vietnam War veterans from a total sample of about five million Vietnam era army veterans. Exclusionary criteria included passing a fitness test, achieving a…

This article examines how international differences in age-grade distributions and grade effects contribute to science scores among 27 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. As shown in the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment, countries vary substantially in the grade distribution of 15-year-olds. The costs…

We tested the hypothesis that highly structured course designs, which implement reading quizzes and/or extensive in-class active-learning activities and weekly practice exams, can lower failure rates in an introductory biology course for majors, compared with low-structure course designs that are based on lecturing and a few high-risk assessments.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Accelerated Math utilization on students' grade equivalency scores. Twelve students for both experimental and control groups were randomly selected from 37 students enrolled in math in grades four through six. The experimental group consisted of the students who actively participated in…

Examines the use of grade versus goal level reading material on curriculum-based measurement (CBM) progress-monitoring procedures. Students were administered CBM reading passage probes from both grade and goal level material. Rate of progress was indexed in each level of materials. Results indicate that the amount of progress observed varied as a…

Compared the observation of children's growth in reading using grade equivalents with that using the Rasch simultaneous vertical equating procedure. Results from equating 25 reading tests show that grade equivalents differ more between two different test forms than do ability measures obtained from the Rasch simultaneous vertical equating. (SLD)

Limitations of grade and age equivalent scores in the educational assessment of handicapped students include unequal variance across content areas, grade and age groups, and encouragement of comparison with inappropriate groups. The author recommends the use of expanded scale scores. (Author/CL)

Empirical reliabilities of scores based on item-pattern scoring, using 3-parameter item-response theory and number-correct scoring, were compared within each of 5 score metrics for at least 900 elementary school students for 5 content areas. Average increases in reliability were produced by item-pattern scoring. (SLD)

When 74 sixth-grade special education students were tested on the fifth-and fourth-grade levels of the 1977 California Achievement Test, their scores dropped significantly, although converted to in-level norms. Test validity, measured by the number of students scoring at floor level, on the in-level versus below-level norms, was subtest dependent.…

Investigated scoring agreement among three different training levels of Visual Motor Integration Test (VMI) diagnosticians. Correlational data demonstrated high interexaminer reliabilities; however, there were gross errors in precision after raw scores had been converted into VMI age equivalent scores. (Author/RC)

Rescales DRP-Difficulty (Degrees of Reading Power) into grade equivalent (GE) units using the estimated difficulty level values obtained from the Rauding Scale. Finds the revised scale is accurate to within one graded level for lower grade materials and to within two grade levels for upper grade materials. (MM)

A test of mental arithmetic skills was developed and normed for children in grades one to six. Statistical techniques were used to predict the probability correct for each item and to rank order the items. Students in a given grade took only one level of the test and inferences were made of their performance on those tests which they did not take.…

The Peabody Individual Achievement Test was factor analyzed at five grade levels. Subtests composing each factor changed from the lower to upper grade levels, but abilities measured by each factor appeared constant. A close similarity between the two factors and Cattell's concept of fluid and crystallized intelligence was noted. (Author)