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…

The use of standardized achievement tests as the primary criterion measures in the evaluation of basic skills programs has been criticized. In a comparative study of three types of tests, this article examines the major issue behind this criticism. (Author/JAZ)

A series of analyses based on a longitudinal study of reading achievement in Chicago (Illinois) illustrate that the conclusions drawn about academic growth and the decisions about types of interventions needed may be very sensitive to the metric that is used (i.e., grade equivalents or item response theory metrics). (SLD)