Tens of thousands of students in the Houston area switched schools during the school year annually. In moving from one school to another, students often experienced disruptions to their education. This study examined what this mobility meant for students' performance on state accountability tests, high school grade retention, high school dropout,…

This paper provides information about Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (2) Provide data to state policymakers on student attainment of state education goals to inform education policy decisions; (2) Increase alignment of local…

With the recent increase in accountability due to No Child Left Behind, graduation rates and drop-out rates are important indicators of how well a school district is performing. High-stakes testing scores are at the forefront of a school's success and recognition as a school that is preparing and graduating students to meet society's challenging…

For 21 years the Annual Condition of Education Report has helped the Iowa Department of Education meet its goal, providing valuable information on everything from enrollment to student performance, from the teachers to finances to the demographics. The data for this annual report are presented according to: (1) Background Demographics; (2)…

The General Educational Development (GED) credential is issued on the basis of an eight hour subject-based test. The test claims to establish equivalence between dropouts and traditional high school graduates, opening the door to college and positions in the labor market. In 2008 alone, almost 500,000 dropouts passed the test, amounting to 12% of…

The purpose of this report is to identify the most prominent issues in U.S. higher education and to develop strategic research plans to address the issues that are most relevant to ETS's capabilities in measurement and assessment through the ETS's higher education research initiative. In the United States, issues related to higher education such…

According to a new report by Linda Darling-Hammond and colleagues at Stanford University's School Redesign Network, state laws requiring students to pass an exit examination to obtain their high school diploma can harm students and schools. Evidence suggests that inflexible exit exam policies can reduce graduation rates (especially among minority…

Texas has apparently achieved great success in closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, at least in the lower grades. Texas students in all grades have made substantial gains on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The effect of TAAS-type accountability on student performance in the higher grades is important,…

This 16th "Annual Condition of Education Report" provides a wide range of demographics, statistics, and student achievement data to help Iowans better understand their public educational system. It includes all the information published earlier in the "State Report Card for No Child Left Behind," as well as a wide range of…