This study examined how high-stakes assessments and benchmark assessments impact the self-efficacy of 6th-grade students. The study took place during the 2018-2019 school year and surveyed students three times during the year. The first time was in September to obtain baseline data, a second time in October after students took the NWEA, and then a…

Self-perception of academic competence is a strong predictor of students' achievement striving. We examined adolescents' beliefs about their math teachers' perceptions of students (reflected classroom appraisals) and math track placement as subtle sources of information that might influence students' math self-concept. Sixth graders (n = 322; 72%…

Background/Context: There is broad agreement about the benefits of taking AP and/or IB courses in high school. Nonetheless, student access to such courses remains uneven and inequitable, due largely to the practice of tracking students by perceived "ability." These tracking practices are often defended based on the contention that…

As the effects of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and its ensuing mandates for compliance are felt in classrooms across the United States, the issues of high-stakes testing and rigorous benchmark paradigms are becoming a daily challenge for teachers. NCLB mandates rigorous testing for every child in grades 3-8 in reading and math. Children…