The purpose of this article is to provide evidence of the technical adequacy of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System--Third Edition (AEPS-3). The AEPS has long been identified as one of the most psychometrically sound early childhood curriculum-based assessments. In this article, results of three studies of technical adequacy are…

Students enrolled in public education schools in the State of Texas are required to participate in and secure passage of a norm-referenced state assessment in different grade levels and subject areas. The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is the norm-referenced assessment used for students in grades third through eighth, and…

In this quasi-experimental study, we assessed the promise of Word Generation, a research-based academic vocabulary program, on improving the reading achievement outcomes of struggling sixth-grade readers in an after-school small group instructional setting. After 34 hours of academic vocabulary instruction, we compared the performance of a…

Responding to federal policy and recent research, states and districts have developed and begun implementing multiple-measure teacher evaluation systems. These systems generally include observational and/or student survey measures of instructional quality alongside measures of teachers' contributions to student learning (e.g., value-added models…

The current study examined the predictive validity of oral reading fluency measures across first, second, and third grades for two reading achievement measures at the end of third grade. Oral reading fluency measures were administered to students from first grade to third. The "Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills" and the…

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a rapidly expanding network of public charter schools whose mission is to improve the education of low-income children. As of the 2012-2013 school year, 125 KIPP schools are in operation in 20 different states and the District of Columbia (DC). Ultimately, KIPP's goal is to prepare students to enroll and…

The purpose of the study was to examine four questions concerning English Language Learners (ELLs). First, does English Language Learner status impact math scores? Second, does immigrant status favorably contribute to math achievement? Third, what math achievement is possible in other countries where there is multilingualism or high immigrant…

Analyzing data from a large urban district in Texas, this study examines how high-stakes test exemptions alter officially reported scores and asks whether test exemption has implications for the academic achievement of special education students. Test exemption inflated overall passing rates but especially affected the passing rates of African…

In an attempt to gauge the effectiveness of their information literacy program, librarians at Stephen F. Austin State University began comparing average course grades in course sections that receive IL instruction to grades in sections that do not. The results varied, revealing no clear benefit to information literacy instruction. We discuss…

To address a public relations problem faced by a large urban public school district in Texas, we conducted action research that resulted in an audited self-monitoring system for high-stakes testing environments. The system monitors violations of testing protocols while identifying and disseminating best practices to improve the education of…

The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) study describes either 3- or 4-year trends in average campus-level passing rates on TAAS at all grade levels. It discusses student, teacher, campus, and district characteristics as they may relate to student success on TAAS by looking at data for students in grades 4, 8, and 10 for four consecutive…

This study was conducted to determine whether norm-referenced test data and Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) data from 1995 and 1999 showed similar gains in reading and mathematics achievement. TAAS data were collected from all students in Texas who were in the accountability subset of scores used for rating schools, approximately…

Student achievement in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas), as reflected by different achievement test scores, is reported for 1992-93. In this year, 14,114 students took the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS)in the fall, and 14,799 took the TAAS in the spring. In grades 1 and 2, 9,520 students took the Iowa Tests of…

Results of a survey using norm referenced tests of reading and mathematics for a large sample of sixth grade students throughout Texas are reported in detail. Statewide results are reported in terms of percentile ranks of average partial and total scores and in the percentage of students in each quarter of the norms. For each of 20 districts in…

A dual screening device for teacher preparation programs was mandated by the Texas legislature in 1981. The two requirements included passing an entrance examination upon application to a teacher education program, and passing a proficiency examination upon completion of the program. The state must produce competent, well-prepared teachers; train…