The purpose of this study was to gauge the degree to which selected NWEA MAP Growth assessments are aligned to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and the extent to which MAP Growth reports can be used by school divisions to gauge student achievement relative to grade level and to identify learning gaps. The study was delimited to four MAP…

The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition (GARS-3) is a norm-referenced tool designed to screen for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in individuals between the ages of 3 and 22 (Gilliam, 2014). The GARS-3 test kit consists of three different components and includes an "Examiner's Manual," summary/response forms (50), and the…

Although a growing body of literature indicates that high-quality preschool and/or prekindergarten programs can improve child outcomes, research evidence suggests that some children may continue to exhibit academic difficulties. While there appears to be overwhelming evidence supporting the effectiveness of performance feedback for improving…

In Oman and elsewhere in Arab countries school professionals rely on measures that were developed in Western countries. Measures that assess adaptive behaviour (AB) that have been developed in Western cultures are argued to be culturally bound. Nevertheless, these measures are used elsewhere despite a paucity of data that examine their…

Both theory and research support the use of group activities to aid student learning. However, some students are reluctant to learn with peers for fear that the peers will gain more. The article attempts to address this fear. This article provides educators with explanations to give their students as to why, even in norm referenced assessment…

This review critiques the highly-praised and influential 2001 study, "Getting Tough? The Impact of High School Graduation Exams," which concluded that "minimum competency," or high school "graduation exams," had no effect on student achievement. The review compares the test classifications of "Getting…

Within the Canadian context, the two major learning disability classification systems are arguably the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" and the Learning Disabilities Association (LDAC) of Canada's "Official Definition of Learning Disabilities." Several of the more…

Purpose: Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers (i.e., stakeholders) have vested interests in children's language growth yet currently do not have empirically driven methods for measuring such outcomes. The present study established language benchmarks for children with typically developing language (TDL) and children with language…

The purpose of this study was to critically examine the absolute grading system applied to the English section of South Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), in a departure from a relative grading system, for the first time in 2017. English language instructors as well as English education researchers have somewhat differing…

Language impairment often goes unidentified in students with behavioral disorders, perhaps in part because different forms of problem behavior deflect adult attention from more subtle language deficits. Therefore, attention to teachers' perception of students' language and behavioral performance is merited. The present study examines agreement…

Thorndike (1969) proposed a three P theory of faculty grading orientations (FGOs) -- "perfection", "peers", and "potential", also known as Criterion-, Norm, and Self-referenced FGOs in the literature. Using data from a 2014 faculty survey I examined the responses of 1,742 faculty at 18 four-year, primarily teaching…

Increasing numbers of states have incorporated measures of students' academic growth into their data and accountability policies. Measuring growth is a statistically complicated task and complex growth measures can be easy to misinterpret. This paper reports on a survey of 317 Massachusetts principals' understanding of the Student Growth…

It is widely accepted that children in Scotland, as in other high-income countries, are not engaging in sufficient moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), the consequences of which can be adverse for health and wellbeing. In this paper, it is contended that active play (a form of gross motor or total body movement in which…

Several standardized and validated information literacy (IL) tests have been developed for use in U.S. post-secondary contexts, but fewer choices exist for schools outside of the U.S. In an earlier study (Cowan, Graham, & Eva, 2016) the authors explored IL testing at a Canadian university using the international version of the SAILS Cohort…

Many programs utilize digital portfolios for students to archive assignments. This manuscript highlights how one counselor education program implemented digital portfolios as a means for fostering student reflection, and subsequently evolved the portfolios towards satisfying both comprehensive exam and student employment goals. The author…