The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the impact of i-Ready Personalized Instruction that met Curriculum Associates' recommended usage levels on mathematics achievement, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) mathematics assessment. This study compared mathematics achievement growth of students who used…

The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the impact of i-Ready Personalized Instruction that met Curriculum Associates' recommended usage levels on ELA achievement, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) ELA assessment. This study compared the ELA achievement growth in the 2020-21 school year of students who…

The purpose of this study was to look at two testing accommodations (e.g., read aloud and calculator use) within an "educational" setting. Previous research regarding testing accommodations has most often been conducted within an experimental setting, and the results are conflicting. Therefore, this study was conducted to look at whether…

Out-of-school factors can significantly impact students' readiness to learn and thrive in school. Research confirms that larger social structures and contexts beyond the school are critical, accounting for up to two-thirds of the variance in student achievement (Coleman et al., 1966; Rothstein, 2010; Phillips, Brooks-Gunn, Duncan, Klebanov, &…

Patriot High School (PHS) adopted a remediation strategy to help its 10th-grade students at risk of failing the Math portion of MCAS, the state's end of year competency exam. The centerpiece of that strategy was a computer-based instructional (CBI) course. PHS used a commercially available CBI product to align the course content with the…

As more colleges move to "test optional" admissions policies, the debate over the utility and interpretation of standardized-test scores continues. In this article, the author interviews Daniel Koretz, a professor of education at Harvard University and author of "Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really Tells Us". Koretz…

This general achievement trends profile includes information that the Center on Education Policy (CEP) and the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) obtained from states from fall 2008 through April 2009. Included herein are: (1) Bullet points summarizing key findings about achievement trends in that state at three performance…

This guide explains results and other information contained in the "Test Item Analysis Report," the "School Report," and the "District Report" for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests for spring 1999. It is designed to help teachers, administrators, and parents understand the MCAS testing…

This guide explains results and other information in the "Test Item Analysis Report," the "School Report," and the "District Report" for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests for spring 2000. It is designed to help superintendents, principals, and other administrators as they review the…

The aim of this study was to look at the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) data for 10th graders from 1998 and investigate whether these differences were significant when using the mathematics and science achievement scores. In addition, the variables of socioeconomic status, gender, and types of courses taken in mathematics and…

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…