This paper contributes to a growing body of research on the increasing datafication of schooling, which has become a salient topic in comparative education and education policy research. Specifically, we address the rising scholarly concern about the meaning of (comparing) contexts as bounded localities facing an increasingly fluid and generative…

Trust in centralised high-stakes exams in Georgia has grown since 2005, when the introduction of nationwide standardised tests for university entry successfully eradicated the deep-rooted corruption in the admissions system. In 2011, another set of high-stakes exams were introduced for school graduation, resulting in a minimum of 12 exams for…

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented in this paper are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection and use of appropriate…

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented herein are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection and use of appropriate student…

Not much is known about the ways in which assessment data have actually been used in education policy to date. Understanding the role of assessments in informing system-level decision-making is a first step towards helping stakeholders improve the design and usefulness of assessments. Moreover, this understanding can help to further discussions…

Analyzed questions related to education from a statewide poll of citizens in Arkansas. Overall, views of Arkansans are roughly aligned with those of the United States as a whole. About half of the 775 respondents support school vouchers, most believe teacher pay raises should be related to student performance, and more than three-fifths believe…

Examines the appropriateness of using the ABC Inventory and the Developing Skills Checklists to identify or label kindergartners for special education assistance. Data were collected on 92 subjects, including participants in a special instructional assistance program and a comparison group. Findings indicate that using either test for identifying…

This brief considers the use of high-stakes testing. Much of the fanfare accompanying "get tough" policies for failing students and schools has tempered as policymakers begin to see the complexity of raising student achievement dramatically in a short period of time. Education assessment systems are improving, but they are not as good as…

Mandated testing is not working as advertised. Too much classroom time and energy is being spent on tests that do little to measure or instill in our students the skills and knowledge needed for their later life. Corruption and political manipulation of the testing process and test results further add to questions about the use of such testing.…

This paper addresses the controversy about use of "out-of-level" testing, the practice of assessing students (usually those with disabilities) with a lower-level version of a test. The controversy pits unintended instructional consequences against "accurately" measuring performance and avoiding student frustration. Introductory…

New Jersey Education Association policy regarding testing is presented. The policy recognizes the need of teachers, students, parents, and other decision-makers for continuous and comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis of student progress, but opposes the use of tests for denying opportunities, allocating school funds, evaluating teachers or…

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System is a damaging and dangerous "reform" with fundamental flaws: assumptions that all children undergo the same developmental process and that everyone requires the same knowledge to be successful; the fact that the guide and exams cover irrelevant material; and the idea that testing is…

Describes social trends that, since the 1960s, have spawned new forms and uses of standardized testing, including educational growth, shifts in the locus of school control, and politicization of education. Discusses the new state-mandated tests. Presents a set of propositions to guide understanding of the testing debate and controversy. (KH)

To improve students' standardized test performance, schools must organize their priorities to reinforce the message that student learning comes first--everything else is secondary. (Author/MLF)

This report is aimed at helping Congress: (1) better understand the functions, history, capabilities, limitations, uses, and misuses of educational tests; (2) learn more about the promises and pitfalls of new assessment methods and technologies; and (3) identify and weigh policy options affecting educational policy. To prepare this report, the…