Studied the impact of experience scoring the Maryland School Performance Assessment tasks on teachers' instructional and classroom assessment practice. Interview data, questionnaires, classroom observation, and classroom artifacts from approximately 5 teacher-scorers demonstrated that teachers' appropriation of performance-based instruction may be…

The Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation (DEME) of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, India prepared a scheme of assessment for primary classes based on the concept of continuous and comprehensive evaluation. This scheme was finalized by an expert group before actual tryout. Primary…

Science teachers nationwide share many of the same aspirations and challenges, such as the increasing pressure to improve students' test scores. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires each state to create academic standards and proficiency levels in math, reading, and science that all students must meet by 2014. A testing program to assess…

This paper discusses whether music educators should push for national testing of music students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) did test music students in 1997. Even though the results of that test did not indicate students were very accomplished, there was a general feeling that at least NAEP and the nation recognized…

The findings from a study of 117 students support the view of educators who rely on the NLN achievement test scores to predict student performance in State board examinations. (Author/BP)

Twenty-five sophomore students recommended by their school principal or counselor participated in a pilot educational program designed to be appropriate to the interests and needs of potential high school male dropouts. Test scores, inventories, student records, office files, and employment analyses of the participants were examined to determine…

Describes a program in which student promotion is based on achievement. Standardized test scores have risen as a result of the program. (IRT)

The issue of high standards and high expectations for public school students has even reached the kindergarten level of instruction. The paper suggests that the informal readiness approach can be used with a more formal curriculum in order to prepare students for state mandated testing to ensure readiness for first grade. Many educators believe…

This paper uses data collected through focus group interviews over two years to explore the relationship between teachers and tests. In the first year of data collection, two focus groups were organized; one group was composed of 7 elementary school teachers and counselors and the other group was composed of 12 high school teachers. The…

This publication presents guidelines for parents and educators in making appropriate decisions about participation in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MACS) tests for students with disabilities, and it describes commonly used test accommodations. State law requires the participation in MCAS of all students who are educated with…

This year marks the seventh edition of the "Summary of State Student Assessment Programs" (SSAP) and the third year that the Council of Chief State School Officers has conducted the survey on which the summary is based on its own. The survey summarizes what is happening in statewide assessment programs and provides information on trends…

Drawing on the collective experience of the researchers, their work with teachers and principals, and their previous research in urban schools where students are predominantly Mexican American, this essay outlines the ways in which the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) harms the educational quality and opportunity of minority,…

This study investigated school-level benefits of using the PLAN program over time. Outcome variables included the average gain in ACT Assessment scores, the proportion of students whose ACT scores achieved college readiness benchmarks, and the proportion of students who took particular patterns of college preparatory coursework in high school.…

Offers a preliminary assessment of the new Arizona Student Assessment Program (ASAP). Uses James Squire's model for analyzing reading and writing processes to analyze how well the tests assess reading processes. Includes some sample ASAP forms. Finds that the problems are minor in terms of evaluating the overall effectiveness of the new…

A case study of centralized provincial testing in Alberta (Canada) shows that teachers can retain their assessment skills and responsibility, and so do not necessarily undergo "deskilling" in the implementation of centralized testing. The teachers appear to have undergone an ideological proletarianization, with considerable technical…