Objectives: A team of education researchers is leading a three-year project to develop and implement an online system for reporting and research on state student assessment policies across all states (Indicator 12). Theoretical Framework In the past five years as more rigorous standards have been adopted by many states, a key issue for state…

Previous studies have shown that environmental influences on school science performance increase in importance from primary to secondary school. Here we assess for the first time the relationship between the science-learning environment and science performance using a genetically sensitive approach to investigate the aetiology of this link. 3000…

In this article I advocate for a new discussion in the field of international large-scale assessments; one that calls for a reexamination of international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) and their use. Expanding on the high-quality work in this special issue I focus on three inherent limitations to international large-scale assessments noted by…

Multiple studies have studied and hinted towards different flaws in teaching and learning: limited resources (Dahar & Faize, 2011; EdQual, 2007; Naseer-ul-Din, Iqbal, Khaleeq, & Rehman, 2010; Soomro, 2009); low/poor quality teaching and teachers and lack of proper professional teaching standards/accreditation (Government of Pakistan,…

The present paper aims to discuss how data from international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) can be utilized and combined, even with other existing data sources, in order to monitor educational outcomes and study the effectiveness of educational systems. We consider different purposes of linking data, namely, extending outcomes measures,…

This study aims to identify the effects of STEM training on the academic achievement of 4th graders in science and mathematics, as well as their views about STEM training. The study group consisted of 4th graders with similar science and mathematics achievement levels from two separate elementary schools with similar socioeconomic profiles in…

Research shows that there is a shortage of effective teachers in many rural and urban K-12 public schools serving the highest proportions of high-poverty students across the United States. In the past 10 years, alternative route teacher preparation programs aiming to address this shortage proliferated across the United States. These programs seek…

Each country's education system is intricate and unique, underpinned with different policies and priorities. International Large Scale Assessments (ILSAs) provide valuable insights into how a country's education system is performing. These studies gather in-depth contextual information about systems, schools, teachers and students; and explore the…

The Houston Independent School District offers two primary bilingual programs for Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs). In the Transitional Bilingual program (TBP), students may move into a pre-exit phase of bilingual education so long as they meet certain performance criteria. In this Pre-Exit phase, predominantly English-language instruction…

Assessing the achievement of students in elementary and secondary schools and the nation's educational progress is fundamental to informing education policy approaches. Congressional interest in this area includes and extends beyond the annual assessments administered by states to comply with the educational accountability requirements of Title…

"Transforming Science Assessment: Systems for Innovation," is a series of resources designed to provide state education leaders with: (1) Information about how states are currently pursuing statewide assessment systems in science; (2) Analyses of what features influence different approaches, with an eye to supporting state leaders as…

In her 1938 epistolary novel and educational treatise, "Three Guineas," Virginia Woolf discusses "freedom from unreal loyalties" as key to educating for peace rather than for war, as was the concern in Woolf's time and remarkably remains of serious concern seventy-odd years later. This essay analyzes how modern-day, post-9/11…

Many education initiatives in science and technology education aim to create enthusiasm among young people to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Research suggests that personal interaction between secondary school students and scientists could be a success factor, but there is a need for more in-depth…

In recent science education, experimentation features ever more strongly as a method of inquiry in science classes rather than as a means to illustrate phenomena. Ideas and materials to teach inquiry abound. Yet, tools for assessing students' achievement in their processes of experimentation are lacking. The present study assumes a basal,…

The nature of classroom learning environments created by teachers had been considered very important for learning to take place effectively. This study investigated the effect of creating constructivist and transmissive learning environments on achievements of science students of different ability levels. 243 students formed the entire study…