The Jefferson County Schools (Colorado) are in the process of examining a district-wide testing program and selecting a new, standardized basic skills test. This paper describes the progress made to date. (LMO)

Describes New Jersey's coordinated, statewide higher education effort involving mandatory testing, remediation, and evaluation. Reviews the program's history; the role of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council (NJBSC); the Basic Skills Placement Test, which focuses on reading comprehension, sentence sense, math computation, and elementary algebra;…

This work presents a methodological critique and secondary analysis of a large scale societal experiment, performed by Kellaghan, that studied the educational and psychological effects of the introduction of standardized achievement/ability testing in elementary schools in Ireland. (Author/PN)

This study investigated what Virginia high school social studies teachers thought about the new Standards of Learning (SOL) mandates. The grounded theory ethnographic study collected data through interviews with five teachers, observations of social studies department meetings and classes, and school system and SOL program documents. Findings show…

This overview of the Alaska system for test development, scoring, and reporting explored differences and similarities between norm-referenced and standards-based tests. The current Alaska testing program is based on legislation passed in 1997 and 1998, and is designed to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Legislation. In…

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the positive consequences associated with high stakes test use and interpretation in Arizona were shared among all grade levels in the elementary school, not just the tested grades. In addition, a curriculum alignment variable was examined to observe its association with curricular…

Using achievement tests to hold students and schools accountable seems an obvious idea. Students come to school to learn. Tests show which students, in which schools, are meeting learning standards and which are not. Those students and schools that are falling short should be held accountable. Of course, the rationales for accountability testing…

The increased use of large-scale assessments to measure student achievement and school performance based on defined standards has had a profound impact on state board of education members and other state policymakers. Almost any decision that involves applying standards will, at some point, be unpopular. Everyone seems to be in favor of standards,…

This document is designed to show the connection between the required state-written curriculum (courses of study) and the state-tested curriculum (the Alabama High School Graduation Examination and the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition [Stanford 9]) in Mathematics. The document illustrates that courses of study content standards embody both…

This guide contains materials to help Delaware educators understand and use the reports from the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). The tests of the DSTP are tied to the Delaware content standards that define the knowledge and skills required for Delaware students to succeed beyond high school. In spring 2002, the annual administration of…

This study examined two major questions: do national and state assessments provide consistent information on the performance of state education systems, and what accounts for discrepancies between national and state assessment results if they are found? Data came from national and state assessments in grade 4 and grade 8 mathematics from 1992 to…

This guide contains materials to help teachers understand and use the reports from the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). In spring 1998, the Department of Education, in conjunction with Harcourt Educational Measurement, began its annual administration of the DSTP reading, writing, and mathematics tests for students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10…

This report is intended to help parents understand the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) and the reports generated by the testing program. In spring 1998, the Department of Education, in conjunction with Harcourt Educational Measurement, began its annual administration of the DSTP reading, writing, and mathematics tests for students in…

Almost every state has in place a state assessment and accountability system. These systems vary greatly in their characteristics but share a common global purpose of improving teaching and learning. Some of the variations in the state systems are discussed and illustrated with examples from selected states. Issues that are critical to the value…

This report presents the results of the West Virginia Statewide Assessment Program for 1999-2000. Student performance is reported for the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT-9), the state Writing Assessment, ACT EXPLORE, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Results of all these assessments indicate that West…