This is a research brief of a longer report, also published as "Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language Summary Report, 2009-2010". Twenty-nine percent of students enrolled in Austin Independent School District were English language learners in 2009-2010. The majority of them (62%) continued to make progress in English…

The "Science Assessment and Item Specifications for the 2009 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)" (the "Specifications") translates the "Science Framework for the 2009 NAEP" (the "Framework") into guidelines for developing items and for developing the assessment as a whole. The primary purpose of the "Specifications" is to provide…

This paper reports research into the effect on 11-year-old pupils of introducing more cognitively challenging, practical, and interactive science lessons. Our hypothesis was that such lessons would increase the children's enthusiasm for science and their engagement with the scientific process, thereby improving educational performance. Schools in…

The Swedish school system comprises: (1) Pre-primary school (Forskola), typical age 1-5; (2) Preschool class in the compulsory school (Grundskola) typical age 6 (participation voluntary); (3) Compulsory school, typical age 7-16, grades 1-9, and (4) Upper secondary school, 17 programmes (4 mainly academic, 13 vocational), typical age 16-19, grades…

The difficulty of 44 items from the life sciences subscale of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1985-86 science assessment was analyzed in terms of item attributes and science educators' judgments of difficulty. The attributes included ratings of various characteristics of the items' text and option set, the items' cognitive…

A recently completed landmark study of mathematics and science education in more than 40 countries gathered information that can help address questions about why students in one country do better than students in another. Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) will be released beginning in the fall of 1996…

In the last few years, numerous reports have pointed to the overall lower achievement of American students in science, particularly in the physical sciences, when compared to American students of the last two decades and to students from other countries. While there is reason to believe that American elementary school children are taught less…

This report describes the June 1992 assessment of the Biologie 200 curriculum in schools in Manitoba, Canada. It contains a description and analysis of the test results and the teacher survey. The report also includes recommendations on ways to improve the Biologie 200 curriculum and how it is taught in the French Immersion program and…

The 32 tests cited in this bibliography are used to assess students' scientific achievement and knowledge. Many of the tests described focus solely on biology; some cover broader ares of science and include questions measuring knowledge of a biological science. These tests are primarily designed for grades seven and above, including adult-level.…

Most of the 30 tests cited in this bibliography are those of the American Chemical Society. Subjects covered include physical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and other specialized areas. The tests are designed only for advanced high school, and both bachelor/graduate degree levels of college students. This…

The use of paper and pencil, videotape recordings, and microcomputers in student testing provide three very different views of student achievement. Paper and pencil tests can record how students compose tests and documents, and how they critique documents or performances. Video recordings can record how students explain ideas, answer questions,…

Prior research suggests that the traditionally difficult academic subject matter, such as mathematics or the natural sciences, may evoke greater levels of evaluative (test) anxiety than curricular areas with easier content. These higher levels of anxiety may contribute to poor performance in mathematics and science courses. College freshmen's…

The predictive and incremental validity of the New Medical College Admission Test (New MCAT) Science Problems Subtest was examined with a sample of over 165 medical students. Criterion measures were National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I (basic science) and Part II (clinical science) performance. The Science Problems subscore is derived…

This bulletin provides a general description of Alberta's Grade 6 Science Achievement Test which was taken in June 1986. Discussed in this document are: (1) the purpose of the testing program; (2) the nature of the program; (3) students tested (addressing concerns related to exceptions and instruction); (4) administrative regulations; (5)…