A systematic analysis of student assessment data from Maine and Kentucky, using National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data and state and local assessment results, was conducted to address issues of measurement and attribution involved in evaluating systemic school reform. This paper (1) examines ways to cope with the challenges of…

Recent reports of high levels of achievement on the Regents examinations in New York state and relatively poor showing on the eighth grade examinations have led many to speculate that the eighth grade examinations lack good predictive properties with respect to the Regents examinations. There are many problems with arriving at such a conclusion,…

The Texas Education Code required the commissioner of education to conduct a study to determine the need to expand the assessment system to include the assessment in grades 7 and 8 of limited English proficient (LEP) students whose primary language is Spanish and other students of limited English proficiency. This report presents the research…

This study explored questions about whether there is a positive or negative relationship between student computer use and achievement, and whether the result vary by the amount of school or home computer use. Findings from the Idaho Statewide Testing Program for 31,000 students from more than 300 schools show that in general there is an inverse…

The purpose of this document is to provide practical guidance and support for the design, development, and implementation of large-scale assessment systems that are grounded in research and best practice. Information is included about existing large-scale testing efforts, including national testing programs, state testing programs, and…

Results from a national survey of teachers are reported for five types of state testing programs, those with: (1) high stakes for districts, schools, or teachers, and students; (2) high stakes for districts, schools, and teachers, and moderate stakes for students; (3) high stakes for districts, schools, and teachers, and low stakes for students;…

This report is intended to help parents understand the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) and the reports it generates. The tests of the DSTP are tied to the Delaware content standards that define the knowledge and skills required for students to succeed beyond high school. In spring 2001, the DSTP reading, writing, and mathematics tests were…

The effect of grade span configuration (grouping of grades in schools) and school-to-school transition on student achievement was investigated. The Michigan Education Assessment Program test was used to collect data on the passing rate of students in 232 schools in a large urban inner city school district in the midwest. The results indicate that…

This report contains summaries of the results from the third administration of the fourth and sixth grade science and social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). These results are part of a long-term effort to gather data on the educational progress of Delaware students and to use the data to inform decisions about…

This paper describes the approach to consolidating multiple measures of student achievement used by the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in the 1997-1998 reporting cycle. Beginning in 1996-1997, all California schools that served Title I students or were involved in the state's Coordinated Compliance Review process were required to…

The Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) is New Jersey's test for fourth graders. It is designed to give the school information about how well students are achieving in the areas required by New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards. This guide offers parents and students information about the ESPA. Parent information, which is…

This report responds to a request for information about the quality of the tests the City University of New York (CUNY) uses to decide who must take remedial courses and a profile of CUNY freshmen. Roughly 65% of CUNY bachelor's degree students and nearly 90% of associate degree students are required to take remedial courses in reading, writing,…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between a high school student's score on the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP) and the same student's score on the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) in the area of mathematics. Student test scores were secured from 182 students at a middle Georgia high school…

The North Carolina Writing Assessment, which is part of the state's End-of-Grade testing program, requires students in grades 4 and 7 to write essays in response to a standardized prompt. This report contains results for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). Fourth grade writing assessment scores across North Carolina rose in 1999, and in…

This report presents a description of state policies regarding the participation of English language learners (ELLs) in statewide assessment programs during the 1998-1999 school year. The data collected included descriptions of policies: (1) for the inclusion and exemption of ELLs; (2) regarding the allowance or prohibition of accommodations in…