This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of self-efficacy on the performance of General Educational Development (GED) and high school graduates enrolled in developmental reading skills courses. The sample for the study consisted of 100 high school and 31 GED graduates enrolled in developmental reading courses in a midwestern community…

This study examined the increase from 2007-2009 in Kentucky's fourth- grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores. This increase was notable because it came after a fifteen-year period of no change. This analysis of change included composite and sub-scale--"Reading Literary Experience" and "Reading to…

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, about 60% of students cannot read proficiently at their current grade level. Findings from the National Reading Panel (NRP) indicate that there is not sufficient research on the topic of struggling middle school readers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact…

This article presents a review of the "Process Assessment of the Learner-Second Edition" (PAL-II), an individual or group-administered instrument designed to assess the cognitive processes involved in academic tasks in kindergarten through sixth grade. The instrument allows the examiner to identify reasons for underachievement and…

Within the context of Taiwan, where growing numbers of universities seek teaching excellence and better English learning outcomes, passing a designated English test has been imposed on thousands of university students as one of their degree requirements. This educational policy has become feasible only after the debut of the indigenous General…

The author suggests that it is impossible to motivate students. He said that in fact, it's not really possible to motivate anyone, except perhaps oneself. What a teacher "can" do--"all" a teacher can do--is work with students to create a classroom culture, a climate, a curriculum that will nourish and sustain the fundamental inclinations that…

This study investigates the effect of Jordanian Eleventh grade students' self-assessment on their performance in reading in English. The sample of the study consisted of an experimental group and a control group; each group consisted of two eleventh grade sections (67 male and 69 female students). A reading test was developed and its validity and…

This study estimated normative reading trajectories for the population of English-proficient language minority students attending U.S. public elementary schools. Achievement of English-language learners (ELLs) was evaluated in terms of native English speakers' progress, and estimates were adjusted for the effects of socioeconomic status (SES). The…

The articles in this special issue of the "Journal of Applied Testing Technology" represent significant steps forward in the area of evaluating the validity of methods for assessing the educational achievement of students with disabilities. The studies address some of the most difficult student groups to assess--students with learning…

Several studies provide preliminary evidence that computer use is positively related to academic performance; however, no clear relationship has yet been established. Using a national database, we analyzed how students' school behavior (i.e., evaluated by English and math teachers) and standardized test scores (e.g., math and reading) are related…

The purpose of this study was to compare teacher and student perceptions of motivation for reading. Motivational constructs were theoretically derived from previous work on efficacy and task orientation. First-grade students and teachers were asked to complete parallel reading motivation questionnaires. Results suggest both first-grade teachers…

There is considerable interest and controversy in the community concerning how our students are faring in the task of mastering reading. Broad scale assessment, formerly at a State level and now at a National level (NAPLAN), is potentially valuable in helping answer this question in a broad sense. However, there are limitations to the value of…

This study investigated the usefulness of the bifactor model in the investigation of score equivalence from computerized and paper-and-pencil formats of the same reading tests. Concerns about the equivalence of the paper-and-pencil and computerized formats were warranted because of the use of reading passages, computer unfamiliarity of primary…

Tests of academic progress such as those enforced by No Child Left Behind Act are the only practical way to hold schools accountable for educating all children and are therefore essential to the twin aims of quality and fairness. Many of the complaints against the No Child Left Behind law pertain to the supposedly harmful influence of intensive…

This technical report describes the development of fifth grade progress monitoring measures in the area of Passage Reading Fluency. This measure was designed to target the fluency component of a developmental model of reading. Twenty alternate forms were written by graduate students and reviewed by the lead author. The passages were piloted and…