The gain, or difference, score is defined as the difference between the posttest score and the pretest score for an individual. Gain scores appear to be a natural measure of growth for education and the social sciences, but they contain two sources of measurement error, error in either the pretest or posttest scores, and cannot be considered…

The requirement that schools in England and Wales assess their students, at age seven, in English and mathematics has created a demand for an assessment of students at their entry to statutory schooling. This paper reports on the development and standardization of a test of mathematical concepts for students aged four and over (four plus) as they…

This study examined the relationship between student effort and performance on the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP), a standardized measure of postsecondary educational development, while statistically controlling for American College Testing (ACT) Assessment scores, ethnicity, gender, length of time between ACT Assessment and…

Starting in the late 1980s, two teams of researchers, well known for their criticism of standardized tests on equity and validity grounds, began attacking standardized testing on efficiency grounds as well, using cost-benefit analysis to do it. Their analyses are reviewed, and their conclusions discussed. The first team, Lorrie A. Shepard, Amelia…

Part essay, part poetry, part collage of student writing and personal reflections, this book uses metaphor to evoke the interactions and anguishes of a high school English teacher's day, a juggling act of efforts to help the demoralized and disruptive while still trying to make learning meaningful. In the book, the English teacher's students speak…

Various issues in determining the effectiveness of educational services for gifted students are considered in this chapter. First, the limitations of standardized instruments are identified. These include narrowness of assessment (usually only across traditional curricular areas), invalidity in assessing program goals (which may not correspond to…

This review of the literature summarizes findings on instructional grouping issues and academic achievement of gifted elementary students. The review addresses problems of using standardized tests to evaluate instructional effectiveness of grouping arrangements, distinctions between providing the same curriculum and a differentiated curriculum to…

A study in Sri Lanka concerning the effects of second language tests, specifically the O-Level examination in English as a Second Language, on classroom language instruction is reported. The study investigates the phenomenon of washback or backwash, the influence of testing on instruction. It is cited as the only known research investigating…

This report is aimed at helping Congress: (1) better understand the functions, history, capabilities, limitations, uses, and misuses of educational tests; (2) learn more about the promises and pitfalls of new assessment methods and technologies; and (3) identify and weigh policy options affecting educational policy. To prepare this report, the…

Drawing tests are often used to provide confirmatory and supporting evidence of intelligence or intellectual functioning. The relationship between scores on these types of instruments and academic achievement was studied among graduate students seeking degrees in education. The sample consisted of 125 graduate students in education (93 women and…

Recently South Dakota initiated a statewide report card system, which publicizes school data such as teacher-student ratios and student scores on the Stanford Achievement Test. A survey of South Dakota superintendents on their opinions about the new system was returned by 178 superintendents (74 percent of total), of whom 57 administered small…

To explore the policy implications of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the U.S. Department of Education, and the Consortium for Policy Research in Education held a…

Based on an April 1998 conference, this EdSource report focuses on what several prominent education experts and school district superintendents perceive as the primary challenges and opportunities faced by California's school accountability movement. Gerald Hayward, a policy analyst, believes that any proposed accountability system should be based…

The 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) state level reading assessment measured fourth- and eighth-grade students' reading proficiency in situations that involved reading for three purposes: reading for literary experience, reading to gain information, and reading to perform a task (grade 8 only). This report describes the…

The 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) state level reading assessment measured public and nonpublic fourth- and eighth-grade students' reading proficiency in situations that involved reading for three purposes: reading for literary experience, reading to gain information, and reading to perform a task (grade 8 only). This…