Examines the problems with standardized tests as they apply to language minority students, and offers an alternative assessment process called an authentic assessment. Some classroom uses for authentic assessments are briefly noted. (GR)

Presents strategies to help elementary students be more confident and prepared and score higher on standardized tests. The strategies involve briefly reviewing sample tests to familiarize students with common test formats, then focusing on strategies built into their reading, writing, math, science, and social studies plans. (SM)

Describes a principal's frustrating, but ultimately successful 3-year effort to convert a Virginia elementary school to a year-round schedule. Now in its third year, the school boasts students with higher standardized test scores, better attendance, and fewer discipline referrals than their traditional-calendar counterparts. (MLH)

Discusses a project developed at Damiansville Elementary School (Illinois) to improve reading scores on state reading tests and encourage students to improve reading achievement. Topics include funding; the Standardized Tests for Assessment of Reading; the Accelerated Reader program; planning; the role of the library; and community participation.…

Examined similarities and differences in teacher and principal perceptions of the effects of two state-level rewards and sanctions programs. Interviews with teachers, principals, and other administrators, and surveys of principals, indicated that overall, salary bonuses with sanctions linked to a comprehensive education reform initiative more…

The tougher standards movement has five fatal flaws. An emphasis on scores limits student willingness to experiment and be challenged. The "basic skills" approach to teaching--pouring knowledge down student throats--has never worked well. Standardized testing necessarily creates winners and losers. Accountability is coercive and…

Describes the design and implication of a 10-week unit for third and fourth graders using QARs (Question-Answer-Relationships) to integrate reading and writing tasks and prepare for standardized tests. Concludes that the student-friendly model described here is easy to implement and can be customized for any classroom and grade level. (SG)

This article addresses various methods of assessment and support of social competence in school and the community to prepare individuals with mild to moderate disabilities for adulthood. It emphasizes that transition planning and preparation is a continual process that begins in early school experiences and continues through adulthood. (Contains…

Examines assessment policy in Arizona over a decade, using interview, observation, and archival data. Policy shifted from basic skills and standardized testing to progressive reform by performance testing to high-stakes standardized testing using state standards. The Arizona Student Assessment Program is described, discussing the Academic Summit…

The top-down, heavy-handed "Tougher Standards" movement has taken over many schools, with full support of business groups, politicians, and many journalists. Primary opponents are classroom teachers and parents. Raising standards translates into higher scores on poorly designed tests. Best teaching builds on actively learning students. (MLH)

Comparison of teaching practices of grade 7-8 science teachers in Ontario, Alberta, and Singapore found an implicit "formula for success" related to high scores on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Recent Ontario curriculum guidelines aimed at boosting TIMSS scores ignore provincial educational values that…

High-stakes tests can set a clear, challenging hurdle for students and schools, while increasing the numbers of failing kids. Costs and benefits include increased equity, clear and focused curricula, efficient use of resources, achievement-based school personnel evaluations, limited local decision making, narrow curriculum, and favored course…

What occurs in most schools and colleges is a ritual pretense lacking substance. Test scores and memorized facts mean little. John Dewey felt that education must be a continuous expansion of a web of connections and understanding that continues throughout one's life. Wisdom is education's true goal. (MLH)

The latest efforts in reform and accountability, most of which are replays of efforts enacted in the early 1980s, include the use of required minimum standardized test scores to end the practice of social promotion. Greater reliance is being placed on the use of single test scores in making all or a large part of the retention decision, despite…

In this article, the author tells the story of one school and how the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has been affecting its teachers and the educational opportunities and outcomes of its students. Roosevelt High School, located in North Portland, Oregon, has the most ethnically diverse student population in what is the largest school district in…