American educators are participating in a harmful, unwinnable contest--the score-boosting game. Standardized tests yield an inaccurate picture of school staff's instructional practices. Administrators should provide assessment-literacy training, brief educational policymakers, encourage autonomous parent groups, analyze test items, and create…

Addresses issues that have perpetuated the underrepresentation of African Americans in gifted and talented programs, which include: inadequate definitions, standardized testing, nomination procedures, learning style preferences, family and peer influences, screening and identification, and gifted underachievers. Concludes by discussing alternative…

Assesses the value of Key Stage 2 Mathematics national test scores as indicators of student achievement and whether standards are rising. Investigates mathematical attainment levels of Year 6 children on Mathematics 11 and on the national mathematics test. Discusses the results. (CMK)

Studied whether student scores on standardized tests represent reasonable measures of instructional quality using ratings by 10 parents and 11 educators (school principals) of the degree to which test items from a nationally marketed standardized achievement test represent the content actually taught. On average, raters felt that test items…

The cultures of accountability and validity are at odds in high-stakes testing. When the polis demands that tests serve high-stakes accountability functioning, professional testing standards are often compromised. Using flawed indicators can produce unreliable, unrepresentative inferences and decisions. High-stakes testing produces teaching and…

Discusses the tensions resulting from the use of standardized test scores. Examines future educators' roles in testing. Considers history of standardized testing in the United States, the role of professional organizations, valid and invalid interpretations and uses of test results, effects on students and teachers, and the future of testing.…

Argues against employing systems of surveillance in school accountability. Presents Michel Foucault's theories of ethics as a means of moving beyond the constraining, uninspiring notions of managerial competency now in effect. (Contains 37 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Presents conversations with parents, teachers, and children around portfolios that provide a better picture of a child's growth and understanding than standardized test scores ever can. Concludes that the involvement of students, teachers, and parents in conversation about children's literacy development brings the potential of a common vision and…

A Colorado elementary school used its assessment program to measure everything that affected student performance; they then changed or cut anything that did not improve achievement. Teachers routinely instructed and pretested each child at his/her achievement level. The result: high gains on the 1998 Colorado State Assessment. (MLH)

Summarizes findings about consistently low Latino admission eligibility for the University of California. Raises concerns about the role of standardized tests in determining eligibility and suggests alternatives that would allow admission criteria to be reconsidered in the current post-affirmative action era. (Author/GCP)

Argues that reliance on the outcome of quantitative standardized tests to assess student performance is misplaced quest for certainty in an uncertain world. Reviews and lauds Canadian teacher-devised qualitative diagnostic tool, "Profiles of Student Behaviors," composed of 20 behavioral patterns in student knowledge, attitude, and skill.…

Compared standardized test scores in reading and mathematics for second- and fifth-grade students from two similar technology-rich elementary schools in Florida. One school implemented Project CHILD (Computers Helping Instruction and Learning Development) as its instructional model, and that school scored higher on all test comparisons.…

Compared the performance of females and males on the Swedish SAT. Participants answered questions on either conventional multiple-choice answer sheets or multiple-choice self-assessment answer sheets, thus testing the effect of self-assessment. Those who made self-assessments outscored those who did not, particularly those who rated themselves low…

When they are well-devised and implemented, academic standards, tests, and associated accountability provisions can change the nature of teaching and learning. They can lead to a richer, more challenging curriculum, foster teacher collaboration, create a more productive teacher/parent dialogue, and focus attention on student achievement. (MLH)

Dual language education programs have become extremely popular. Although these programs share common characteristics, they vary in several respects. Programs use different languages and include students with varying characteristics. For instance, many of these programs include students with fluent English proficiency and those with limited English…