The factors (variables) examined in the California State Testing Program were divided into two groups for the analyses: (1) the 11 indicators of school quality in terms of the products of the educational system, referred to as output factors (e.g., pupil scores on achievement tests); and (2) the 22 indicators of school quality in terms of the…

All second- and third-grade students in California public schools were tested in reading achievement, and all sixth and twelfth grade students were tested in reading, written expression, spelling, and mathematics. Second- and third-grade achievement gains were reported on the California Reading Assessment Program Reading Test over an eleven-year…

This study examines the relationships between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models indicated that discussion-based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall…

Information was obtained from staffs of selected schools, from samples of eighth and twelfth grade students, and from group interviews with community representatives and school leaders for the purpose of detecting the inadequacies and shortcomings of California schools in a three-county region. Problems emerged in the areas of curriculum balance…

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized test scores are the indicator used to hold schools and school districts accountable for student achievement. Each state is responsible for constructing an accountability system, attaching consequences--or stakes--for student performance. The theory of action implied by this…