A recent NBER [National Bureau of Economic Research] working paper examines Florida's policy to retain many low-scoring third graders. The report concludes that third-grade retention has immediate positive effects on the following year's test results, but these effects fade over the next six years, with no effect on graduation. The regression…

This Research Brief summarizes the performance of M-DCPS students participating in the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) programs. Outcome data are provided for the eight M-DCPS schools offering the two programs and corresponding examinations. Participation in international…

The release of School Grades by the State of Florida in the late summer of 2010 created quite a stir. Over 500 elementary schools all over the state dropped at least one grade level. Among those schools that experienced drops, the Reading Gains and Mathematics Gains components seemed especially low. Some of the historically best performing schools…

When one compares summary FCAT data from the Miami-Dade district to other major districts in the State, it appears that student performance in Miami-Dade district is generally lower. However, overall summary data can be deceiving. Part of the reason is that the subgroups that make up each district have distinctly different success rates. One can…

This report provides information about the performance of Florida's 2012 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2012 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the…

Discusses the situation in Florida where districts must report the results of program evaluations made by the state department of education and gives suggestions for the way in which these scores should be made public. (IRT)

The purpose of this paper is to promote local norms as a new way of reporting Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results for Miami-Dade County district. The norms would: (1) show a student's relative standing in the district, and (2) show the student's growth compared to similar students. This paper presents questions about local norms,…

Using multiple analytic methods, we examined the fit between 2 concurrent policy mandates in Florida--the adoption of core reading programs in high-poverty schools, and the retention of third graders who scored at the lowest levels on the state assessment. We first examined 2 contemporary third-grade basal reading programs for the guidance offered…

The relationship between high stakes testing and retention was studied in Florida in the context of educational reform and controversy over the effectiveness of retaining students in grade. The focus was on the relationship between the percentage of students in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8 falling below the 50th percentile on the Stanford Achievement…

The potential of the Rasch model to develop scores, on a ratio scale, suitable for interindividual comparisons, from intact groups with disparate distribution characteristics was investigated. The specific problems studied were: (1) the effects of skewed test score distributions on the ability parameter of the Rasch measurement model; (2) the…

This technical report describes the development of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an instrument designed to measure Florida college students' achievement of the computation and communication skills expected by the completion of their sophomore year. Section I covers CLAST's background and purpose, the requirement that all students…

This collection of reports, outlines, and instructions provides information on the development, content, and use of the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), an achievement test that measures the communication and computation skills of college students as mandated by Florida state legislation. First, a status report on the development of…

A study was conducted at Broward Community College (BCC) to compare the performance on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) of examinees with college preparatory experience to that of examinees without this experience. Data were drawn from CLAST tapes for the 1988-89 academic year and from BCC's admissions file. Passing rates for each…

The College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST), a component of Florida's system of educational accountability, is a lower-division college achievement test measuring student achievement of college-level communication and mathematics skills. Effective January 1996, students meeting certain requirements were exempt from the CLAST. This report…