There has been a serious decline in academic achievement in both the general and special populations and what we have found is that these students are not doing as well as they should be. Less than one-third of American students are doing well in reading, writing, math, science, and other important subjects. The National Assessment of Education…

The precipitous decline of U.S. students' scores on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) from 4th to 12th grade, compared with other nations, may be attributed to curriculum differences, not demography. The U.S. middle-school curriculum lacks focus and rigor and is highly repetitive. (MLH)

Examines values and purpose in mathematics education in Scottish schools in light of declining Scottish scores on international and national mathematics assessments and the rhetoric of national policy documents. Argues that policy documents convey an unclear, dual vision of mathematics learning as a carefully structured activity with predetermined…

Each year when the Educational Testing Services releases state average SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores of high school students, Indiana officials are asked why Indiana ranks so low and what's being done to improve it. Leaders reply that scores are lower because more students take the test than in states with higher scores. This report…

Examines the Type I Error in research on multimedia's impact on learning. Discusses the lack of a control group; the myth of multimedia benefits and the motivational effects of curiosity, content, and instructional strategies; the economics of multimedia; and dangers of the Type I Error, including inequity, lower scores or standards, wasted…

Available test score evidence does not support the common claim that student achievement has declined. On the other hand, the existing evidence cannot be used to prove that student achievement has risen. This paper offers reasons why student achievement in the past cannot be compared accurately with student achievement today: (1) tests, curricula,…

Extensive testing data from federal, state, and private sources indicate that Indiana students underperform their peers in most other states. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the shortcomings of Indiana students relative to students elsewhere are most severe among students from middle- and upper-income families. Forty percent of 3rd-graders, 52…

Argues that strategies to improve inner-school black student's test scores often include disguised affirmative action components and suggests that such strategies are not likely to close the racial gap in school performance. Provides an examination of affirmative action's argument against testing and tracking and discusses policy implications. (GR)

Determining the overall pass rates on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) for a given cohort of students involves an analysis of both the first-time examinee performance and subsequent pass rates of students who failed the test and retook it at a later date. Two increases in the scores required to pass the CLAST in 1986 and 1989 have…

This report gives the results of the Primary Assessment Program (PAP) in Aboriginal schools (Australia) for the 1987 school year. The purpose of PAP is to provide instructional feedback on student achievement in reading and mathematics and to provide indicators of performance for public reporting. All Aboriginal schools which had students in grade…

The documented decline in test scores of the 1960s and 1970s and the unclear picture since then result from educational and noneducational factors. Aspects of the misuse of test scores are (1) simplistic interpretation of performance trends; (2) unsupported evaluations of schooling; and (3) a reductionist view of education. (SLD)

When properly understood, scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) support the hypothesis that the performance of American students as measured by the SAT is steadily improving. As the overall pool of SAT takers increases and as pressures to adopt SAT scores as an administrative measure of instructional performance mount, SAT averages at the…

Calls for education improvement are often predicated on a decline in U.S. education. Past U.S. high school students' knowledge is examined through U.S. history test data from 1915 to 1925 and national achievement test data for 1932 to 1965. Evidence does not support a decline in student knowledge. (SLD)

The State Bilingual Education Program and the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 Migrant Education Program are used to meet the special education needs of bilingual and migrant students in the Saginaw (Michigan) city school district. These programs operated at 24 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, and 2 high…

A recent study of Dade County Public School (DCPS) graduates attending Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) revealed that 64% of those who graduated high school in 1989 had failed one or more of the basic skills sub-tests of the Florida Multiple Assessment Programs and Services test (FL-MAPS). Another study was conducted in 1989 to determine the…