In test equating, one critical equating property is the group invariance property which indicates that the equating function used to convert performance on each alternate form to the reporting scale should be the same for various subgroups. To mitigate the impact of disrupted learning on the item parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic, a…

The purpose of the current research study was to investigate the extent to which student performance was influenced by the disruption to learning that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To explain observed differences in performance, we compared outcomes from a state-wide summative testing program between students who were administered the…

This study examines the COVID-19 shift to online instruction and its impact on a charter school system (CSS) 3rd-10th grade students' academic achievement through the lens of noncognitive factors. We recruited 693 students and utilized qualitative and quantitative analyses. We found that students' NWEA math and ELA scores continued to increase…

In August, IES worked with the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to convene a technical working group to discuss research objectives related to college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics. Forty people (including researchers,…

In this update the National Governors Association presents the testimony of Honorable Bill Ritter, Jr., as submitted to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee. Ritter speaks about the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a joint project by the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to…

PLAN is a computer-managed individualized learning program with two major goals: to provide each child with an individualized program of studies in the language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies and to involve students in making decisions and assuming responsibility for their own learning. A computer assists the teacher by scoring and…

This paper presents the results of qualitative analyses that were designed to assess the validity of teachers' responses to items that measure topic coverage in mathematics and language arts. Using data from 12 "think-aloud" interviews and drawing on psychological theory about how respondents answer survey items, this research explored a number of…

This document presents papers delivered at a symposium held to discuss the problems associated with excessive specialization in contemporary education and of ways of counterbalancing this trend. Papers were presented in the areas of mathematics, fine arts, science, literature, philosophy, psychology, social sciences, and integrative education. (SL)

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential role of peer influences in contributing to the relative underachievement of girls in mathematics. Upper middle class, suburban New Jersey students (n=172 in grades 5, 8, and 11) were asked to express their attitudes toward hypothetical peers displaying strong interests and abilities in…

A process of reviewing teacher-made tests was developed to implement the court-approved subplan for a "procedure for continual quality control checks on teacher-constructed tests." The implementation process includes six steps: (1) distribution to teachers of Resource Materials Excerpted from Classroom Test Skills - a package to increase…

Research has shown that secondary school teachers are generally unable to rank text passages accurately according to their reading difficulty. To determine if this was true of elementary and middle school personnel, 177 teachers, administrators, and supervisors attending a summer reading workshop were asked to rank order each of five 100-word…

The high school minimal competency examination described in this document is part one of a three-part program that requires that all students satisfactorily complete tests in reading, language arts, and mathematics prior to receiving a high school diploma. The document outlines the test development and assessment program and describes the plan for…

This research investigated the effects of employing fixed, variable, and extended token exchange periods for back-ups on the completion and accuracy of daily assignments for a total fifth and sixth-grade class. The results indicated that, in general, a higher percentage of assignments was completed when the number of days between point exchanges…

The multidimensional nature of self-concept was studied in early elementary school children. In addition, the accuracy of children's self-concept ratings was determined through comparisons with the following external measures of ability: (1) parent ratings; (2) teacher ratings; and (3) academic achievement. Participants in this study were 100…

This study examined the variations in the modes of presenting classroom lessons by special education and regular elementary teachers in four rural Louisiana schools. Questionnaires were sent to 114 elementary teachers, including 27 special education teachers and 87 regular teachers. Questions covered classroom presentation of language arts,…