For many reasons, students do not always perform on tests in ways that are congruent with their true abilities or achievement levels. Problems of this sort may be especially common on Title I evaluations where the tests administered are too difficult for a large percentage of the students. Such considerations raise the questions of whether…

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) provides separate ability estimates organized into three components; verbal, quantitative and non-verbal. There is no composite score. An analysis of scores obtained on the CAT and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) by a sample student population indicated that discrepancies of twenty points or more among the…

This document presents information on one school district's approach to the introduction of success-based instruction. The first section defines success-based instruction, also called "predictable learner mastery" (PLM) and the requirements for having an operational system. The second section compares mastery learning with the PLM system…

This study sought to determine if participation as a musician or an athlete had an effect on academic achievement as measured by standardized test scores. It was hypothesized that students who received training as musicians would score higher on the core battery composite of reading, language, and mathematics sections of the California Achievement…

The effect on achievement when the prescribed maximum time limits of a standardized achievement test are exceeded was studied using students nested in block-by-treatment combinations. The analysis was a hierarchical (nested) randomized blocks analysis of covariance involving 408 fifth graders taking the Stanford Achievement Test in Lansing,…

The usefulness of the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test (IAAT) as a predictor of student achievement in secondary mathematics courses was studied. Subjects were 977 students from 7 Iowa schools in grades 6 through 9. Data collected included their IAAT scores and Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) mathematics skills test scores, as well as data about…

This study compared the reliability and validity of two different measures of reading ability, the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Reading test and the ITBS Vocabulary test. The data consisted of scores of 377 grade 5 and grade 6 students on these tests, along with their assigned reading levels in the…

The effectiveness of an optimal item selection method in designing parallel test forms was studied during the development of two forms that were parallel to an existing form for each of three language arts tests for fourth graders used in the Connecticut Mastery Test. Two listening comprehension forms, two reading comprehension forms, and two…

This study assessed how goal setting and progress feedback affect self-efficacy and writing achievement for 20 male and 20 female fourth graders. Children received writing strategy instruction and were given a process goal of learning the strategy, a product goal of writing paragraphs, or a general goal of working productively (control condition).…

The purpose of this study was to develop a testing method for the assessment of various types of writing at the elementary school level that would meet acceptable standards for educational measurement instruments as well as standards of utility and feasibility within a given educational system. The study was conducted within the framework of an…

This study examined the differences between actual and predicted school achievement on a grade 5 standardized reading posttest. The primary objective was to identify which schools are performing above expectation on a posttest by examining multiple regression residuals and, concurrently, which school level variables are associated with that…

Using a quasi-experimental analysis of variance (ANOVA) design, this project examined the effects of the use of accommodations with students of limited English proficiency (LEP) and non-LEP students and whether the use of accommodations affected the validity of test score interpretations. Major accommodations examined were extra time, and extra…

Issues related to the Education Reform Bill of Ohio are discussed. Administration of norm-referenced achievement tests in reading, mathematics, language, and related school-ability tests is required for grades 4, 6, and 8 (effective by 1990) and grade 10 (effective by 1991). The reform bill specifies rewards and sanctions in addition to statewide…

This study assessed whether or not classroom-based micro-computer applications can help improve students' performance on standardized tests, and which subject areas such programs are most effective in for fourth graders in two Mississippi schools. The Teaching and Learning with Computers (TLC) program placed a local area network in the school with…

Evaluation of a French and Spanish second language program in grades four through seven of a rural school system has begun with a formative evaluation for the first three years and will conclude with a one-year summative evaluation. The research questions focus on four concerns: (1) school personnel and parent perceptions of the program during its…