This paper reports on a 3-year computer initiative implemented by a school district in a metropolitan area. The initiative began in 1996 and continued through 1998. The school district of 44,000 students funded 5 computers and an ink jet color printer in each elementary classroom in 34 schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact…

This paper presents preliminary findings from a large-scale study of ability grouping in English secondary schools. Forty-five secondary schools representing three levels of grouping took part in the research. Within these schools, data have been collected from a cohort of Year 9 pupils, aged 13-14 years. All these pupils took tests in English,…

The relationship between performance on tests of minimum competency (MCT) required for high school graduation and dropout behavior was studied with 76,664 Florida students. Results indicate that MCT failure increases the likelihood of leaving school only for students doing well academically, but not for minority students or those doing poorly.…

Half of a sample of 11,457 college-bound juniors used a calculator on Scholastic Aptitude Test mathematics questions, while half did not. Both genders and three ethnic groups benefited about equally from calculator use. Students who routinely used calculators were relatively advantaged, but effects on individual test items varied. (SLD)

Whether there were differences in motivational and learning environment perceptions of students selected based on their performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) was studied over 3 years in a public school district in Texas. The degree to which affective elements of student behavior varied according to their success on this…

Although a large number of adults in the United States are assumed to need literacy training, little agreement exists on that number. Adults who attend literacy instruction are assumed to acquire the skills, but little is known about program effectiveness. Another assumption is that adults should define their goals, but this does not ensure that…

During the course of a large-scale study of teacher preparation for standardized tests in two low-stakes school districts, the question of whether the attitudes of teachers about standardized tests are a factor in their administration of mandated standardized tests in the classroom was addressed. Third-, fourth-, and sixth-grade teachers (n=178)…

As the latest in a series of studies analyzing the data reported on Tennessee's school district report cards, this paper focuses on finding a common statistical treatment to examine the impact of predictor variables on dependent variables. Investigations of the 1988-89 report card data explored the relationships among eight school district…

Educators' perceptions of the effects of state mandated testing on instructional practices and curricular decisions were studied. An ethnographic interview study was conducted with 30 fifth- and sixth-grade teachers and 12 principals from Illinois, New York, and Tennessee. Forty-one of the 42 respondents agreed to have their interviews audiotaped.…

The notion of phenomenal causality of C. Kraft (1991) was applied in the formulation of a self-report instrument to measure student perceptions of the dimensions of academic success. Instrument items were inspired by the students themselves in several hours of dialogue. Subjects were 55 male and 49 female black high school students at a summer…

England was 1 of more than 40 countries that took part in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) survey of 13-year-olds. This paper presents background information on the TIMSS and the performance assessment element of the study. It also describes how the written test and the practical task components relate to the National…

Sixty fourth, fifth, and sixth grade African American students (37 males and 23 females) at a public school in northeast Mississippi were administered the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking--Figural Form A (TTCT). Subjects were from 9 to 13 years old. The TTCT consists of 3 subtests: (1) picture construction (1 stimulus); (2) picture completion…

This study was aimed at extending previous correlational findings on the motivational components of test performance, studied among seventh graders by Pintrich and De Groot, to college students and to sequential task performance, including a voluntarily performed task. Performance was also examined under different experimental conditions of…

Report cards on schools have become common in many states, but their contents and formats vary widely. To study the variations and to determine if the differences in presentation have anything to do with presenting valuable data or with educational policy, a study was undertaken of the report cards of Southeastern states. Five states (Florida,…

The history of test coaching has shown that positive benefits can be produced from short-term orientation, practice, and drill. Coaching on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) has been especially scrutinized for efficacy and has shown modest program effects, despite the limited scope and duration of such programs. The present investigation expands…