School classroom evaluation methods using student achievement results are currently a significant topic of investigation in the educational accountability arena. The objective of this study was to identify effective and ineffective elementary school classrooms based on student and teacher characteristics. In this conceptualization, teacher's…

Assessing the construct relevance of mental test results continues to present many challenges, and it has proven to be particularly difficult to assess the construct relevance of verbal items. This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the conceptual sources of verbal item difficulty using a unique approach that integrates…

This study examined the extent of student mobility in Alberta, Canada, its relationship to individual student achievement, and its effect on school performance on achievement tests, using data from Alberta Learning. A strong and clear relationship was found between number of school changes and performance on achievement tests in all courses and at…

This study asserts that central examinations need not necessarily be those administered by the government; they can be examinations centralized at some administrative level, but in any case, they are external to the school. This study also assessed the impact of central examinations on the functioning of the education system and students academic…

This study explored the relationship between Oregon high school students' performance in a standards-based system and their subsequent performance in the first year of college. Findings from 6,082 students from the Oregon University System and 12,519 from Oregon community colleges led to the conclusion that the 10th grade benchmark performance may…

This paper describes (1) the procedures developed to set achievement levels for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) that contribute to establishing the validity of the levels and (2) the research studies designed to collect information related to the validity of the achievement levels and the outcomes of the process. The central…

The validity of interpretations of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) achievement levels is evaluated by focusing on evidence regarding three types of discrepancies: (1) between standards; (2) among descriptions of achievement levels; and (3) between assessments and content standards. All of these discrepancies raise serious…

The normal curve has long been important in statistics. Most interval variables yield normal or quasi-normal distributions when data are collected from large samples, and the normal "Z" distribution is also used as a test statistic (e.g., to test differences between two means when sample size is large, since "t" approaches…

This paper provides preliminary findings on the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Test given to all Texas public college and university freshman, particularly regarding minority student performance. Of all students, 81% passed all three sections of the test, mathematics, reading, and essay. The passing group represented 87% of Anglos, 59% of…

Using test results to align curriculum was studied in two applications with Chapter 1 programs. Curriculum alignment is the process of coordinating instruction so that a particular curriculum builds on skills students have learned in previous courses while providing skills for future success. In using test results for program improvement,…

Relationships among reasons for referral to special education, psychoeducational assessment results, and individualized education programs (IEPs) were investigated for 405 special education students (preschool through grade 12). Students' files were reviewed, and referral information, psychoeducational assessment information, and IEP content were…

Two hundred-sixteen fifth- and sixth-graders were dichotomized on attitude toward school (positive or negative) and randomly assigned to three conditions in which they were instructed that they were about to take either an Intelligence, Achievement, or a Routine test. Results of analysis of variance on Kuhlmann-Anderson scores revealed significant…

One ethical dilemma for psychologists is finding methods to share test results with their clients in such a way that the client is not deleteriously labeled, but is encouraged by the knowledge of assessed strength and growth areas. This paper offers one answer by presenting a structured protocol that draws on an iceberg metaphor for categorizing…

It is generally recognized that the home background of students is important for their achievement and progress through school, but obtaining accurate information is becoming increasingly difficult. School-level indicators of socioeconomic status, although coarse, may consist of more than the sum of family backgrounds of students attending the…

Ninety teachers in grades three through six were asked to judge the likelihood of their students' passing Ohio's Fourth or Sixth Grade Proficiency Tests. Judgment ratings consisted of "likely to pass,""uncertain to pass," or "unlikely to pass." These ratings were collected in January 1998, 3 months prior to the…