One assumption underlying accountability policies is that results from standardized tests and other sources will be used to make decisions about school and classroom practice. We explore this assumption using data from a longitudinal study of nine high schools nominated as leading practitioners of Continuous Improvement (CI) practices. We use the…

Comments on the apparent disparity between mathematics achievement as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress and various international studies, focusing on the comparability among studies, the magnitude of change in average test scores, and the role of family-related factors in achievement trends in other countries. (SM)

This article examines two kinds of problems associated with the English Language Arts test at the fourth-grade level in New York State: (1) problems that inhere in the test itself and (2) problems associated with its use. As for the test itself, three kinds of problems are analyzed: (1) the use of multiple-choice tasks to assess reading…

Examines assessment policy in Arizona over a decade, using interview, observation, and archival data. Policy shifted from basic skills and standardized testing to progressive reform by performance testing to high-stakes standardized testing using state standards. The Arizona Student Assessment Program is described, discussing the Academic Summit…

Using Halpern's 1997 psychosocial model of cognitive development, this article evaluates and extends the literature demonstrating that gender differences on standardized tests of quantitative reasoning may reflect underlying differences in cognitive processing that may be explained in part by socialization patterns inherent in American culture.…