"Classroom Assessment and Educational Measurement" explores the ways in which the theory and practice of both educational measurement and the assessment of student learning in classroom settings mutually inform one another. Chapters by assessment and measurement experts consider the nature of classroom assessment information, from…

Standardized tests have been selected as a key assessment factor in expanding the academic achievement of the national student population. However, these tests position immigrant students at the risk of academic failure, leading education experts to search for new strategies and teaching models. The "Handbook of Research on Assessment…

Background: The relation between academic self-concept and achievement has been examined in a large number of studies. The majority of these studies have found evidence for a reciprocal effects model. However, there is an ongoing debate on how students' achievement should be measured and whether the type of achievement indicator (grades, tests,…

Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

Value-added models help to evaluate the knowledge that school districts, schools, and teachers add to student learning as students progress through school. In this article, the well-known Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) is examined. The author presents a practical investigation of the methodological issues associated with the…

To examine the reasons for declining Scholastic Aptitude Test scores during the past two decades, this paper proposes an empirical achievement model incorporating students' demographic characteristics and an expanding test-taking population. While test scores and participation rates are positively correlated, participation changes over time mask…

Adopting a sociocultural theoretical framework and based on ethnographic data from two primary schools, this article seeks to answer the question: what meanings about inclusion and exclusion are encoded in school and classroom practices? It documents the (inclusionary and) exclusionary pedagogic processes that influence learning and children's…

The Effective Schools Pilot Project, conceived in fall 1983, was designed to improve selected schools by focusing resources to assist six elementary schools in developing strategies for self-assessment and renewal through participatory decision-making. Phase I of the project (1983-1984) resulted in a set of research-based school improvement plans…

Results from a meta-analysis of 26 controlled studies on the effects of accelerated instruction on elementary and secondary school students are presented. The examination performance of accelerates surpassed the performance of equivalent age and intelligence nonaccelerates and equalled the performance of same-grade but older, talented…

Since 1967, the Utah State Office of Education has compiled and reported pertinent information concerning statewide student performance. This report, the sixth in the "How Good Are Utah Public Schools?" series, summarizes results from a variety of ongoing and special studies. Since 1975, statewide assessment programs have encompassed…

In 1972, the Oregon State Department of Education changed its standards relating to graduation requirements after a survey revealed concern that the high school diploma had lost its credibility. Parkrose School District developed a goal-based curriculum and measurement program to meet the new requirements. From the program's inception, District…

The stability of annual normal curve equivalent (NCE) on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills over a period of six years was established in a previous study of status (position within a reference group). This study investigated the relationship between status stability and student achievement level. Third grade students in a suburban school district who…

For nearly 20 years, Utah's Office of Education has been systematically monitoring the academic performance and other characteristics of Utah's students. This executive summary, an overview of the sixth major report since 1967, examines several measures describing educational quality in Utah schools. The first section covers students' achievement…

Collaborative "research partnerships" between university researchers and classroom science teachers have been encouraged by recent efforts of both the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Key teachers in the Search for Excellence in Science Education (SESE)…

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…