Discusses the use of and pitfalls in interpreting profiles. Comments in the form of nine warnings were presented to assist the school teacher in using profiles appropriately. Also considers the profile configuration itself and evaluates the quantitative procedures that for certain purposes are superior to profile analysis. (Author/RK)

Results for the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment are reported. Since 1969, the NAEP has been the sole ongoing national indicator of what U.S. students know and can do in major academic subjects. The science assessment was first administered to nationally representative samples of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders…

In 1998 the Kentucky legislature directed the state's Board of Education to redesign the assessment and accountability system. As a result, the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS) was developed. Because of the major changes in the system, trend lines cannot be drawn to the previous assessment, the Kentucky Instructional Results…

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 report presents the results of the West Virginia Statewide Assessment Program for 1999-2000. Student performance is reported for the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT-9), the state Writing Assessment, ACT EXPLORE, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Results of all these assessments indicate that West…

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…

A study was conducted of the feasibility of establishing an equivalency scale that would enable commercial state tests to be linked to one another and to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In evaluating the feasibility of linkages, the study committee focused on the linkage of various fourth-grade reading tests and the linkage…

This publication provides a reference for those interested in conducting comparative studies about North Carolina tests. It includes norms tables and other basic statistical information for all state-developed tests (state-mandated and local option tests where baseline data are available) that were administered during the current accountability…

The Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) measures student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. It recognizes the excellent achievement of individual students whose scores qualify them for honors, and it measures the progress that schools have made in helping their students meet the Illinois Learning Standards. The PSAE…

Investigates impact of achievement test results (N=285) on 13 sixth-grade teachers' expectations using hypotheses from cognitive dissonance theory. Shows teacher expectations changed very little as a result of feedback, and test results for both under- and overestimated students were rejected. (AH)

Identifies eight factors that should be considered carefully by those who use and interpret achievement test data for individual children: base score, guessing factor, time factor, content validity, test reliability, instructional-level placement, diagnostic analysis, and individual pupil progress data. (RL)

Standardized tests will not satisfactorily predict achievement, given the "conventional" intelligence and achievement test scores that correlate with measures of abilities deemed important by schools. (Author/IRT)

Investigated the effects of a 4 X 4 block scheduling program on a variety of student measures in a middle school with 355 block-scheduled students, some of whom were in high school at the time of the study. Results of the block scheduling were generally consistent with existing literature and generally positive. (SLD)

Gender differences in scores on the Metropolitan Achievement Test (secondary students) and Stanford Achievement Test (elementary school students) were studied with 844 white students in Mississippi. Results are consistent with other recent research in which females outperformed males, supporting the contention that gender differences favoring…