Examined the trajectory of change in scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills of low-income, urban third and fourth graders enrolled in classrooms in which the Work Sampling System (WSS) had been used at least 3 years. Results for 2,564 students show academic gains associated with the WSS. (SLD)

This study was conducted to determine the positive or negative relationship between school athletic program participation and the academic achievement of students in the 4th through 11th grades as measured by the California Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS). CTBS tests are taken in grades 4 and 11 and their scores are compared to scores from students…

University-level mathematics placement examinations might yield summary measures that are differentially accurate due to individual differences in the recall of previously-learned material. In particular, test scores in algebra and trigonometry may be subject to sporadic recall of solution procedures, resulting in aberrant response patterns. The…

Student scores on standardized tests have steadily declined since 1965. Researchers conducted a literature review and completed data analysis to determine the reasons for this decrease, assessing trends for the period from 1965 to 1983. The kinds of tests most commonly used are aptitude, achievement, and tests of personal and social…

The "Instructional Improvement Digest" communicates advisory information about practical courses of action that can be implemented by teachers and administrators to improve key areas of school instruction. The series digest topics draws upon inquiry associated with the Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development's…

The first day of hearings features the testimony of Admiral H. M. Rickover and Dr. Mary Berry, Assistant Secretary for Education, on the quality of education and what can be done about it. Subsequent testimony centers on the testing of students. Those offering statements are William W. Turnball, president of Educational Testing Service; Dr. Roy H.…

The primary aim of this study was to determine whether College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Achievement Test results provide additional information for the prediction of academic success beyond the normal data accumulated. The study presents two types of evidence: (1) a prediction of first semester grade point averages (GPA), and (2) a…

This report deals with new ways to look at achievement test scores as measures of educational outcomes. It attempts to show how existing data might be used more productively by planners and evaluators, by suggesting how test score statistics other than the mean might be used, and how they might indicate success along a wide variety of educational…

The results obtained from the studies in the first strand, including evidence of replicability of findings, are summarized. Main emphasis is on the findings of the Structure of Concept Attainment Abilities Project with respect to the study of the relations between the two sets of variables. The number of dimensions and the character of the…

The advantages of a rule assessment approach to interpreting achievement test results were demonstrated using an S-P chart with coded error types. The problems of similar total test scores resulting from completely different misapprehensions, as well as correct answers resulting from incorrect rules of operation, were addressed using simulated…

The Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) curriculum was developed to engage beginning viewers in looking at works of art and has been used with children in many parts of the United States and Eastern Europe. The VTS was designed to develop critical thinking in viewing art and to enhance the function of the teacher as the facilitator of the reasoning…

This report examines the overlap between student test results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The two tests were compared and contrasted in terms of content and measurement philosophy, and analyses studied the statistical relationship between the ITBS and the WASL. The ITBS assesses…

This paper reports on an experiment examining the consequences of assessing kindergarten and first-grade students' academic achievement in group versus individualized assessment settings. Students (n=442) blocked by classroom and grade level were randomly assigned to one of two assessment modes: a small group setting with 8 other students from…

A study was conducted of differences in academic performance of boys and girls in Wales, exploring factors that might explain any differences and making recommendations about further studies that might be needed. The statistical analysis is based on statutory assessment and examination results for Wales. At an all-Wales level, for all subjects,…

This report contains state and school district student testing results for the Oklahoma Testing Program for the 1998-99 school year. Several benchmarks are reported, including the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT), and American College Test Assessment (ACT) results. The National Assessment of Educational…