This study modeled school and district effects in the mathematics scores of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) using hierarchical linear modeling. Three-level hierarchical models were fitted to estimate school and district effects in the DSTP mathematics scores and to examine the school and district variance with variables assessing…

The relationship between changes in the scores from Maryland's performance assessment program, the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) from 1993 to 1998 and classroom instruction and assessment practices, student learning and motivation, students' and teachers' beliefs about and attitudes towards the assessment, and school…

In 1998, the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Ninth Edition, Form TA (Stanford 9) was administered to Virginia students in grades 4, 6, and 9 as the norm-referenced component of the Virginia State Assessment Program. As in the previous year, from 93 to 96% of Virginia's students took the Stanford 9, although the first administration was taken by…

Discusses the use of standardized test results as a guide to developing curriculum content. Discusses such a plan being used (and offers data gathered) at Hellgate Elementary School, Montana, as an example. (JC)

During 1990-95, most states showed increases in total elementary school enrollments and minority group enrollments. About 75% of all preschool children attend day care centers. First graders are getting older. The number of teachers is increasing; there has been little change in pupil-teacher ratios or class size. State public finance shows modest…

Examines the relationship between childrens scores on a standardized test of musical aptitude, Gordons Primary Measures of Music Audiation, and their performance on specific musical tasks. Suggests a need for a type of test that provides a broader perspective of childrens musical abilities, since there is no correlation between the test and tasks.…

This study sought to separate the effect of concentrated poverty on students' academic achievement and to develop a simple method for demonstrating that effect. The study was conducted in a midwestern urban school district with characteristics particularly suitable for answering these questions. It used two years worth of data on elementary school…

The sustained effects studies of Title I programs in 130 school systems in Kentucky were analyzed. The purpose of the review was to examine the types of questions asked, the results of the studies, and the ways in which results were interpreted and utilized. There were 109 summer effects studies. These showed that overall, the gains of Title I…

This report is designed to provide New Jersey Congressional legislators with current information on the effectiveness of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) Chapter 1 Program in New Jersey. Data on the reading and mathematics performance of ECIA Chapter 1 students in grades 2 through 8 from participating districts were…

This monograph is designed for educators who must make decisions about curriculum, instruction, and the training of teachers. Many important educational decisions are made based primarily, if not exclusively, on test scores. This reliance on test scores has evolved for a variety of reasons. This monograph starts with test scores as a given in…

Attitudes related to standardized achievement and ability tests were examined among a group of elementary and middle school teachers and administrators whose students are tested annually to fulfill a statewide accountability law. Teachers' survey responses indicated general support for testing and for the use of test results for diagnosing school-…

A study was conducted to compare five different techniques for determining the best means of assessing a reader's background knowledge and for discovering if it is possible to elicit different amounts of information from the same subject by simply varying techniques. Subjects were 32 third through sixth grade students, divided into groups of…

Recent comprehensive analyses such as those by Harnishfeger and Wiley (1975) and Zajonc (1976) indicate the existence of a national and international downward trend in achievement and intelligence test scores. An analysis of the achievement and intelligence test scores in a small, upper middle class, New Jersey elementary school district showed an…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of teacher expectations on first-grade reading achievement. Rankings of reading readiness were collected from 26 classroom teachers before and after falsified reading readiness scores were presented to them. From 536 first graders, 32 high socioeconomic status with low reading readiness status…