This document describes the North Carolina Open-Ended Assessment for grades 4 and 8 and presents results for the 2000-2001 administration. The assessment emphasizes higher level thinking skills and requires students to apply or demonstrate skills and knowledge beyond the recall level on challenging subject matter. The open-ended assessments were…

This annual report summarizes some major trends in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina, and provides a set of benchmarks against which the progress of WCPSS can be measured in the future. In some cases data are presented to show longitudinal trends, and in others, comparisons are made with other school districts (local…

This paper describes the creation of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) in 1998 and examines the background characteristics of the Board members and their attendance at NAGB meetings. The staffing and financing of the NAGB and the relationship between the agency and the National Center for Education Statistics is also considered. The…

The Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests (MMAT) were developed as a result of the state's Excellence in Education Act of 1985, which called for assessments of core competencies and key skills in reading/language arts/English, mathematics, science, and social studies/civics. The revised MMAT, like the original test, includes four multiple-choice…

This theme issue focuses on the use and consequences of high stakes tests. The lead article, "High-Stakes Testing: Too Much? Too Soon?" by Sherry Freeland Walker, introduces the topic and related issues, outlining the pros and cons of high stakes testing by the states. The problem, some experts say, is that states have tried to do too much too…

This guide describes the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) and includes information about the program and its results that will be useful for administrators and members of boards of education. In spring 1998, the Department of Education, in conjunction with Harcourt Educational Measurement, began its annual administration of the DSTP…

This report presents the results of the third administration of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). These results are part of a long-term effort to gather data on the educational progress of Delaware students and to use the data to inform decisions about instruction. Reading, writing, and mathematics results are summarized in this report;…

This paper discusses approaches to raising student test scores. At present, 49 of 50 states mandate tests for students in selected grades, and each school district is under pressure to have students score at a higher level than they did before. Teaching students to do better on tests is a frequent approach. It has some advantages, but also has the…

This study examined the achievement patterns of former English Language Learners (ELLs) and explored whether time-related variables (length of program participation, grade level exited, and length of participation in the mainstream classroom) play a significant role in predicting academic achievement patterns for these exited students. The study…

The consequences of high-stakes testing environments on the overall literacy programs and student achievement in high-performing learning communities were studied through a questionnaire completed by 20 elementary, middle, and high school principals in high-performing learning communities in a large state. Interviews and site visits were also held…

While assessment is the bread and butter of the teaching profession, its practitioners usually do not extend analysis of test responses beyond simple measures such as facility or discrimination indices in classical test theory. Item response theory (IRT) has much to offer but its nonintuitive content and difficulty make it a formidable obstacle in…

This booklet illustrates proven instructional strategies to help teachers help students raise their test scores. Techniques are outlined that will help students improve their communication skills, learn how to mediate their thinking strategies, and understand the best way to attack a question. The advice is developed in the structure of an…

This guide explains results and other information contained in the "Test Item Analysis Report," the "School Report," and the "District Report" for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests for spring 1999. It is designed to help teachers, administrators, and parents understand the MCAS testing…

This report summarizes a selection of school system characteristics and performance indicators collected since the 1991-92 school year for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina, and comparable local education agencies (LEAs) in North Carolina. Data are presented in figures to reveal longitudinal trends in the Wake County…

The Metropolitan Achievement Test, Seventh Edition (MAT7) reports percentages of student test scores above the 50th U.S. national percentile (top half of the distribution of student test scores) and percentage in each national quarter. Having more students than 50% above the 50th national percentile means that achievement was higher than the…