The superintendent of schools in Boston examines major factors in improving Boston public schools: strong principals, emphasis on basic skills, clear curriculum objectives, high expectations of all students, use of test results to improve classroom instruction, and state-of-the-art teaching methods. He discusses successful outcomes of these…

This synthesis of findings from 40 studies showed that students can raise their test scores by taking practice tests. The size of the gains were a function of three factors: identical vs. parallel forms of the test, number of practice tests, and ability level of the student. (Author/BW)

The decline in test scores is more reflective of social changes than of educational failure. (IRT)

The Louisiana high stakes testing program has raised questions about equity issues. Students from lower socioeconomic groups are less likely to have access to quality penetration tools, and, like minority students, are less likely to have knowledge and skills of their more affluent peers. Students in special education have needs that place them at…

This summary provides key findings about state, district, and school level performance on the TerraNova examinations (CTB/McGraw Hill) in Nevada in 1998-1999. The TerraNova tests are used to assess students in grades 4, 8, and 10 as stipulated by Nevada law. Within this summary, a description of performance as measured by national percentile…

Missouri is in the middle of the process of developing a performance-based assessment system, the Missouri Assessment Program, which is being developed to measure student progress toward the "Show-Me Standards" adopted by the State Board of Education in 1996. To achieve these standards, students must have a strong foundation of knowledge…

This briefing packet contains data on the school and district accountability results for Kentucky's state assessment system, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System, for 1994-1995 through its last use in 1997-1998. The first section contains state and regional accountability indices by grade level, with number of students tested and…

High-stakes testing is one of the hottest topics in education today. Although most states use some form of testing, fewer than half administer tests linked to state education standards and goals, often called criterion referenced tests. Fewer still use statewide tests with high stakes for both the students enrolled in the public schools and the…

This report outlines statewide results on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) for the 1998-1999 academic year. Also included are statewide data from the administration of the Spanish TAAS and the Algebra I, Biology, English II, and U.S. History end-of-course examinations. To allow a broader view of the assessment program's history,…

This guide provides information about the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) and Texas end-of-course examinations. It displays and explains examples of the TAAS and end-of-course standard and optional reports to assist school personnel in understanding and interpreting student performance data as required by the Texas Education Code. The…

This book examines educational improvement in Great Britain in recent years. It addresses three concerns: (1) develop better estimates of the extent to which schools have changed in their effectiveness over time; (2) understand the factors and strategies associated with changes in performance across schools; and (3) explore the school-improvement…

This report is intended to help parents understand the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) and the reports it generates. The tests of the DSTP are tied to the Delaware content standards that define the knowledge and skills required for students to succeed beyond high school. In spring 2001, the DSTP reading, writing, and mathematics tests were…

This document presents the transcript (and written statements) of a congressional hearing on the potential politicization of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the trustworthiness of the scores that the states received during the 1998 reading assessment. It addresses whether Vice President Al Gore's "release" of…

This document contains accountability profiles with detailed information for the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools. Each profile contains a description of the school, district, or area characteristics and highlights identified by the principal or superintendent. Profiles also contain the 1996-1997 priorities…

This paper looks at using descriptions of subject matter content to assist in the development and interpretation of student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). These descriptions of content, called achievement level descriptions (ALDs), were initially conceptualized as exemplary statements of the knowledge and…