Whether geography is taught alone or "infused" into social studies, U.S. students' knowledge is minimal, according to recent National Assessment of Educational Progress geography test results for 19,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Curriculum specialists say geography coverage is incidental. The National Geographic Society is trying…

The Swedish school system comprises: (1) Pre-primary school (Forskola), typical age 1-5; (2) Preschool class in the compulsory school (Grundskola) typical age 6 (participation voluntary); (3) Compulsory school, typical age 7-16, grades 1-9, and (4) Upper secondary school, 17 programmes (4 mainly academic, 13 vocational), typical age 16-19, grades…

This brief article presents some of the facts and figures learned from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is an on-going nationwide survey to determine what America's students are learning. It is conducted by the Educational Testing Service, and, at the time this article was written, was funded by the National Institute…

The third party evaluation of the K-12 career education project RACE (Researched Activities for Career Education) focused on test results of students in four selected grades. A career education questionnaire was administered as a pre-test and again as a post-test to students in the third and sixth grades. Ninth and twelfth grade students were…

In agreeing with the College Entrance Examination Board finding that social disruptions during the 1960s were one cause for declining test scores, the author recounts some disruptions that she faced in her classroom. (IRT)

A national proficiency testing program would weaken local decision-making capacity, resegregate the schools, and further the negative effects of nonpromotion of students. Such a program would also have several negative effects on the curriculum. (Author/IRT)

Using logarithmic and statistical data, this study analyzes teacher quality as a determinant of student performance on standardized tests. The most startling finding: a 1 percent increase in teacher competency, as measured by standardiazed test scores, is accompanied by a 5 percent decline in student failure rate on high school competency…

Principals should urge teachers to teach students the five basic principles of test taking. This can improve student scores on standardized tests. (MD)

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…

A committee of the National Research Council studied the desirability, feasibility, and potential impact of two reporting practices for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results: district-level reporting and market-basket reporting. NAEP's sponsors believe that reporting district-level NAEP results would support state and local…

This guide contains materials to help Delaware educators understand and use the reports from the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). The tests of the DSTP are tied to the Delaware content standards that define the knowledge and skills required for Delaware students to succeed beyond high school. In spring 2002, the annual administration of…

This study examined two major questions: do national and state assessments provide consistent information on the performance of state education systems, and what accounts for discrepancies between national and state assessment results if they are found? Data came from national and state assessments in grade 4 and grade 8 mathematics from 1992 to…

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 guide contains materials to help teachers understand and use the reports from the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). In spring 1998, the Department of Education, in conjunction with Harcourt Educational Measurement, began its annual administration of the DSTP reading, writing, and mathematics tests for students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10…