Many initiatives have emphasized the importance of challenging students in text using readability formulas. Almost all formulas employ mean word frequency yet long-standing issues abound. Researchers question using a singular mean with a skewed variable like frequency. They also question the degree to which frequency pinpoints complex words,…

Background: Recent research on boredom suggests that it can emerge in situations characterized by over- and under-challenge. In learning contexts, this implies that high boredom may be experienced both by low- and high-achieving students. Aims: This research aimed to explore the existence and prevalence of boredom due to being over- and…

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to critically evaluate the updated Turkish reading curricula to determine whether they enable teachers to design instructional sequences that are highly cognitively demanding. This study was designed as a qualitative inquiry using document analysis to estimate the pedagogically oriented intellectual…

Turkish textbooks are important tools for gaining skills and competencies identified in curriculum. Textbooks should be designed to contribute to students' basic language skills as well as high level thinking skills in alignment with curriculum. The texts to be selected for textbooks should be prepared in alignment with the targeted skills and…

Stopping rules for fixed-form tests with graduated item difficulty are intended to stop administration of a test at the point where students are sufficiently unlikely to provide a correct response following a pattern of incorrect responses. Although widely employed in fixed-form tests in education, little research has been done to empirically…

Four-parameter models have received increasing psychometric attention in recent years, as a reduced upper asymptote for item characteristic curves can be appealing for measurement applications such as adaptive testing and person-fit assessment. However, applications can be challenging due to the large number of parameters in the model. In this…

The aim of this study is to better understand the notion of early algebraic thinking by describing differences in grade 4-7 students' thinking about basic algebraic concepts. To achieve this goal, one test that involved generalized arithmetic, functional thinking, and modeling tasks, was administered to 684 students from these grades. Quantitative…

The purpose of this study is to broaden theoretical meaning of challenge and attain a place for its practical use in schools. Based on the purpose, a theoretical construct was developed to explain four types of challenge-oriented behavior: (a) creators, (b) choosers, (c) maintainers and (d) avoiders. 634 fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students…

This study aimed to investigate the readability of the fifth-, sixth, seventh and eighth-grade mathematics course books prepared in deference to the 2017 curriculum and distributed to schools by MEB. This study utilized the descriptive document analysis which is a qualitative research method. Readability of the mathematics course books were…

Diagnostic assessments are intended to support teachers' instructional decision making by providing instructionally relevant information. In this article, we propose that using cognitive theories of learning to design diagnostic assessments can provide teachers with two diagnostic outcomes: (a) the location of a student's thinking within the…

This article describes the development and validation of a newly designed instrument for measuring the spatial ability of middle school students (11-13 years old). The design of the Spatial Reasoning Instrument (SRI) is based on three constructs (mental rotation, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization) and is aligned to the type of spatial…

Four fundamental language skills interact with each other. Developing reading skills will also develop listening, speaking, and writing skills. Reading comprehension, using what is understood on new subjects and learning new words during reading can influence listening comprehension as well as oral and written self-expression. General complaints…

This study presents estimates of Black-White, Hispanic-White, and income achievement gaps using data from two different types of reading and mathematics assessments: constructed-response assessments that were likely more cognitively demanding and state achievement tests that were likely less cognitively demanding (i.e., composed solely or largely…

What does "rigor," a word that frequently pops up in conversations about education, really mean? More specifically, what does it mean for "literacy" instruction, and how does it relate to challenging standards-based assessments? In this informative and practical guide, literacy expert Nancy Boyles uses the framework from Webb's…

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a state-led consortium working to develop next-generation assessments that more accurately, compared to previous assessments, measure student progress toward college and career readiness. The PARCC assessments include both English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA/L) and…