California's 1980 proficiency law, which is the topic of this report, mandated that each school district was to adopt or construct tests and establish standards for assessing proficiency in reading, writing, and computation on tasks that were necessary to success in school and in life. In order to graduate from high school, a student must have…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Achieve was asked by the Washington State Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, and the Partnership for Learning to conduct a study of the 10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The intent of the study was to compare the content, rigor and passing scores on…

The fourth statewide administration of Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests in Reading and Mathematics took place in the spring of 1999. The first administration of the statewide Test of Written Composition for 10th graders also took place in 1999. Beginning with the class of 2000, students are required to pass these tests by the time they complete…

This study was designed to examine the associations and differences that exist in the NCE scores of students on the "Terranova" portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Exam, as well as the possible influence of variables such as initial scores, grade level, gender, and free or reduced lunch status. The population consisted of a stable…

The Multilevel Assessment Program tests for urban schools are conducted annually across Australia's Northern Territory in reading and mathematics. The program allows performance to be monitored at the system level for Years 5 and 7. Results show that, in terms of system performance on the link questions, there was no difference between 1992 and…

A series of three studies was conducted to determine the effects of testing time above or below the recommended time on results of standardized achievement tests with a sample across all three experiments of 1,219 fifth graders in 59 classrooms in Lansing, Michigan. The first two studies considered the effects of increased time; the third explored…

This study investigated the degree to which it was possible to identify students who were likely to fail the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Test (ONGPT) from data contained in their academic records. The criterion measure was student scores on the Trial Test of the ONGPT, a measure selected because it provided scores that could be correlated, as…

The Student Assessment Consortium (SAC), a collaboration between the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing and the Council of Chief State School Officers, was created to facilitate innovative assessment work in several subject areas. Its purpose is to share expertise and information about the development of innovative…

The Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) of reading, mathematics, and writing are three separate tests designed to measure basic proficiency in these areas. In response to a mandate from the State Legislature, the Minnesota Board of Teaching adopted these tests, developed by the Educational Testing Service. An evaluation of the 3 years of…

To comply with the new U.S. Department of Education Ability-To-Benefit policy, schools need to select tests on the Secretary's approved list. The pertinent aspects of 22 approved tests are individually summarized. The test reviews are based on examinations of the test publishers' technical documentation and the tests. Information provided in the…

The relationship of differential item functioning (DIF) to item difficulty on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was examined, based on data from nine recent administrations of the test from June 1986 through December 1987. This pool of information includes item statistics on 765 verbal and 540 mathematical items computed for subgroups of White,…

Results of Nevada students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 11 on tests of the Nevada Proficiency Examination Program are presented for the 1987-88 school year. Examinations prescribed for grades 3 and 6 in mathematics, reading, and language are the appropriate Stanford Achievement Tests. Tests mandated for grade 9 are the Science Research Associates'…

Each spring the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) battery is administered to students throughout New Mexico as part of the State Department of Education mandated assessment program. This report contains information regarding 1987 test results for Albuquerque Public School (APS) students in grades 3, 5, and 8 on the CTBS, a standardized,…

This report summarizes results of student achievement in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) on the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests in 1986-87. Major findings indicate the following: (1) 99.4% of AISD seniors to graduate in May 1987 passed the Exit-Level TEAMS tests, with only 17 denied diplomas in…