The accountability movement in American education has received great clamors of attention in the past few years. This movement, in turn, suggests the need for particular data to inform responsible decision-making; the need for assessment instruments which can address the question of what is learned; and the need for strengthening the existing…

The need for improved measures is particularly acute in reading because, in spite of the magnitude of time and effort which continues to be invested in reading, there is no insurance that the outcome is indeed proportionate to the effort involved. How much of the educational system's performance relative to its own goals is measured by a…

The performance of black students on standardized tests is still significantly below that of their white counterparts. Data on black performance on standardized tests and trends on the factors that affect that performance are examined. The OERI study on Poverty, Achievement and the Distribution of Compensatory Education Services is discussed. (MLW)

Using data from the Survey of Basic Skills administered to approximately 300,000 California sixth graders, this study examines sex differences on two types of mathematics items. Probability for success is greater for girls in solving computations and for boys in solving story problems. Relationships to other influential factors are examined.

Each year, Montana students participate in testing as part of the state's assessment program. This past spring, students in grades 4, 8, and 10 took Montana Comprehensive Assessment System (MontCAS) tests in reading and mathematics. These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for the state's accountability system. Results from…

Each year, Nevada students in grades 3, 4, 5, and 7 participate in testing as part of the Nevada assessment program. Students in grades 3 and 5 take the Nevada Criterion Referenced Assessment (Nevada CRT) while students in grades 4 and 7 take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for…

Each year, Pennsylvania students participate in testing as part of the Pennsylvania assessment program. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 take tests in reading and math while those in grades 6, 9 and 11 are assessed in writing. These tests serve as an important measure of student achievement for the state's accountability system. Results from these…

Each year, South Carolina students participate in testing as part of the South Carolina assessment program. Students in grades 3 through 8 take the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) in English/Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grade 10 take the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) in English/Language Arts and mathematics. These…

This study investigated the relationship between the scales used for the ISTEP+ assessments and the RIT scales used to report performance on Northwest Evaluation Association tests. The RIT scale was developed using Rasch scaling methodologies. RIT-based tests are used to inform a variety of educational decisions at the district, school, and…

The Words Work! early literacy initiative, in Ramsey Action Program (RAP) Head Start centers, was initiated to prepare children to be successful third-grade readers and mathematicians. These reports reflect the standardized test results collected in years 1 and 2 for the first cohort of Words Work! children from four RAP Head Start centers who…

The College-Level Academic Skill Test (CLAST) is part of Florida's system of educational accountability. It is an achievement test that measures students' attainment of the college-level communication and mathematics skills that were identified by faculties of community colleges and state universities. Students in community colleges and state…

Evaluates whether the "Degrees of Reading Power" reading achievement test (1) is a testing and teaching tool; (2) is a valid reading assessment; (3) should be used for third grade; and (4) correlates with other reading tests. Questions whether the test's Readability Report information really reflects test scores. (SR)

Compares two approaches for preparing students to take standardized reading tests. Discusses study that used a pretest-posttest design with reading-comprehension passages and questions to assess improvement. Suggests that measurable gain in short-term developmental programs may require focusing on a more modest number of teaching objectives,…

The All-Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program was implemented in the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools in January 1972 to provide a full day of instruction to prepare underachieving kindergarten pupils for first grade. The ADK is an individualized, language-based program that reinforces the skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in the regular…

The Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) Program was implemented in selected Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools to improve students' level of achievement by providing an additional half day of kindergarten. This extra half day gave pupils time to participate in more language enrichment activities and more group learning. Activities were designed to: (1)…