Discusses the effects of a grammar test on student admission to the department of communication at the University of Central Florida. (HOD)

International studies may be underestimating U.S. math and science performance in relation to other countries. Such studies may be comparing U.S. students with more elite groups of students elsewhere. Lower performance may result from cultural differences and lower U.S. education expenditures. Substantive improvement depends on increased planning…

Explores how reliability and validity of assessment results should be conceived and covered in teacher education. Discusses each of the standards for teacher competence in assessment developed by the American Federation of Teachers in conjunction with other groups. Reviews coverage of these topics in frequently used textbooks. (SLD)

Models the relationship between a variety of Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) (National Center for Education Statistics) school-level data and average student assessment scores. Findings demonstrate the potential value of combining SASS with school-level assessment data as well as some limitations of the restricted set of analyses reported.…

Like a lot of superintendents, Pennsylvania's Steve Iovino believes in a simple axiom: the more student test data the better. Warwick School District, a 4,100-student district located in southeastern Pennsylvania, tested its students even in years when state-mandated exams were not required. But Iovino did not know exactly what to make of all this…

A critical, but often neglected, component of any large-scale assessment program is the reporting of test results. In the past decade, a body of evidence has been compiled that raises concerns over the ways in which these results are reported to and understood by their intended audiences. In this study, current approaches for reporting…

The success of standards-based education systems depends on 2 elements: strong standards, and assessments that measure what the standards expect. States that have or adopt test-based accountability programs claim that their tests are aligned to their standards. But there has been up to now no independent methodology for checking alignment. This…

Mandated testing is not working as advertised. Too much classroom time and energy is being spent on tests that do little to measure or instill in our students the skills and knowledge needed for their later life. Corruption and political manipulation of the testing process and test results further add to questions about the use of such testing.…

North Carolina PE teacher Marty Mentzer's Basketball Poets club has helped her elementary school students shoot for a new level of achievement. Combining two seemingly diametric opposites--the love of literature and the love of sharp-elbowed lunges toward a suspended hoop--her four-year-old Basketball Poets club has managed to raise kids'…

The summary information contained in this report provides teachers, school administrators, students, and the general public with an overview of results from the January 1997 administration of the Science 30 Diploma Examination by the Alberta Department of Education in Canada. This information is most helpful when used with the detailed school and…

The summary information contained in this report provides teachers, school administrators, students, and the general public with an overview of the results from the June 1998 administration of the Chemistry 30 Diploma Examination by the Alberta Department of Education in Canada. This information is most helpful when used with the detailed school…

The summary information contained in this report provides teachers, school administrators, students, and the general public with an overview of the results from the June 1998 administration of the Biology 30 Diploma Examination by the Alberta Department of Education in Canada. This information is most helpful when used with the detailed school and…

The summary information contained in this report provides teachers, school administrators, students, and the general public with an overview of the results from the June 1998 administration of the Physics 30 Diploma Examination by the Alberta Department of Education in Canada. This information is most helpful when used with the detailed school and…

Discusses the use of and pitfalls in interpreting profiles. Comments in the form of nine warnings were presented to assist the school teacher in using profiles appropriately. Also considers the profile configuration itself and evaluates the quantitative procedures that for certain purposes are superior to profile analysis. (Author/RK)