This report represents one step in Arizona's statewide student assessment program. The data presented here identify student achievement in grade 8, the end of the elementary school experience, in the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The needs assessment program (ENAPA) is described in section one. The design for this evaluation is…

Intended as a resource tool for teachers, the document provides information on 35 tests judged by professionals in the field of special education to be used most often by teachers of handicapped students. In part I, a test matrix is presented with six test descriptor dimensions (administrative, response mode, reference, content, emphasis, and…

This study investigated the relationship between the scales used for the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) 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…

The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act requires states to report learners' educational gains in terms of level descriptors defined by the National Reporting System (NRS). States may choose their assessment methods. Most use standardized testing. NRS level descriptors for English as a Second Language (ESL) define English language proficiency…

This report was drawn from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and describes the science performance of eighth grade students in North Carolina. It compares results for various groups of students within that population and examines the results for individual demographic groups as well as individual background questions. The…

This technical report on the National Association of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1996 State Assessment Program in Science provides an overview of the design, implementation and analysis of the educational assessment including details of sampling design, field administration, preliminary data analysis, and reporting of state results. This report…

Arizona's high school dropout rate is nearly double the national average of 9 percent, with a significant number of its dropouts being students from economically and socially disadvantaged ethnic minority backgrounds. The Arizona Minority Education Policy Analysis Center conducted a series of roundtable discussions with school administrators,…

This workbook, one of six professional development manuals prepared by experienced General Educational Development (GED) instructors, is designed to assist the instructor setting up and operating a GED classroom. A pretest and posttest appear first. Each of the units begins with a list of objectives and then provides instructional material. Unit 1…

This "NAEP Arts Report Card" for music, theater, visual arts, and dance is in the form of a CD-ROM. This version includes recordings, videos, and other materials used as stimuli for students, extensive examples of student works of art and performances, and explanations of how these works of art and performances were scored. The report's…

This paper examines how urban school districts that have substantially improved student performance emphasize improvement of education guided by rigorous standards for teachers rather than high-stakes testing for students. States and districts that rely on test-based accountability emphasizing sanctions for students and teachers often produce…

This paper examines the impact of vouchers on student test scores in Dayton, Ohio, New York, New York, and Washington, DC, highlighting New York City parental assessment of private and public schools to investigate why vouchers seem to have differential effects depending on the students' ethnic background. Researchers collected baseline test…

Part-time students' characteristics and teaching and testing preferences were correlated with performance on a standardized economics exam. Learning modules are described. Methods of pinpointing student weaknesses and predicting students' final results are discussed as they relate to other subjects. (MSE)

Though performance assessment has its place, it is not always appropriate. Standardized testing is sometimes preferable. The paper describes states' roles in shaping statewide student testing, discusses state assessment to compare schools and school systems, and suggests that improving teaching environments and increasing the value attached to…

Respondents (n=321) to a survey of learning disabilities teachers in the Chicago (Illinois) Public School system reported that, while they found several assessment procedures to be useful, they relied primarily on standardized test results for informing educational decisions. Most teachers indicated they had high levels of competency with all…

Researchers followed preservice elementary teachers from just before their assessment course through student teaching. Journals, assessments, and interviews indicated that they needed hands-on experience in grading, handling difficult parent conferences, handling the pressures of mandated standardized tests, and working with cooperating teachers…