Effective principals impact student achievement, and a principal's and followers' perceptions are indicators of effectiveness. Principals may not be unaware of, or fully understand, the relationship between their leadership effectiveness, priorities, and optimal competencies and behaviors. Even with numerous demands on a principal's time, often…

National large-scale assessments (NLSA) have spread rapidly since the 1990s, but contrary to arguments of diffusion theories, not every country with large-scale assessments develop test-based accountability (TBA). The diverse-case comparison presented in this article demonstrates that the interaction between global pressures and domestic policy…

Objective: The Scale of Emotional Development--Short (SED-S) is an instrument to assess the level of emotional development (ED) in people with intellectual and developmental disability. Index cases are developed as a didactic tool to standardize the application of the scale. Method: In a stepwise process, a European working group from six…

The observation systems being used in all 50 states require administrators to learn to accurately and reliably score their teachers' instruction using standardized observation systems. Although the literature on observation systems is growing, relatively few studies have examined the outcomes of trainings focused on developing administrators'…

The use of a computer and internet connection allows high school and university students to access more relevant information. However, there is no consensus on the effects of the use of these tools on academic results. This work evaluates the impact of computers and the internet at home on the results of the Saber 11 test, a national exam taken by…

While both summative and formative assessments are necessary, finding the right balance can be challenging. The author examines the pros and cons of each and their reliance on one another.

Colleges across the country struggle with determining the most appropriate means of placing students into math and English coursework. Most colleges utilize a single high-stakes standardized placement exam to assess incoming students and use strict cut-scores to determine students' placement. However, the ability of these tests to accurately place…

Studies that focus on measurement invariance are of significant importance in proving the validation of high-stake tests, and in order to provide fairness from the results of these exams for special needs students. The aim of this study is to examine the measurement invariance of the "Central Examination for Secondary Education…

In this article we address the mounting criticism and rejection of standardized tests used in the selection of students for college or university education. Admission tests are being increasingly demonized in many parts of the world and many colleges and universities are dropping tests for selection purposes, claiming the tests are detrimental to…

Individual differences in self-regulation have been a topic of increased empirical research. However, few investigations have been conducted on how sub-components of self-regulation differentially predict education outcomes over time. We examined cognitive and behavior regulation as predictors of middle-school students' (n = 127) long-term…

Many seem to believe that researcher-made tests are unnecessary, if not inappropriate, for evaluating reading comprehension interventions. We suggest that this view reflects a zeitgeist in which researcher-made (proximal) tests that align with the researchers' interventions are closely scrutinized and often devalued, whereas commercially developed…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and its implications of being a curricular and pedagogical intervention in terms of narrowing the achievement gap in science education for Children of Color. In using the explanatory mixed methods design, standardized test data and one-on-one interviews were…

A recent study in our research group found that social comparison concern (SCC) was a medium strength predictor of course grades while controlling for demographic factors and standardized test scores. Additionally, students belonging to underrepresented communities (women and Underrepresented ethnic minorities) had significantly higher SCC than…

Before nursing graduates can practice as a registered nurse, they must successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Low first-time pass rates on this high-stakes test can cause concern for multiple stakeholders including graduate nurses, nursing programs, health care organizations, and society. The…

Students with disabilities often face academic challenges while in school. They can only master academic concepts if they receive services that are appropriately monitored and assessed. This quantitative causal-comparative study analyzed the associations between academic assessment methods for students with disabilities in a local Florida school…