This study was designed to reveal the differences in patterns of motivational variables and factors, and their differential effects upon academic achievement of Chinese and Puerto Rican early-grade school children. To determine the motivation and achievement levels, 198 subjects, with 99 in each group, were selected and tested by three…

THREE MEASURES OF LEARNING RATE WERE EXPLORED--(1) NUMBER OF UNITS COMPLETED PER YEAR, (2) TIME TO COMPLETE GIVEN UNITS, AND (3) AMOUNT OF CONTENT MASTERED PER DAY. THE SUPPOSITION WAS THAT THESE MEASURES COULD BE USED TO PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT. ONLY ONE OF THESE MEASURES (AMOUNT OF CONTENT…

Multiple regression studies of schools are capable of detecting only "average" effect. A basic assumption of such studies is that all schools are functioning within the parameters of a given educational technology and that differences in output can be attributed to different levels of input. With decentralized decision making…

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) conducted an analysis of recent academic data collected from 24 KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools on behalf of the KIPP Foundation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these data to determine whether KIPP schools have had a positive impact on the student learning of 5th-grade students as…

Reading achievement determinants for Wilmington, Delaware, fourth graders show a positive relation between achievement and the student's perception of positive teacher attitude and also of positive parent attitudes. Improved data included student intelligence quotient, pre-test and post-test reading scores, and individual teacher characteristics…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of both industry professionals and faculty members of technology-based programs concerning the preparedness of recent graduates as they began a quality related position. To gain this information, surveys were administered among managers and technical leaders in industry and compared with…

The Nation is ill-equipped to meet the future demands for scientists to sustain scientific disciplines and the scientific literacy required in this technological era. In response to this state of affairs, reforms promote quality science for all but provide little guidance on how to achieve it. This study describes an approach that uses cultural…

A main goal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is to close gaps in test scores between different groups of students while raising achievement for all groups. Of particular concern are the persistent achievement gaps between African American, Latino, and Native American students and their white and Asian counterparts, and between students from…

This year the Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps…

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…

The Institutional Functioning Survey (IFS) is a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire designed to assess how different employee groups at an educational institution perceive their institution. In October 1989, the IFS was distributed to all 63 full-time faculty, 131 part-time faculty, and 12 administrators at the College of the Canyons (CC)…

A series of reports informs educators and parents about the Alaska Statewide Assessment, a program designed to measure student performance in mathematics and reading. The first report covers the 1981 assessment, proposed planning and changes in the program for 1983, evaluation plans, and test scores. Report 2 describes the progress of score…

In this report four educators discuss the issues which they see to be most current in the fields of testing, measurement and evaluation. The first section discusses the mastery of basic skills, defined by minimum levels of competence. Factors such as accountability, social policy, instructional implications, and psychometric issues are brought to…

California has provided other states with an example of how not to assess student writing and has initiated a new direction in the statewide assessment of student writing achievement, a direction designed to influence writing instruction positively. Before 1987, the California Assessment Program (CAP) limited English skills assessment to multiple…

A study of one grade cohort of students taught in a Chicago Mastery Learning Reading (CMLR) Program was extended to two additional cohorts, one older and one younger than the original group but who were taught using the same method. The students' reading comprehension test scores were compared with those of students in other schools, not taught by…