Recent results relating to the stability of scores on the Raven Progressive Matrices Test for different subgroups within and between the United Kingdom, United States, and other Western societies are summarized. Despite the continuous increase in scores over time, differences between socioeconomic and ethnic groups remain. (TJH)

Explores the structures and assumptions underlying changing conceptions of good schools. Three separate models of good schools (real estate, accrediting agency, and value-added) are examined to provide insight into the fate of urban education, the wisdom of national assessment, and the crisis in U.S. education. (SLD)

Over the last fifteen years, many states have implemented high-stakes tests as part of an effort to strengthen accountability for schools, teachers, and students. Predictably, there has been vigorous disagreement regarding the contributions of such policies to increasing test scores and, more importantly, to improving student learning. A recent…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 calls for improving test scores of minority students in third through eighth grades, making middle level schools a key venue for closing the racial gap in achievement. This study, by analyzing data on the 15,000 eighth graders who took the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics,…

More than a dozen statistical models have been developed for the purpose of cognitive diagnosis. These models are supposed to extract a much finer level of information from item responses than traditional unidimensional item response models. In this paper, a general diagnostic model (GDM) was used to analyze a set of simulated sparse data and real…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) House Passes Budget Resolution: Prospects of a Compromise with the Senate Appear Dim; (2) Older Students' Science…

This report presents results for the first trial school-district-level science assessment in NAEP at grades 4 and 8. Ten urban public-school districts voluntarily participated: Atlanta City, Austin Independent School District, Boston School District, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, City of Chicago School District 299, Cleveland City School…

This two-volume report, and Summary of Key Findings, presents findings from the congressionally mandated National Assessment of Title I on the implementation and impact of the program. Volume I [see ED499017] contains key findings on the implementation of the program under No Child Left Behind, and Volume II presents a report on follow-up findings…

This publication contains a sample of the indicators in "The Condition of Education 2010." The indicators in this publication are numbered sequentially, rather than according to their numbers in the complete edition. Since 1870, the federal government has gathered data about students, teachers, schools, and education funding. As mandated…

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data, which are necessary to monitor the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, "The Condition of Education". This year's report presents 49 indicators of important developments and trends…

This comparative study was conducted in preparation for selecting a successor to the National Teachers Examination (NTE) for initial certification of Montana educators. The paper begins by discussing the background of using teacher competency tests in Montana, and examining demographic data on Montana students and certified teachers. Then, the…

This report synthesizes the results of activities of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) focused on determining whether secondary data analysis of state and/or national data collection programs could produce policy-relevant reports on the status of children and youth with disabilities. The report describes methodology and findings…

Although the national education goals announced in February 1990 were influenced by the goals defined by the Quality Education for Minorities Project, the recommendations of the project did not influence the administration's America 2000 strategy for achieving the goals. America 2000 does not address the problems that make it almost impossible for…

In the spirit of educational reform efforts, public schools have national goals for the first time and are under pressure to adopt a national curriculum, national testing, and parental choice of schools. School reform depends on upgrading teacher education. Only a more carefully recruited, better prepared, and more professionally rewarded teaching…

The state initiatives described in this report are geared toward meeting the national education goals. Although they vary considerably, the initiatives emphasize the importance of establishing high-level goals and standards applicable to all students and providing local flexibility in exchange for accountability. Many initiatives involve: (1)…