Current national efforts at education reform rely largely on the use of standardized testing, the cornerstone of federal education policy as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, with its requirements for regular testing of all students and demonstrations of adequate yearly progress on tests by all schools. The challenges…

Education in both England and the United States has undergone a profound change over the last two decades as part of neo-liberal and neoconservative political reforms. The reforms have been characterized by efforts to standardize the curriculum, to implement standardized tests in order to hold students, teachers, and schools accountable, to…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. Florida has implemented some of the most sweeping education governance changes of any state; all levels of education are housed in the Department of Education, which is overseen by a commissioner who…

The status of middle grade students (grades 6, 7, and 8) was studied in the New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools. The district is faced with major challenges in addressing the overall needs of middle grade students and the impact of early retention in grade that has resulted in several overage students. Most sixth graders are in elementary…

Learning about tests will help parents help their children perform better on all types of assessments. This guide explains the many types of tests that students can take and describes the benefits and limitations of each. Test use and improving test performance are discussed. Assessment usually takes place for purposes of instruction, screening,…

This profile summarizes and analyzes data to provide a broad range of educational indicators of the operation and performance of New Mexico's 88 school districts. The profile looks at the dropout rate and student enrollment, including the number of students receiving public assistance, special education, and bilingual education. Also studied are:…

This report presents individual statistical profiles of the school districts of New York State for 1987-88, displayed by racial/ethnic group and sex wherever available. Statistical data are presented on three tables. Table 1 covers the following: (1) Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Enrollment; (2) Annual Attendance Rate; (3) Participation Rate in…

Statistical information to help educators assess information needs and trends in music and art education is presented. The first of five sections contains information on occupational conditions. Charts and graphs depict occupational distribution and average annual salaries of recent bachelor's degree recipients, certification in the field of music…

The test reviews in this guide are intended to be used by school personnel charged with locating and administering appropriate assessment instruments to limited-English-speaking elementary school children. Assessment instruments are reviewed for native speakers of Chinese, French, Italian, Navajo, Portuguese, Spanish and Tagalog. Each instrument…

A longitudinal evaluation of language arts and mathematics achievement for grades 5 to 8 in the St. Catharines, Ontario school system over a forty-year span is presented. The comparison is based on three different studies conducted from 1933 to 1938, from 1952 to 1954, and from 1975 to 1977. Secondary contributions--the effects of changes in…

In the first section of this chapter the meanings of the terms "test,""measurement,""evaluation," and "standardization" are discussed. Because the purpose of this chapter is to relate published tests, particularly those that are norm-referenced, to their use in evaluation, the nature of norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests are…

The orientation of this report is that of identifying educational projects which can be considered clearly exemplary. The largest section consists of a 22-step procedure for validating the effectiveness of educational projects using existing evaluation data. It is not intended as a guide for conducting evaluations but rather for interpreting data…

Ability grouping, defined as "the practice of organizing classroom groups in a graded school to put together children of a given age and grade who have most nearly the same standing on measures or judgments of learning achievement or capability," is considered in terms of its effect upon students' academic achievement and affective development. It…

Following a practical approach, this book focuses on educational assessment as it is practiced today, in the actual world of classrooms, school systems, state departments, and national organizations. It first covers the basic concepts applicable to all types of assessment: statistical concepts, reliability, validity, and interpretive frameworks.…

This book covers essential problems and basic concepts of English language testing. There are 20 chapters in four sections. Section 1, "Background," includes: (1) "Why Teachers Test"; (2) "Some Definitions"; (3) "Validity and Reliability"; and (4) "What You Should Learn about Standardized Tests." Section 2, "Preparing To Write Tests," includes:…