ERIC Number: EJ1362603
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0276-8739
EISSN: EISSN-1520-6688
Accountability, Test Prep Incentives, and the Design of Math and English Exams
Riehl, Evan; Welch, Meredith
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, v42 n1 p60-96 Win 2023
We examine how incentives for test prep varied between math and English language arts (ELA) on U.S. state accountability exams. We collected data on exam structure for grade 3 to 8 tests in six states that are the setting for most U.S. research in literatures where accountability matters. We show that math exams typically measured ability more precisely for students on the margin of achieving proficiency. This gave educators an incentive to spend more time preparing students for math tests than for ELA tests, consistent with the common finding of larger math effects in the literature.
Descriptors: Accountability, Test Preparation, Incentives, Test Construction, Mathematics Tests, Language Tests, Language Arts, Elementary School Students
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A