ERIC Number: EJ750523
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jan
Pages: 21
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-5984
EISSN: N/A
Students' Perceptions of a Maryland State Performance Assessment
Parke, Carol S.; Lane, Suzanne
Elementary School Journal, v107 n3 p305-325 Jan 2007
The purpose of the study reported in this article was to provide empirical evidence of students' views about a state performance assessment and its effects in science and social studies classrooms in Maryland. We developed 2 student questionnaires, 1 for each subject, and administered them to a statewide, stratified random sample of students in grades 4, 5, 7, and 8. These grades were selected to allow comparison of responses from students in tested grades (5 and 8) to those in nontested grades (4 and 7). A total of 19,645 students responded to the questionnaires (9,802 for science and 9,843 for social studies). The response rate was approximately equal across the 4 grades for each subject. Results are described in 5 areas: familiarity with the assessment, beliefs about assessment item formats, preparation for the assessment, effect on classroom practices, and effect on the school. Overall, students had a positive impression of the state assessment. We discuss implications of results within the context of the No Child Left Behind legislation and its effects on accountability and assessment systems.
Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Federal Legislation, Grade 4, Questionnaires, Familiarity, Social Studies, Performance Based Assessment, Performance Tests, Grades (Scholastic), Student Attitudes, State Standards, Accountability, Student Evaluation
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.journal.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A