The increased use of criterion-referenced statewide testing programs is an outgrowth of the need for more diagnostic information for planning and decision making than is provided by norm-referenced programs. There remains, however, a need for state agencies to compare the results of local districts to a variety of comparison groups for the purpose…

The Quality Measurement Project was established in 1956 by the New York State Education Department to determine the feasibility of measuring quality differences between schools and of identifying variables related to these differences. In the latest revision of the project, begun in 1964, 99 representative school systems, excluding the New York…

Conducted in schools, separated into control and experimental groups by geography, size, and number of bilingual teachers, the study examined whether the: (1) language experience approach yielded higher scores on a reading attitude test, a standardized reading test in English and one translated into Spanish; (2) reading gains and school attendance…

This collection of papers includes: "Introduction" (Roy D. Pea); (1) "Summary of Findings and Recommendations from the Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strengthen K-12 Education in the United States" (President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, Panel on Educational Technology); (2) "National Educational…

Current research in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) field has not assessed the comparative ability of indirect and direct test scores to predict academic success. Work of this kind would inform practice in the area of testing and placement. This study investigates the practical problem of making appropriate placement decisions for students…

The 2003 New York State Court of Appeals ruling in the "Campaign for Fiscal Equity" ("CFE") case has created a historic opportunity to reform New York City's troubled schools. This opening was created because the court not only required changing the state aid formula to ensure a "sound basic education" for all New…

Part 1 of this study investigated possible causes of the observed decline in correlations between SAT scores and freshman grade-point average (FGPA). Working with a database of 38 colleges, the study found that the comparability of course grades received by entering freshmen declined in the 1980s. Three new measures of grade comparability-variety…

The program design and psychometric characteristics of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) are described, focusing on scaling, equating, standard setting, score accuracy, and validity. The MSPAP is an innovative performance-based testing program administered annually to students in grades three, five, and eight. (SLD)

This collection of articles focuses on such topics as the black-white higher education gap in large U.S. cities; online fundraising at historically black colleges; the white university that awards the most doctorates to blacks; the high ranking colleges and universities most forthcoming in disclosing racial statistics; the most highly cited black…

Examines influences that might explain fluctuations in Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores since 1955. Discusses the role of the following: (1) test construction; (2) race, sex, and socioeconomic status of test takers; (3) school environment; (4) family environment; and (5) social environment. (FMW)

Identified the effects of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and basic skills performance on grade failure, course failure, scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, and attendance of middle school students placed in behavioral classrooms. Computerized data from two schools indicated that SES and basic skills performance…

For 2 decades, policymakers have pretended that bureaucratic, state-imposed standards, testing, and sanctions will fundamentally raise all schoolchildren's academic achievement and create productive citizens. The losers have been children of the poor, working class, and undereducated. Policymakers are holding schools and children accountable for…

Background: We examined the prevalence and nature of comorbid post-traumatic stress reactions and depressive symptoms, and the impact of exposure to traumatic events on both types of psychopathology, among Palestinian children during war conflict in the region. Methods: The 403 children aged 9-15 years, who lived in four refugee camps, were…

This research investigated the impact of personalizing mathematical word problems using individual student interests on student problem-solving performance. Ten word problems were selected randomly from a mathematics textbook to create a series of two assessments. Both assessments contained problems exactly as they appeared in the textbook and…

A cut score validity analysis for a pretest writing prompt and the SAT Verbal and Math assessments was performed for academic writing course placement. This study was carried out as part of a broader program of assessment aimed at understanding the impact of the writing course and eventually set the baseline for assessing the impact of 'writing…