This case study provides superintendents, principals, and teachers with information on how three school systems have used an assessment developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)--the OECD Test for Schools--to monitor students' academic outcomes and inform shifts in policy and teacher practice to meet students'…

Great teachers recognize great assessments. As policy and education leaders work to make sure state tests are measuring the problem-solving, writing, and critical-thinking skills students need for success, they should convene and rely on teachers to review test quality and help answer the question: Do the questions on our state test reflect…

To help teachers improve their efficiency and effectiveness, this dissertation study uses regression analysis to assess two middle Georgia counties' CRCT and Math 1 EOCT data in order to determine the usability of the CRCT to enhance instruction in Math 1. Data were collected from the 2009 and 2010 CRCT administrations and the 2010 and 2011 EOCT…

The use of the Scholastic Assessment Tests (formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) (SAT) for assessment in the Georgia university system was studied. The study involved more than 243,000 students entering the University of Georgia over a 25-year period and used at least 883 different regression equations to correlate high school average (HSA), SAT…

This handbook contains information about the statewide testing programs in Georgia. These programs provide a comprehensive perspective on students' educational achievement from kindergarten through high school. This guide contains information on these statewide assessments: (1) the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program-Revised; (2) the…

Analyzed scores on the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program to determine whether school readiness was influenced by preschool program attendance. Found: (1) higher overall school readiness, physical, and personal scores for preschool attendees; (2) no difference as a function of type of preschool; and (3) that girls outperformed boys on the…

This paper compares the decision-making strategies which have been incorporated in the Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments in Georgia and the Assessments of Performance in Teaching developed for use in South Carolina. Although both instruments are designed for use with beginning teachers, the decision-making structure of these two…

Notes impact of high-stakes language arts assessments on teachers in Georgia rural districts. Provides additional support for what many English teachers already believe--that rich classroom discussion, reading from a variety of texts, student-centered writing assignments, and metacognitive awareness of one's reading and writing strategies…

An overview is provided of the "Authentic Assessment for Multiple Users" project funded by the National Science Foundation to determine whether portfolio assessment can be structured to permit meaningful aggregation for multiple hierarchical users. The research focus was in the context of science and mathematics instruction in grades…

State law requires that all certified professional personnel employed in Georgia school systems have their performance evaluated annually by trained evaluators. The Georgia School Counselor Evaluation Program (GSCEP) was designed to be used across all systems and schools for annual formative and summative evaluation purposes. The process used to…

Many professionals are convinced that more testing, tracking, and retention are taking place in the early school years than ever before. They also believe that developmentally inappropriate modifications to curricula are being implemented. As a result of inappropriate use of standardized tests, disproportionate numbers of poor and minority…

This volume contains the initial draft of a model for assessing students in vocational education programs in Georgia. Addressed in the first section of the draft are some of the components that are believed to be critical in the development of a model for assessing vocational student achievement, including selecting a program for use in developing…