This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Saba Rizavi, Patricia Ann Brock, Reynaldo Reyes, Melissa Wolter-Gustafson, Linda M. Phillips, Ted Hershberg, Carolyn Taylor, Erin Herbert, Barbara Lea-Kruger, and Timothy A. Hacsi.
(2004). Tolerable Variation in Item Parameter Estimates for Linear and Adaptive Computer-Based Testing. Research Report. ETS RR-04-28, ETS Research Report Series. Item parameter estimates vary for a variety of reasons, including estimation error, characteristics of the examinee samples, and context effects (e.g., item location effects, section location effects, etc.). Although we expect variation based on theory, there is reason to believe that observed variation in item parameter estimates exceeds what theory would predict. This study examined both items that were administered linearly in a fixed order each time that they were used and items that had appeared in different adaptive testing item pools. The study looked at both the magnitude of variation in the item parameter estimates and the impact of this variation in the estimation of test-taker scores. The results showed that the linearly administered items exhibited remarkably small variation in parameter estimates over repeated calibrations. Similar findings with adaptively administered items in another high stakes testing program were also found when initial adaptively based item parameter estimates were compared with estimates from repeated use. The results of this study also indicated that context effects played a more significant role in adaptive item parameters when the comparisons were made to the parameters that were initially obtained from linear paper-and-pencil testing. [More] Descriptors: Test Items, Computer Assisted Testing, Computation, Adaptive Testing
(2004). Graduation Enhancement and Postsecondary Opportunities for Migrant Students: Issues and Approaches. This chapter addresses the plight of migrant secondary students moving across district lines and encountering challenges such as credit accrual and lack of academic resources. Although graduation requirements differ from state to state, they all amount to a kind of bookkeeping that determines whether a student graduates from high school. The chances of attaining high school graduation are affected by state and local course requirements, continuity of curricula between districts, differing school schedules, and the efficiency of student record transfer systems. Many common school policies and practices diminish the cultural capital of migrant youth and their families, making it difficult for migrant students to stay in school. Linguistically and culturally diverse students face institutional barriers, and their parents often are excluded from involvement in their education. In addition, increased high-stakes testing places even greater pressures on migrant students, who may not be present for test preparation and testing opportunities. Migrant students who aspire to postsecondary education face additional barriers. College preparatory math acts as a gate-keeping tool in the selection of students for college, and migrant students often are placed in lower tracks without access to advanced math courses. Migrant students also lack access to the special knowledge that facilitates college preparation and admission. Fictional scenarios illustrate these difficulties and potential remedies that educators could pursue. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, College Preparation, Credits, Educational Strategies
(2004). Research Feature–Executive Summary: The Relationship between Elementary School Foreign Language Study in Grades Three through Five and Louisiana Students' Academic Achievement on Standardized Tests, Learning Languages. The passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established foreign languages as a core curricular area. Nonetheless, educational policymakers at the state and local levels often opt to allocate greater resources and give instructional priority to content areas in which students, and ultimately the school systems themselves, are held accountable through high-stakes testing. This article highlights a study designed to explore quantitatively whether foreign language study on the part of first-year 3rd grade foreign language students who continue their foreign language study through and including the fifth grade in Louisiana public schools contributes to their academic achievement in curricular areas tested on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) and the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) test. Concurrently, a qualitative aim, assessed using a survey and interviews, examined how foreign language teachers of the students tested in this study perceive that they link instruction to the reinforcement of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies content standard skills. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Achievement Tests, Standardized Tests, Accountability
(2004). The Revelations of Value-Added: An Assessment Model that Measures Student Growth in Ways that NCLB Fails to Do, School Administrator. In the No Child Left Behind era of high-stakes testing, school administrators are facing their toughest challenge ever. They are being held accountable for the performance of their schools, yet current systems in public education typically fail to provide them with the appropriate tools to manage effectively. Although the classroom is where learning takes place, superintendents and principals often know precious little about what is happening within them. As never before, administrators need the means to measure and evaluate the impact of curricula, new practices and professional development on academic achievement. For unless the quality of classroom instruction and programs can be improved significantly, students will be unlikely to meet the high standards now required. Fortunately, significant help is available in the form of a relatively new tool known as value-added assessment. Because value-added isolates the impact of instruction on student learning, it provides detailed information at the classroom level. Its rich diagnostic data can be used to improve teaching and student learning. It can be the basis for a needed improvement in the calculation of adequate yearly progress. In time, once teachers and administrators grow comfortable with its fairness, value-added also may serve as the foundation for an accountability system at the level of individual educators. [More] Descriptors: Measures (Individuals), Test Results, Federal Legislation, Educational Improvement
(2004). An Effective, Research-Based Instructional Approach to Meet the Needs of All Students: Direct Instruction. The Case for Employing Direct Instruction in America's Schools: Examples and Explanations for Administrative Personnel, Online Submission. Low-test scores in literacy and mathematics have resulted in increased accountability for educators, as evidenced by statewide "high stakes: testing. The push by federal and state mandates, such as the "No Child Left Behind" Act and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) have increased the amount of teaching and learning required of educators and students. As a result, administrators are continuously searching for and utilizing instructional approaches that are research-based, have a proven record of effectiveness and efficacy, and are able to meet the increasingly diverse academic needs of the general education population. The authors suggest that incorporating DI in the classroom may be the answer. A crucial element in the implementation of DI in most cases is change. A total embracement of direct instruction by administrators is necessary for DI to be effective in the classroom. This article discusses how administrators can effectively implement DI into their schools by providing definitions and examples of DI, discussing the types of DI available and providing examples of the cost of these materials, and addressing the role of the administrator in embracing DI in their districts. [More] Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Teaching Methods, Administrator Role, Instructional Leadership
(2004). Innovation and Accountability: Vouchers, Charters, and the Florida Virtual School. Policy Brief, Education Policy Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University College of Education. In the last half-decade Florida has been in tune with, or on the cutting edge of, several national trends in education. Florida has a comprehensive testing program, and has created a range of options for students who seem to be poorly served by traditional public schools. Three Florida programs provide scholarships or vouchers to children from failing schools, to those from low-income families, and to those with disabilities. Florida has also created a large number of charter schools and developed the most extensive "virtual" school in the nation. For 2 decades, ever since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983, school reform has been a widely discussed social and political issue. In recent years, much of the energy of school reform has been expended in one of two areas: designing and implementing high-stakes testing, and creating alternatives to public schools that are publicly funded yet free of at least some of the rules and apparatus that control public schools. This brief will focus on the second of these trends: relatively independent attempts to use public funding to provide more autonomous and effective schooling. Supporters advance two separate arguments in favor of these approaches: (1) they give parents new options for the education of their children; and (2) though competition, they spur traditional public schools to improve. [More] Descriptors: Charter Schools, Educational Vouchers, Student Evaluation, Virtual Classrooms
(2000). MCAS: Making the Massachusetts Dropout Crisis Worse. MCAS Alert. Beginning with the class of 2003, all Massachusetts students must pass the state's high stakes test, MCAS, in order to graduate, which may significantly affect Massachusetts' already high dropout rate. According to this MCAS Alert, instead of remedying the problem of students who graduate without skills, this policy threatens to push the most vulnerable students out of school. Higher dropout rates are predictable consequences of high stakes testing. Currently, African American, Hispanic, and urban students are dramatically over-represented among dropouts. Faced with failing MCAS scores, many good students begin to doubt their academic ability and ability to graduate. Research indicates that high stakes testing can actually undermine student motivation. Student interviews suggest that MCAS is as likely to drive them away from school as to motivate them. Despite foreseeable increases in dropout rates, the Massachusetts DOE has not taken any steps to anticipate, monitor, and address the impact of MCAS on dropout problems. The state should immediately: suspend the policy of linking MCAS scores to graduation; renew its commitment to dropout prevention; and begin working with local districts and professional associations to design a multifaceted assessment system to improve learning for all students. Sidebars present the predictable push-out consequences of high stakes testing and Massachusetts districts to watch. [More] Descriptors: Black Students, Dropout Prevention, Dropout Rate, Equal Education
(2004). Riding to the Rescue while Holding on by a Thread: Physical Activity in the Schools, Quest. The public health burden of obesity, overweight, and physical inactivity suggests schools be actively involved in prevention and treatment. Schools were challenged to take action by the Surgeon General in 2001. Few resources have been allocated to support the schools and in the presence of budget and high stakes testing pressure, resources are decreasing. Sources of support (research, professional organizations, government, coalitions/foundations) often criticize schools and teachers while providing erroneous information and no support. Teachers have responded to recommendations by including lifetime activities, health related fitness, and increasing MVPA. Approximately half the recommended minutes per week are provided in schools where there is any PE, many (5-33%) schools have no PE for their students. Three recommendations for scholars and leaders in the field include the following: Provide clear and consistent messages and interpretation of the scientific and theoretical information about physical activity; secure funded mandates for daily PE; be supportive not critical. [More] Descriptors: Obesity, Physical Activities, Health Promotion, Public Health
(2004). From Capstones to Touchstones: Preparative Assessment and Its Use in Teacher Education, Assessment Update. Assessment of teacher competence follows current educational trends in rubrics, standards, and high-stakes testing. Simultaneously, the traditional preservice education classroom is expanding into cyberspace; many teacher preparation programs are being offered through distance learning. As preservice education students complete required courses and classroom apprenticeships, they gain confidence and competence as future teachers; however, their new professional abilities must be measured objectively, which is especially challenging in on-line environments. Amid a growing reliance on standardized test scores, the capstone experience continues to grow in popularity. However, future teachers need to know more than educational theories and classroom practices once they leave the ivy-covered walls of their colleges and universities; they need professional touchstones. This article discusses a special educational mentoring program called the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) at the Center for Urban Education at Pace University in New York City which emphasizes the role of preparative assessment as both a capstone and a touchstone. Reflections on the TOC preparative assessment model are presented. [More] Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Required Courses, Standardized Tests, High Stakes Tests
(2004). The Culture of Teaching and Mentoring for Compliance, Childhood Education. As the effects of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and its ensuing mandates for compliance are felt in classrooms across the United States, the issues of high-stakes testing and rigorous benchmark paradigms are becoming a daily challenge for teachers. NCLB mandates rigorous testing for every child in grades 3-8 in reading and math. Children who do not pass the tests will not move on to the next grade. Schools that do not improve their test scores every year by the federally determined increment called adequate yearly progress (AYP) also will face consequences. These schools may lose federal funding, and the federal government may ultimately restructure them. There are three related postulations that can be made about the culture of teaching: (1) the culture of teaching honors children, not content, as the focus of learning; (2) the culture of teaching honors continuous learning, collaboration, and mentoring; and (3) the culture of teaching honors collaborative problem solving, goal setting, and assessment. These assumptions honor the individuality of students and teachers, and have emerged from decades of research and practical implementation. They emphasize the unique problem-solving ability that has been shown to be a standard of good teaching. Paula Weaver, in this article, hopes to shed light upon how the testing requirements of NCLB affect the values from which these assumptions stem. Descriptors: Federal Legislation, Teaching Methods, Academic Standards, Standardized Tests
(2004). What Is at Stake in Knowing the Content and Capabilities of Children's Minds?: A Case for Basing High Stakes Tests on Cognitive Models, Theory and Research in Education. Many significant changes in perspective have to take place before efforts to learn the content and capabilities of children's minds can hold much sway in educational testing. The language of testing, especially of high stakes testing, remains firmly in the realm of "behaviors", "performance" and "competency" defined in terms of behaviors, test items, or observations. What is on children's minds is not taken into account as integral to the test design and interpretation process. The point of this article is to argue that behaviorist-based validation models are ill-founded, and to recommend basing tests on cognitive models that theorize the content and capabilities of children's minds in terms of such features as meta-cognition, reasoning strategies, and principles of sound thinking. This approach is the one most likely to yield the construct validity for tests long endorsed by many testing theorists. The implications of adopting a cognitive basis for testing that might be upsetting to many current practices are explored. [More] Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, Test Construction, Test Items, Educational Testing
(2004). School Reform from the Inside Out: Policy, Practice, and Performance, Harvard Education Press. This is essential reading for any school leader, education reformer, policymaker, or citizen interested in the forces that promote school change. "Giving test results to an incoherent, badly run school doesn't automatically make it a better school. The work of turning a school around entails improving the knowledge and skills of teachers-changing their knowledge of content and how to teach it-and helping them to understand where their students are in their academic development. Low-performing schools, and the people who work in them, don't know what to do. If they did, they would be doing it already." So writes Richard Elmore in "Unwarranted Intrusion," an essay critiquing the accountability mandates and high-stakes testing policies of the No Child Left Behind Act. In "School Reform from the Inside Out," one of the country's leading experts on the successes and failures of American education policy tackles issues ranging from teacher development to testing to "failing" schools. As Elmore aptly notes, successful school reform begins "from the inside out" with teachers, administrators, and school staff, not with external mandates or standards. [More] Descriptors: Educational Change, Educational Policy, Educational Practices, School Turnaround
(2004). Teachers' Domain Evaluation Report. CCT Reports, Education Development Center, Inc. This report is the result of a five-month study; it is comprised of two components: (1) an overview of the current knowledge base regarding how rich media resources, like Teachers' Domain, can support teaching and learning in K-12 schools; and (2) case studies of teachers, technology coordinators and administrators' perceptions and potential use of Teachers' Domain. Although the research underlying this report was not intended to take up the question of the uniqueness of Teachers' Domain, perhaps this is the most prominent of its findings. With respect to both the review of existing research and the five individual case studies Teachers' Domain is a stand out. That is not to suggest that the field of educational technology is not cluttered with scads of materials vying for educators' attention; it most certainly is. WebQuests, digital archives, videoconferencing and wireless technologies are just a few of the kinds of resources filling school buildings across the country. In part, it is precisely this clutter that gives rise to Teachers' Domain's strength. Teachers feel the pressures of accountability legislation, high-stakes testing and notions of 21st Century skills, but even more, they feel the desire to teach. And they want their students to learn. And it is within this simple desire–albeit wrapped in the messy complications of each school's culture–that case study participants expressed an enthusiasm for a service like Teachers' Domain. This report includes a review of rich media knowledge base and 5 Teachers' Domain case studies. Descriptors: Educational Technology, Elementary Secondary Education, High Stakes Tests, Case Studies
(2004). Why I Will Not Become a Teacher, Teacher Education Quarterly. The author of this article describes why, while as a student in the Northeastern University teacher preparation program, she chose not to become a teacher in the public schools. She felt that her philosophy of education, stemming from the concept of the person-centered classroom as espoused by Carl Rogers and Jerome Freiberg in "Freedom to Learn," clashed with today's accountability-driven educational climate. She argues that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is increasingly stepping into the classroom and removing control from the teacher and students, and as such, it seems intent on continuing on its current path towards an educational system in which accountability and standards through high-stakes testing, rather than student learning, are the goals. She states that, although accountability and standards are certainly worth striving for, the methods of achieving them, namely the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), serves to punish students by denying them diplomas rather than serving to reform schools and teachers that are failing students. [More] [More] Descriptors: Educational Philosophy, High Stakes Tests, Accountability, Independent Study
(2004). Tolerable Variation in Item Parameter Estimates for Linear and Adaptive Computer-Based Testing. Research Report No. 04-28, Educational Testing Service. Item parameter estimates vary for a variety of reasons, including estimation error, characteristics of the examinee samples, and context effects (e.g., item location effects, section location effects, etc.). Although we expect variation based on theory, there is reason to believe that observed variation in item parameter estimates exceeds what theory would predict. This study examined both items that were administered linearly in a fixed order each time that they were used and items that had appeared in different adaptive testing item pools. The study looked at both the magnitude of variation in the item parameter estimates and the impact of this variation in the estimation of test-taker scores. The results showed that the linearly administered items exhibited remarkably small variation in parameter estimates over repeated calibrations. Similar findings with adaptively administered items in another high stakes testing program were also found when initial adaptively based item parameter estimates were compared with estimates from repeated use. The results of this study also indicated that context effects played a more significant role in adaptive item parameters when the comparisons were made to the parameters that were initially obtained from linear paper-and-pencil testing. [More] Descriptors: Adaptive Testing, Test Items, Computation, Context Effect