Bibliography: High Stakes Testing (page 23 of 95)

This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices.  Some of the authors featured on this page include Mary Alice Barksdale, Sylvia Bulgar, T. Enok Joel, Thomas A. Devaney, Ben Ditkowsky, John A. Huss, Shannon Eastep, Joseph Casbarro, Nelson Graff, and Linda Walters.

Kukucka, Susan R. (2012). An Examination of Teachers' Perceptions of High-Stakes Testing, ProQuest LLC. Mandates that follow from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) led to changes to curriculum and classroom instruction. Teachers felt pressured to alter their curriculum and instructional practices. To ensure that students receive a quality education, teacher perceptions of instructional assessment and curriculum is of paramount concern, especially for low versus high socioeconomic-status (SES) districts. The research questions for this study examined whether teachers employed in low SES districts differed from teachers employed in high SES districts on the pressures felt and the perceived effects of state tests on curriculum and instruction. The purpose of the study was to determine whether teacher perceptions differed by districts. The theory of reasoned action, which posits that a person's perceived control over his or her behavior is predictive of his or her behavioral intention, served as the theoretical foundation. A non-equivalent group design was used. The Elementary Teacher Questionnaire was completed by 166 teachers. Results of independent samples t-test, indicated that teachers employed in low SES districts felt more pressure from administrators and made more changes to curriculum and instruction than teachers employed in high SES districts. This study contributes to social change by identifying differences in curriculum and instructional delivery in varying SES level districts as they implement state assessments. Several implications for positive social change include: (a) providing information for formulating testing accountability policies in school districts, (b) the need for application of best practices in content teaching, (c) recommending a more equitable system to include multiple criteria of student achievement, and (d) the need for statewide assessment accountability systems to be reconsidered and evaluated under NCLB. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta…   [More]  Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, Teacher Attitudes, State Standards, Socioeconomic Influences

Ditkowsky, Ben; Koonce, Danel A. (2010). Predicting Performance on High-Stakes Assessment for Proficient Students and Students at Risk with Oral Reading Fluency Growth, Assessment for Effective Intervention. The current study examines the predictive relationship of "Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills" oral reading fluency (DORF) scores to high-stakes test performance. Data were collected from 423 students. The participants were divided into three groups based on the level of progress that was made from the fall to the spring benchmark period. A descriptive, nonexperimental design was followed by a quasiexperimental examination of the relations between progress measured by DORF and results of high-stakes testing. Results indicate that progress in oral reading is meaningful in terms of fluency and high-stakes outcomes. In addition, progress measured using oral reading fluency increases the chances of students with special education needs meeting standards on high-stakes tests. Implications of the findings are presented.   [More]  Descriptors: Reading Fluency, At Risk Students, High Stakes Tests, Emergent Literacy

Smyth, Emer; Banks, Joanne (2012). High Stakes Testing and Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in the Republic of Ireland, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability. There is now a well developed literature on the impact of high stakes testing on teaching approaches and student outcomes. However, the student perspective has been neglected in much research. This article draws on a mixed method longitudinal study of secondary students in the Republic of Ireland to explore the impact of two sets of high stakes examinations on student experiences. The analyses are based on surveys completed by 897 lower secondary students and 748 upper secondary students, along with 47 lower secondary and 53 upper secondary group interviews with students. Findings show the presence of impending high stakes exams results in increased workload for students, with many reporting pressure and stress. Throughout their schooling career, students clearly favour active learning approaches. However, for some students, particularly high-aspiring middle-class students, these views change as they approach the terminal high stakes exam, with many showing a strong preference for a more narrowly focussed approach to exam preparation. This article highlights how students shift from a position of critiquing exam-focused teaching methods as inauthentic to accepting such methods as representing "good teaching".   [More]  Descriptors: Foreign Countries, High Stakes Tests, Student Attitudes, Student Experience

Thangarajathi, S.; Joel, T. Enok (2010). Classroom Management: A Challenging Task for the Teachers, Journal on Educational Psychology. Teaching can be a daunting endeavor for both experts and novice teachers. It is a profession that requires the ability to be responsive to new demands and changing needs. In recent years, school reform promoting high-stakes testing in the name of improving academic achievement has dominated the list of problems demanding consideration. The ability of teachers to organize classrooms and manage the behavior of their students is critical to achieve positive educational outcomes. This paper begins with a discussion of research related to the importance of effective classroom management. Next, it provides a conceptual framework of Classroom Management, the categories of troublesome behaviors, preventive measures and some practical advice for dealing with the kinds of troublesome situations that commonly arise. Finally, it outlines the recommendations for improving professional development efforts.   [More]  Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Student Behavior, Behavior Problems, Educational Practices

Huss, John A.; Eastep, Shannon (2011). A Tri-State Study: Is the Middle School Movement Thriving…or Barely Surviving?, RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education. This descriptive study sought to determine the attitudes of middle school teachers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio toward the current implementation of key components of the middle school concept within their schools. Researchers were asked to assess the relationship of state accountability programs to the implementation levels of such components. Random cluster sampling was used to select participants from a population list of districts. One hundred four teachers of 201 (52%) completed the questionnaires. Results revealed that many essential components of effective middle school programs are currently present in the schools, but often less so than in prior years. Other tenets were perceived to be disappearing or absent completely. A lack of fit with state testing/accountability was the primary reason for the current lack of fully implemented middle school components, although a clear majority of teachers did not select this option. Some reported that high-stakes testing/state testing and accountability had some positive effects in the classroom. Teachers, however, believed they have less autonomy. Most perceived a decrease for enrichment, elective, or exploratory courses and activities. In sum, the results from this tri-state study suggested that teachers still consider the middle school concept to be quite relevant and applicable. The real issue would appear to be the intensity, integrity, and strength with which the components are implemented.   [More]  Descriptors: Middle Schools, Testing, High Stakes Tests, Reliability

Lucido, Horace (2010). Educational Genocide: A Plague on Our Children, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.. Across the country educational policies and practices are killing the students' desire to learn and teachers' passion to teach. The central theme of this book is that high-stakes testing is having a critically deleterious effect on students. The fallout impacts parents, teachers, schools, districts and states. Horace the author uses language and supporting evidence that is clear and relatable to the reader. Rarely is the topic of teacher care and concern for students ever embedded in works on educational theory and practice, but here it is championed as the driving force for change, exposing the causes and chronicling the effects of educational malfeasance. Contents include: (1) Foreword; (2) Introduction; (3) Are All Things Measurable?; (4) Objectivity Is Subjective; (5) Test Score Addiction; (6) Accountability Is Corrupted; (7) Education for Profit; (8) Oppressing Freedom; (9) Student Anguish; (10) A Culture of Fear; (11) Student, Teacher, and Parent Redress; (12) No Excuses, Just Results; and (13) Forgiving Learning.   [More]  Descriptors: Educational Assessment, Educational Practices, High Stakes Tests, Scores

Harvey-Woodall, Antionette; Richards, Michelle K. (2010). Bridging the Gap between Accountability and Reading Comprehension, Online Submission. How can public school teachers effectively address the epidemic of poor reading comprehension amongst the nation's youth? How can teachers address the respective needs of every student in the classroom and improve reading comprehension skills simultaneously? The aforementioned inquiries were used by the researchers to investigate best practices in the field of academia that will assist educators in closing the gap between accountability and student achievement. The researchers find that levels of accountability are determined by students' performance or lack thereof on high-stakes testing. Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between poor student performance and poor reading comprehension skills. Thus, educators must begin addressing the individualized needs of every student in order to bridge the gap between accountability and student achievement.   [More]  Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, Disadvantaged, Academic Achievement, High Stakes Tests

Walters, Linda (2014). Simulation: The Effects of Simulation on High Stakes Testing in Undergradute Nursing Education, ProQuest LLC. Many nursing programs use standardized testing packages in order to evaluate students' content mastery as well as predict probability of passing the National Council Licensure for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Instead of a diagnosis for weak content areas, programs implement testing policies in the belief that such policies ensure student success on the NCLEX-RN examination. In addition to the use of the standardized examinations to ensure success on NCLEX-RN and in subsequent Registered Nurse (RN) practice, most nursing programs use simulation to prepare students for practice. What is not known is whether simulation promotes better content mastery as students' progress through nursing programs. Therefore the purpose of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences between two student cohorts, one with no exposure to simulation and one with one hour of exposure to simulation, on the Assessment Technology Institute¬Æ (ATI) Nursing Care of the Children RN content mastery series (CMS) examination at the end of a pediatric course in a Baccalaureate nursing program. This study also determined that there was a significant difference between Cohort 1 scores and Cohort 2 scores on the ATI¬Æ RN Comprehensive Predictor, which these students took upon completion of baccalaureate nursing program. Simulation use demonstrated no statistical significance in high-stakes testing when compared to traditional methods of nursing education. Nursing research needs to move forward and find ways that faculty can become prepared to use best practices regardless of what is being taught to prepare students for licensure. Benner (1984) clearly advocated the importance of experiential learning in nursing curriculum. However, knowing about resources available to improve the overall curriculum is the key to maintaining the high standards expected by stakeholders. The final competency is demonstrated upon passing the NCLEX-RN. With resources made available to faculty by the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute, simulation and high-stakes examinations have two true connections in all areas of the healthcare field, and these are patient safety and patient satisfaction. Clinical decision-making skills are expected upon graduation regardless of practice location (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta…   [More]  Descriptors: Simulation, High Stakes Tests, Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Study

Kontovourki, Stavroula; Campis, Carolyn (2010). Meaningful Practice: Test Prep in a Third-Grade Public School Classroom, Reading Teacher. Preparation for high-stakes testing, while unavoidable, may become meaningful, these authors argue. The article illustrates the case of a third-grade classroom in a metropolitan public school, where test preparation was approached as genre study. In addition to examining the specific unit of study, the authors describe the efforts of the classroom teachers to make test preparation useful for their students, who participated in such testing for the first time. The analysis of test preparation practices is combined with the teacher's perspectives on what was effective in the particular context. The authors provide insights into effective test preparation and argue that success on testing depends also on the unique ways teachers–and schools–invent to make such curriculum relevant and meaningful to their students. The article concludes with thoughts on the ways this example may inform test preparation instruction.   [More]  Descriptors: Public Schools, Testing, High Stakes Tests, Teachers

Barksdale, Mary Alice; Triplett, Cheri F. (2010). Valuing Children's Voices, Current Issues in Education. This paper explores the voices of elementary children in public schools. Three databases were used including (a) interviews with 25 elementary students, (b) drawings and writings created by 225 third through sixth-grade students about their high stakes testing experiences, and (c) observations in two first-grade classrooms. The data demonstrate that elementary children have much to say about their overall school experiences, including their worries at school, their feelings of disconnect with their teachers, the lack of meaningful learning experiences, and their desire to be heard as unique individuals. These findings challenge educators to make changes in American classrooms in order to best meet the needs of young children.   [More]  Descriptors: Public Schools, Elementary School Students, Interviews, Student Attitudes

Graff, Nelson (2010). Teaching Rhetorical Analysis to Promote Transfer of Learning, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. This article describes an assignment piloted in spring of 2008 called the Rhetorical Analysis Project, which required students to analyze three different texts addressing a common issue, compose an argument about the representation of that issue as illustrated by those texts, and revise that argument to match a rhetorical model they chose from some popular magazine. Such tasks have the potential to help students develop the rhetorical awareness and meta-knowledge about writing that research suggests may help them transfer their learning about writing to new contexts and tasks. My investigation with students a semester after the class suggests that they believe they have experienced lasting changes in their reading and writing processes as a result of it, and therefore that such assignments may provide powerful alternatives to the formulaic writing that is taking increasing root in schools in response to high-stakes testing.   [More]  Descriptors: Rhetoric, Transfer of Training, Rhetorical Criticism, High Stakes Tests

Bulgar, Sylvia (2012). The Effects of High Stakes Testing on Teachers in NJ, Journal on Educational Psychology. A great number of teachers in the United States have found themselves wrestling with an internal conflict between their teaching beliefs and a need to revert back to traditional modes of teaching in order to have their students demonstrate proficiency on high-stakes tests. While they want to include more non-traditional methods in their repertoire of teaching strategies, they fear that in implementing these methodologies their students will not be prepared for success on standardized testing. This paper examines why teachers experience this conflict, even when they have a commitment to non-traditional teaching strategies. Additionally, the data that is presented will demonstrate that students can and do develop computational skill, a necessity for achievement on standardized tests, in a learning environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and problem-solving.   [More]  Descriptors: High Stakes Tests, Standardized Tests, Conflict, Mathematics Instruction

Casbarro, Joseph (2005). The Politics of High-Stakes Testing: To Understand How Politics Affects High-Stakes Testing, Principals Need To Examine Its Impact From Three Perspectives, Principal. The author breaks down the debate over high-stakes testing into three politically charged issues: how test scores are used as a means to reform schools; whether test designs and passing scores truly reflect students' abilities; and how public perception of schools can be unfairly based on test results alone.   [More]  Descriptors: Test Results, High Stakes Tests, Computer Assisted Testing, Public Opinion

Della Pietra, Christopher J.; Bidner, Sara; Devaney, Thomas A. (2010). Preservice Elementary Classroom Teachers' Attitudes toward Music in the School Curriculum and Teaching Music, Research and Issues in Music Education. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of preservice elementary education classroom teachers toward teaching music and the importance of music in the school curriculum as they prepare to enter the field in an era of high stakes testing, state standards, and accountability. More specifically, responses to twenty-nine statements were used to determine attitudes toward the following three constructs: (a) academic and social benefits of music education, (b) inclusion of music in the curriculum, and (c) comfort in teaching and leading music in the classroom. The survey instrument was a modified version of that used by Lewis (1991); therefore the current study was a modified replication. Results were positive for all the constructs. Post hoc analyses indicated a strong relationship between prior musical experiences and the strength of positive responses.   [More]  Descriptors: Music Activities, Student Teacher Attitudes, Elementary School Teachers, Teaching Methods

Daniel, Tracy Demetrie (2012). Educational Technology Integration and High-Stakes Testing, ProQuest LLC. Determining if the investment in educational technology will improve student achievement is complicated and multifarious. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of teacher technology integration on student achievement as measured by the Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) and to explore the relationship between technology integration and other factors (a teacher's age, gender, computer self-efficacy, and technology training).   This non-experimental, quantitative study included 106 secondary school teachers from six school districts in Mississippi. The respondents completed a questionnaire based on their SATP course (Algebra I, Biology, English II, and U.S. History) teaching experiences. This study employed a multiple linear regression statistical test. The findings of this study indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between technology integration and a teacher's age, gender, computer self-efficacy, technology training, and student test scores (collectively). The study also showed that when controlling for all other variables, computer self-efficacy and technology integration was statistically significant while age, gender, and student test scores were not statistically significant.   [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta…   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Achievement, High Stakes Tests, Educational Technology, Self Efficacy

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