Bibliography: High Stakes Testing (page 81 of 95)

This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices.  Some of the authors featured on this page include Lynn Shafer Willner, Pamela Williamson, Barbara D. Acosta, John M. Hintze, Benjamin Silberglitt, Neal Johnson, Alexandria National School Boards Association, Charlene Rivera, Lisa M. Abrams, and Laura S. Hamilton.

Abrams, Lisa M. (2004). Teachers' Views on High-Stakes Testing: Implications for the Classroom. Policy Brief, Education Policy Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University College of Education. There is an appealing logic associated with current models of test-based accountability: the interplay among content standards, state tests, and accountability is a powerful tool to improve the quality of schools. However, when high-stakes consequences are attached to test results for schools, teachers, and students, unexpected consequences may outweigh the intended benefits. To explore the policy impact of Florida's state testing and accountability program on classroom practices, teachers, and students as perceived by educators, this brief presents the results of a national survey in which the responses of Florida teachers are compared with those of practitioners in other states using high-stakes exams. The findings reveal that, compared to their counterparts in other high-stakes states, teachers in Florida perceived a more pronounced impact of the state test.   [More]  Descriptors: Teacher Attitudes, Accountability, High Stakes Tests, Achievement Tests

Willner, Lynn Shafer; Rivera, Charlene; Acosta, Barbara D. (2007). Decision-Making Practices of Urban Districts for Including and Accommodating English Language Learners in NAEP–School-Based Perspectives, George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education. This report presents findings from a study conducted by The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education (GW-CEEE) under the sponsorship of the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The purpose of the study is to describe and analyze school-based decision-making practices relevant to the inclusion and accommodation of English language learners (ELLs) in the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which was administered as part of the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). This study investigated how school personnel in urban districts make decisions regarding the inclusion and accommodation of ELLs in NAEP. The study explored the following research questions for a sample of four of the 11 TUDA districts for the 2005 administration of Reading and Mathematics assessments in NAEP at Grades 4 and 8: (1) What factors influenced decisions of school personnel regarding whether to include or exclude ELLs in NAEP?; (2) What factors influenced decisions of school personnel regarding the use of accommodations for those ELLs who were included in NAEP?; and (3) What was the relationship, if any, between the decision to include and the decision to accommodate? For ELL inclusion decisions, decision makers at 26 of the 29 sample schools across the four districts said they relied on ELL-responsive criteria–e.g., "language-related," "academic-related," "time-related," and "opinion-related" criteria. Data further indicated that decision makers applying ELL-responsive criteria had selected from a wide range of criteria from within this category. For accommodations decisions, the application of SD criteria was equally as prevalent as the application of ELL-responsive criteria. A review of the accommodations decision-making practices for the 29 schools indicated that 13 schools relied on ELL-responsive criteria, while almost as many schools (12) relied on criteria intended for students with disabilities. In sum, findings from this study reflect the complex interaction of decision-making practices with the school culture, district and state policies, and the pressures of daily existence in schools. These findings support the conclusion that (1) reliance on state assessment policy or classroom practice for NAEP inclusion and accommodations criteria may result in inconsistent and/or inappropriate decisions; (2) that school decision makers need a greater understanding of the needs of ELLs in relation to high stakes testing, in particular regarding the distinction between the needs of ELLs and those of students with disabilities; and (3) that stronger guidance may be needed from NAEP in order to assure the use of appropriate criteria to support the decision-making process. Appended are: (1) Interview Protocol for NAEP School Decision Makers; (2) Analysis Codes; and (3) District Overviews and School Profiles for the Four TUDA Districts.   [More]  Descriptors: Testing Accommodations, Inclusion, English Language Learners, Decision Making

International Reading Association, Newark, DE. (1999). High-Stakes Assessments in Reading. A Position Statement of the International Reading Association. High-stakes testing means that one test is used to make important decisions about students, teachers, and schools. This paper comes out against high-stakes testing, taking the position that the central concern is that testing has become a means of controlling instruction as opposed to a way of gathering information to help students become better readers. The paper, in the form of a question-and-answer dialogue, aims to guide educators who must use tests as a key element in the information base used to make decisions about the progress of individual children and the quality of instructional programs. The paper poses seven questions and provides focused discussions on each question. It also offers recommendations for teachers; researchers; parents, parent groups, and child advocacy groups; and policymakers. As a frame for these recommendations, the paper stresses two points: (1) accountability is a necessary part of education; and (2) the intent is not to blame policymakers for the current dilemma with high-stakes testing.   [More]  Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, High Stakes Tests, Position Papers, Reading

Koretz, Daniel M.; McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Hamilton, Laura S. (2001). Toward a Framework for Validating Gains under High-Stakes Conditions. CSE Technical Report. Although high-stakes testing is now widespread, methods for evaluating the validity of gains obtained under high-stakes conditions are poorly developed. This report presents an approach for evaluating the validity of inferences based on score gains on high-stakes tests. It describes the inadequacy of traditional validation approaches for validating gains under high-stakes conditions and outlines an alternative validation framework for conceptualizing meaningful and inflated score gains. The report draws on this framework to suggest a classification of forms of test preparation and their likely effects on the validity of gains. Finally, it suggests concrete directions for validation efforts that would be consistent with the framework. An appendix contains a mathematical model of the validity of gains. (Contains 3 figures and 23 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Achievement Gains, Elementary Secondary Education, High Stakes Tests, Models

Gayles, Jonathan (2004). Ignored Expertise: Teacher Response to School Reform at a "D" School, International Journal of Educational Reform. Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (National Commission for Excellence in Education, 1983), school reform has not been far from the center of dialogue about public education in the United States. This report certainly provided a reference point for much of the reform that immediately followed it and much of the reform that currently exists. Still, this report identified or perhaps constructed for the American public a "problem" to be solved, and educational reform was to be the solution. Most recently, reform efforts have focused on standards-based curriculum and accountability through high-stakes testing (including the use of standardized testing). These efforts have been the focus of a great deal of fruitful debate about how best to serve children in U.S. public schools, both in terms of the efficacy of district or nationwide standards and the attachment of "high-stakes" tests to these standards. What is not central in this debate is teacher response to the implementation of reform efforts at the classroom level. Teacher opinions and feelings about reform efforts are critical not only because of the fact that teachers will be held responsible for the successful implementation of these reform efforts, but more specifically and perhaps more importantly, because teachers are themselves professionals and their opinions about and response to these efforts reflect the benefit of daily contact with schoolchildren. In this article, the author attempts to return focus to teachers, their practice, and the way they "notice, construe, construct and operationalize the instructional ideas advocated by reformers" at one elementary school in Riverside, Florida.   [More]  Descriptors: Educational Change, School Restructuring, Public Education, Theory Practice Relationship

Lewis, Anne (2000). High Stakes Testing: Trends and Issues. Policy Brief. This brief considers the use of high-stakes testing. Much of the fanfare accompanying "get tough" policies for failing students and schools has tempered as policymakers begin to see the complexity of raising student achievement dramatically in a short period of time. Education assessment systems are improving, but they are not as good as policymakers assume or as students deserve. Even the most severe critics of high-stakes testing acknowledge that assessments are necessary for accountability and diagnostic purposes, but relying on a single test for decisions about systems and individual students is fraught with difficulties. Using multiple measures could encourage schools to focus less on a single measure and more on improving achievement generally. In considering the issue of high-stakes tests, it is necessary to assure that the tests are psychometrically and technically sound and to determine the impact on teacher and student behavior. It is also necessary to ensure that the tests will pass legal review and that tests really contribute to accountability. (Contains 16 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Accountability, Achievement Tests, Educational Policy, Elementary Secondary Education

Hintze, John M.; Silberglitt, Benjamin (2005). A Longitudinal Examination of the Diagnostic Accuracy and Predictive Validity of R-CBM and High-Stakes Testing, School Psychology Review. The purpose of this study was to compare different statistical and methodological approaches to standard setting and determining cut scores using R-CBM and performance on high-stakes tests. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-six students were followed longitudinally from first through third grades using R-CBM benchmark assessment. In addition, students were administered the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) at the end of third grade. Predictive validity and diagnostic accuracy analyses using discriminative analysis, logistic regression, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted. Results suggested that R-CBM is strongly associated with MCA performance at each grade level and is both accurate and efficient in predicting those students who are likely to pass the reading portion of the MCA beginning in first grade. Applied and theoretical implications are discussed along with future research.   [More]  Descriptors: Predictive Validity, High Stakes Tests, Standard Setting, Clinical Diagnosis

National School Boards Association, Alexandria, VA. Council of School Attorneys. (2001). Advocacy Seminar 2001 Course Book (Alexandria, Virginia, October 25-27, 2001). This course book is a collection of reading materials (articles, memoranda, presentations) to be used in conjunction with seminars focusing on advocacy in education. There are 13 topics that include issues surrounding separation of church and state in the public-school environment; constitutional rights of secondary school students; special education; employment discrimination, including early retirement plans and the ADEA; the future of public education with regards to vouchers and school choice; Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; legal and policy challenges to high-stakes testing; Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to the school environment; ethics and the school attorney; the Children's Internet Protection Act; and advising clients on effective student policies, focusing on due process/equity and zero tolerance. Other topics include federal issues and national trends, and what Supreme Court decisions do not necessarily communicate. Each topic is addressed by at least one document. Descriptors: Advocacy, Elementary Secondary Education, Legal Education (Professions), Public Schools

Educational Researcher (2000). Position Statement of the American Educational Research Association Concerning High-Stakes Testing in PreK-12 Education. Presents the American Educational Research Association's position on high-stakes educational testing, which stresses conditions essential to sound implementation of such testing, including: protection against high-stakes decisions based on single tests; adequate resources and opportunity to learn; validation for each intended use; alignment between the test and the curriculum; and appropriate attention to students with disabilities. Descriptors: Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education, Evaluation Methods, High Stakes Tests

Escamilla, Kathy; Chavez, Lorretta; Vigil, Peter (2005). Rethinking the "Gap:" High-Stakes Testing and Spanish-Speaking Students in Colorado, Journal of Teacher Education. This article challenges the pervasive notion that linguistic and ethnic diversity are causes of the perceived gap in achievement in schools highly affected by Spanish-speaking students participating in programs of bilingual education. The study examines existing data from the state of Colorado with regard to student achievement and compares these data to teacher and policy maker perceptions about Latino Spanish-speaking students and bilingual education programs. Results indicate that teachers and policy makers largely adhere to the notion that there is a gap in achievement between Spanish-speaking students and other Colorado students and that language in particular is a problem. Student-achievement data from the Colorado Student Assessment Program, however, indicate that Spanish speakers in English-language acquisition/bilingual classrooms are among the highest performing students in their schools. Furthermore, findings from this study challenge teacher educators and teachers to be more critical in interpreting the results from high-stakes tests.   [More]  Descriptors: Teacher Educators, High Stakes Tests, Bilingualism, Bilingual Education

Schleisman, Jane (1999). An In-Depth Investigation of One School District's Responses to an Externally-Mandated, High-Stakes Testing Program in Minnesota. This report explores changes in school policies and practices resulting from an externally mandated, high-stakes testing program. It is based on a study that investigated one Minnesota school district's transformation following the passage of a 1993 law mandating a results-oriented graduation rule. The paper outlines the role of testing programs and the accountability function of externally mandated, high-stakes testing. It states that the reliance on accountability stems in part from the belief that high-stakes testing is necessary to stimulate teachers, students, and administrators. The text details the background of assessment-based educational accountability systems and lists some common features of assessment-based educational accountability theories of action. It reports a study where stakeholders were interviewed using an open-ended, semi-structured protocol. The questions focused on interviewees' perception of how the district or schools had changed since the introduction of the Minnesota Basic Standards Test (MBST), the current and/or future responses made as a result of the MBST, and needs at the building and/or district level. Results show that educators felt that a positive aspect of the testing policy was that it highlighted the needs of some students who otherwise may have slipped through the cracks. Five tables provide synopses of schools' responses to MBST.   [More]  Descriptors: Accountability, Educational Change, Elementary Secondary Education, Evaluation Needs

Williamson, Pamela; Bondy, Elizabeth; Langley, Lisa; Mayne, Dina (2005). Meeting the Challenge of High-Stakes Testing while Remaining Child-Centered: The Representations of Two Urban Teachers, Childhood Education. In this article, the authors selected two urban teachers to study, one from 3rd grade and one from 5th (hereafter referred to as Ms. Third and Ms. Fifth), whose students, in spite of the school's failing grade, did well on the exam. Both were nominated as exemplary teachers by their principal and other teachers and had been selected as teacher of the year. Despite their shared exemplary status, they differed in obvious ways. Ms. Third, a white female in her fifth year of teaching, never had a desk or a piece of paper out of place in her classroom. Ms. Fifth, an African American woman in her 26th year of teaching, taught in a class that was crowded, with piles of papers and student projects cluttering every corner. Months of classroom observations and interviews with the teachers, their students, and others revealed that, despite their obvious differences, the two teachers believed in several common principles of practice. This article elaborates on just one of those principles–the use of a variety of strategies to help students make sense of and understand new skills and concepts. Referred to in the research literature as "representing," this principle was a cornerstone of both these teachers' efforts. By providing and seeking representations, the teachers collaborated with their students to promote mastery of new ideas. Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Urban Schools, Educational Principles, High Stakes Tests

Zigo, Diane (2001). Constructing Firebreaks against High-Stakes Testing, English Education. 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 contribute to successful student performances on even the most narrowly conceived high-stakes tests. Descriptors: Discussion (Teaching Technique), High Stakes Tests, Metacognition, Rural Education

Hauptman, Arthur M.; Hamill, Matthew W.; Wellman, Jane V.; Rodriguez, Esther M.; Mingle, James R.; Michaelson, Martin; Novak, Richard; Johnson, Neal (2001). Ten Public Policy Issues for Higher Education in 2001 and 2002. Public Policy Paper Series, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. This paper highlights the major federal and state public policy issues that will affect higher education in 2001 and 2002. Its purpose is to provide board members and other higher education officials with brief descriptions of the most important public policy issues. Each issue is defined, with a brief summary and a discussion in greater depth. Information sources are provided for each issue. The issues identified are: (1) tax cuts and the federal budget; (2) effects of the expected economic slowdown; (3) affirmative action and recent court decisions; (4) student aid policies; (5) economic and workforce development; (6) information technology and access to information; (7) teacher training and quality; (8) public perceptions of higher education; (9) standards, accountability, and high-stakes testing; and (10) intercollegiate athletics. Descriptors: Affirmative Action, Budgets, College Athletics, College Faculty

Hursh, David (2005). The Growth of High-Stakes Testing in the USA: Accountability, Markets and the Decline in Educational Equality, British Educational Research Journal. Over the last decade education in the United States has undergone perhaps its most significant transformation. Where in the past public schools have been primarily under the control of the local community, control has shifted to the state and federal levels. Furthermore, state and federal governments have introduced standardized testing and accountability as a means to hold teachers and students responsible. These reforms have been successfully introduced because reform proponents have provided three principal rationales for the reforms: they are necessary within an increasingly globalized economy, they will reduce educational inequality and they will increase assessment objectivity. After describing the reforms implemented in New York and Texas and by the federal government through the "No Child Left Behind" Act, the author discusses a range of evidence that the reforms have not achieved their ostensible goals and that resistance to the reforms is beginning to emerge from US educators and citizens.   [More]  Descriptors: Equal Education, High Stakes Tests, Standardized Tests, Federal Government

Leave a Reply