Robustness of equating high-stakes tests.

The studies in this thesis focus on the appropriateness of the IRT model applied in equating of examinations. In practise the Rasch model is applied with the central school leaving examination in language comprehension in the Netherlands. The main research topics of this thesis are to assess whether the equating results change if more general IRT models are applied and to what extend these models improve model fit. The appropriateness of the IRT models for equating of the examination in language comprehension were compared by two methods. First, it was assessed whether different models result in different equivalent scores. Second, it was assessed whether different models improve model fit, where model fit is assessed by evaluating whether using different subgroups of students results in different equivalent scores

Secondary School Principals\u27 Perceptions of the Value and Impact of High-Stakes Tests on Content and Mode of Instruction

Critics of government policies that expand the use of high-stakes tests in public schools claim that these tests have a negative impact on student learning. At the building level, these policies have resulted in a great deal of pressure for educators to raise student performance on these tests. The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school principals\u27 perceptions of the value and impact of state-mandated tests on content and mode of instruction. The entire population of 541 middle and high school principals from public schools in Tennessee was selected to participate in this study. Secondary school principals reported agreement on the following issues: (a) highstakes tests are not an accurate measure of what ESL students know and can do, (b) media coverage of the results of high-stakes tests is unfair to teachers, (c) high-stakes tests are worth the investment of time and money, (d) high-stakes tests have brought· attention to education issues, and (e) score differences on high-stakes tests from year to year reflect changes in characteristics in students and not school effectiveness. The principals involved in this study disagreed with the following statements: (a) media coverage of the results of high-stakes tests adequately reflects the quality of education, (b) high-stakes tests motivate unmotivated students, and (c) media coverage adequately reflects the complexity of teaching. Secondary school principals reported an increase in the amount of time spent on subjects that are part of the state-mandated testing program. In contrast, principals reported a decrease in the amount of time spent on non tested subjects and classroom and student activities. Significant differences were found in principals\u27 responses when examined by school level. Results indicated that high school principals agreed more than middle school principals did that (a) high-stakes tests motivate previously unmotivated students, (b) high-stakes tests are a fad, and (c) high-stakes tests are not an accurate measure of what ESL students know and can do. Additionally, high school principals across all categories (i.e., urban, suburban, and rural) indicated that their schools spent more time on areas not covered on the state-mandated tests, while middle school principals did not indicate this

High-Stakes Tests Require High-Stakes Pedagogy

High-stakes mathematics tests continue to gain popularity in the United States, with an increasing number of states setting the passing of such tests as a high school graduation requirement. Consequently, instruction and instructional content have changed, with teachers emphasizing materials on the test while neglecting other important aspects of learning. The tests have become all-consuming, taking over many students\u27 lives. Yet students are often ill prepared for these tests. This is even more true for African-American students whose cultural and social circumstances make their preparation for high-stakes tests inadequate and ineffective. The author examines six such students - their hopes for the future, their preparation for the tests, and the impact of the tests on their lives

Using High Stakes Tests to Raise Achievement

“Educational reformers and most of the American public think that teachers ask too little of their pupils. These low expectations, they believe, result in watered-down curricula and a tolerance of mediocre teaching and inappropriate student behavior. The prophecy of low achievement thus becomes self-fulfilling.

How (and Why) NCLB Failed to Close the Achievement Gap:Evidence from North Carolina, 1998-2004

Recent state and national policy changes for public education are premised upon the idea that high-stakes tests can improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps. Opponents maintain that such policies fail on both counts. Using a unique longitudinal dataset from North Carolina, we find that high-stakes tests have failed to close achievement gaps associated with social class and race, and that the persistence of these gaps is related, at least in part, to academic tracking. Such findings add to the questions being raised about such policies as No Child Left Behind

Elementary students' perceptions of high-stakes testing in terms of motivation, test anxiety, and academic achievement

High stakes tests have been suggested to motivate all students in a homogeneously positive way through the belief that attaching consequences to test scores will encourage students to apply greater effort to achieve at passing levels. This study addresses this belief by obtaining elementary students’ perceptions of high stakes tests. This was accomplished by examining students’ drawings of themselves taking the North Carolina end of grade test (EOG). It then focused on how these students’ motivational levels, test anxiety levels and academic achievement levels influenced the students’ perceptions of the North Carolina EOG

It\u27s More Than Just Religion: Teaching History in a Catholic School

This study explores how one teacher, Rebecca, makes sense of teaching history in a Catholic school. This Catholic school had a clear religious mission and did not have required curriculum or high-stakes tests. Yet, findings indicate that Rebecca did not attend to the religious mission in her teaching and, in absence of curricula or high-stakes tests, she relied heavily on the textbook. Findings demonstrate the need for a greater understanding of what curricular content is being taught and learned in Catholic elementary and secondary schools and how it aligns with the mission and purpose of Catholic schools

Is There a Better Way? Applying Rules of Science to the Process of Improving Schools

Models of school reform centered around high stakes tests for students and schools are sweeping across the educational landscape of America

High-Stakes Tests and Students with Disabilities

Federal statutes require states to establish high educational standards and to create and administer standards-based assessments for all students, including those with disabilities. Although states can include most students with disabilities in these tests by providing them with accommodations, including \u27students for whom these adaptations are insufficient to allow for meaningful participation in the tests has been more difficult. When designing and administering these tests, policy-makers must guard against unfairly denying educational opportunities to any student in an effort to set higher standards for the general population. Alternate assessments must be based on the individualized goals and objectives of each student who requires such an assessment in order to comply with constitutional requirements and nondiscrimination policies