An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Uninterrupted Time on High Stakes Writing Assessments

The design of the study was to analyze the mastery level of tenth grade students at Millard North High School to determine the effectiveness of extended, uninterrupted time on their successful completion of the Analytical Writing Assessment. The Analytical Writing Assessment is a three prompt writing assessment that must be passed in order for a student to graduate from the Millard Public Schools. In the fall of 2004, an analysis of writing results of Millard North High School students lead to concerns over writing instruction in the classroom and testing procedures. Although the assessment is not a timed test, it was believed that the class bell ringing at the end of a fifty-minute period was creating an artificial conclusion to the test for many students. The first step was to attempt to change the testing procedures in the spring of 2006. As part of the changes in testing procedures, students who had only had fifty minutes to complete the writing assessment in the past were given ninety minutes of uninterrupted time (no bells or other interruptions) to complete two of the three prompts of the Analytical Writing Assessment. As a result, in the spring of 2006, Millard North High School experienced significant increases in the mastery level of students writing assessment scores. Because of concerns over test security and consistency in procedures between the three high school, a committee established changes to the district procedures for the Analytical Writing Assessment in the spring of 2006. As part of the procedural changes, each student in all three high schools would be tested over the same prompt on the same day, for three days. In addition, all students would be given ninety minutes of uninterrupted time to complete each of the three writing assessments. The result was sustained higher mastery level scores for students at Millard North High School on the Analytical Writing Assessment

Effects of Time of Weaning on Cow and Calf Performance

Research investigating the effects of weaning calves at three different ages was conducted over four years at the Dalbey-Halleck Farm. Each year 180 spring calving cows had their calves weaned at 150 days of age, (n=60); 210 days of age, (n=60); or 270 days of age, (n=60). Weaning at 150 days resulted in greater cow weight and body condition. Pregnancy rate was similar among groups. Early weaned calves were fed a finishing ration longer, which resulted in heavier carcasses and a greater percentage grading at least Choice. Early weaning can be used to improve cow condition at calving

Age of Calf at Weaning of Spring-Calving Beef Cows and the Effect on Production Economics

Spring-calving cows were used to evaluate effects of calf age at weaning on production economics. Weaning treatments were early (calf age 150 d, EW), traditional (calf age 210 d, NW), and late (calf age 270 d, LW). Annual cow costs were greater for LW than EW and NW groups. Replacement heifer development costs were higher for EW compared to NW and LW heifers. Net income per finished steer was greater for EW and NW steers than for LW steers. When carcass data were adjusted to the fat depth of the EW steers, net income differences among groups were reduced. Breakeven for each system on a steer financial basis was lower for the NW and LW groups than for the EW group. Net income in each system is influenced by cow and replacement heifer costs and when finished steers, cull cows and heifers are marketed

Trace Mineral Supplementation and Ovarian and Luteal Function in Pubertal Heifers

Crossbred heifers (n=19) were used to determine the effects of feeding Cu, Co, Mn and Zn in amounts greater than recommended by the NRC on ovarian function. Heifers were fed hay ad libitum and individually fed a control (n=9) or trace mineral (n=10) supplement for 109 days. Dry-matter intake, average daily gain, day luteal phase began, length of luteal phase, daily mean progesterone production, follicular phase estradiol production and first wave dominant follicle size were not affected by mineral supplementation. However, heifers in the treatment group had fewer large follicles during the early portion of the estrous cycle

Evaluating Stress in Calves Weaned at Three Different Ages

Trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of weaning calves at 150, 210 and 270 days of age (i.e. August, October and December, respectively). A total of 75 Angus x MARC II heifers calves were used in this study. Heifers were bled on the day of weaning and again at 2, 7, 14 and 28 days after weaning. Blood was analyzed for differential WBC, cortisol, T3 and glucose. Weight changes were recorded. The data suggests October weaned calves (210 days) had both greater blood cortisol and glucose at days 7, 14 and 28 post-weaning and greater weight gains when compared to calves weaned at 150 and 210 days of age