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* Context.--Evaluation of medical curricula includes appraisal of student assessments in order to encourage deeper learning approaches. General pathology is our institution's 4-week, first-year course covering universal disease concepts (inflammation, neoplasia, etc). Objective.--To compare types of assessment questions and determine which characteristics may predict student scores, degree of difficulty, and item discrimination. Design.--Item-level analysis was employed to categorize questions along the following variables: type (multiple choice question or matching answer), presence of clinical vignette (if so, whether simple or complex), presence of specimen image, information depth (simple recall or interpretation), knowledge density (first or second order), Bloom taxonomy level (1-3), and, for the final, subject familiarity (repeated concept and, if so, whether verbatim). Results.--Assessments comprised 3 quizzes and 1 final exam (total 125 questions), scored during a 3-year period, (total 417 students) for a total 52 125 graded attempts. Overall, 44 890 attempts (86.1%) were correct. In multivariate analysis, question type emerged as the most significant predictor of student performance, degree of difficulty, and item discrimination, with multiple choice questions being significantly associated with lower mean scores (P = .004) and higher degree of difficulty (P = .02), but also, paradoxically, poorer discrimination (P = .002). The presence of a specimen image was significantly associated with better discrimination (P = .04), and questions requiring data interpretation (versus simple recall) were significantly associated with lower mean scores (P = .003) and a higher degree of difficulty (P = .046). Conclusions.--Assessments in medical education should comprise combinations of questions with various characteristics in order to encourage better student performance, but also obtain optimal degrees of difficulty and levels of item discrimination. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0624-OA, There are multiple challenges facing the design and implementation of continuously changing and evolving undergraduate medical education curricula. In terms of content, educators need to include ever-accumulating medical knowledge, modify [...]

Abstract While the national testing of Australian school students is now well-entrenched, the educational outcomes of students with additional needs in this country are unknown. Students with a disability may [...]

The United States has long performed at a middling level on international assessments of students' math, reading, and science knowledge, trailing many other high-income countries. In their efforts to improve [...]

The view that the returns to educational investments are highest for early childhood interventions is widely held and stems primarily from several influential randomized trials--Abecedarian, Perry, and the Early Training Project--that point to super-normal returns to early interventions. This article presents a de novo analysis of these experiments, focusing on two core issues that have received limited attention in previous analyses: treatment effect heterogeneity by gender and overrejection of the null hypothesis due to multiple inference. To address the latter issue, a statistical framework that combines summary index tests with familywise error rate and false discovery rate corrections is implemented. The first technique reduces the number of tests conducted; the latter two techniques adjust the p values for multiple inference. The primary finding of the reanalysis is that girls garnered substantial short- and long-term benefits from the interventions, but there were no significant long-term benefits for boys. These conclusions, which have appeared ambiguous when using 'naive' estimators that fail to adjust for multiple testing, contribute to a growing literature on the emerging female--male academic achievement gap. They also demonstrate that in complex studies where multiple questions are asked of the same data set, it can be important to declare the family of tests under consideration and to either consolidate measures or report adjusted and unadjusted p values. KEY WORDS: False discovery rate; Familywise error rate; Multiple comparisons; Preschool; Program evaluation.

In the midst of keen controversies on the impact of high-stakes testing and test-driven external accountability policy, the more balanced and careful selection, interpretation, and use of scientific research evidence are crucial. This article offers a critical synthesis of cross-state causal-comparative and correlational studies that explored the effects of test-driven external accountability policies on reading and math achievement. A meta-analysis of 76 effect-size estimates from 14 selected studies showed a modestly positive effect on average but no significant effect on the racial achievement gap. Nevertheless, this review calls for further evidence on the policy-outcome linkage, revealing limitations, uncertainties, and inconsistencies in many findings. The author explores variations among the studies in terms of independent and dependent variables, analytical samples and methods, and the reporting of statistical and practical significance. Implications for accountability policy and research under the No Child Left Behind Act are discussed. KEYWORDS: high-stakes testing, accountability, achievement, NAEP, meta-analysis.

Wisconsin Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conducted a statewide survey to quantify the instructional costs of expanded No Child Left Behind (NCLB) testing and to capture the perceptions of education leaders who facilitate the administration of these tests in school districts across the state. Results show that testing mandates are forcing schools to divert resources away from teaching and learning and reinvesting them in test preparation, administration, and reporting.

Byline: Rose M. Pringle (001), Sarah Carrier Martin (001) Keywords: elementary science; high-stakes testing; standardised testing; testing and science curriculum Abstract: In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education in the United States issued a report called A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. This report and other policy initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Legislation recommended that the individual states institute assessments to hold schools accountable. This research explored the potential impact of impending standardised testing on teaching science in elementary schools in one school district in Florida. We explored the teachers' concerns about the upcoming high-stakes tests in science, possible impact on their curriculum and what changes, if any, will be made in the approach to science teaching and learning in their classrooms. As the teachers look toward the implementation of high-stakes testing in science, they have recognised the need to teach science. This recognition is not borne out of the importance of science learning for elementary school children, but rather out of fear of failure and the effects of tangible rewards or punishments that accompany high-stakes testing. In anticipation, the teachers are preparing to align their teaching to the science standards while aggressively searching for test preparatory materials. Schools are also involved in professional development and structural changes to facilitate teaching of science. Author Affiliation: (001) University of Florida, USA (002) University of Florida, 2403 Norman Hall, PO Box 117048, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7048, USA Article History: Registration Date: 29/10/2004

Instructional design principles have been used to develop programs and experiences for increasing students' science achievement and fostering increased interest in science. Several specific instructional strategies, such as active learning, cooperative learning, and computer-based instruction, have been developed to improve student achievement in science. This study was intended to examine cross-cultural variations in the relationships between instructional strategies and science achievement. Students included in this study were 15,696 students from the TIMSS 1999 International Samples from three countries (Japan, Hong Kong. and Chinese Taipei). Several instructional strategies were examined and variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed. A number of significant relationships between instructional activities and science achievement were noted. When learning new science topics, more frequent use of strategies that related the new material to prior learning or previous experiences were related to higher test scores. Conversely, there was a negative relationship between computer use and science achievement for students in all three countries., Considerable attention has been given to the effective design of instruction for science teaching and learning. Many instructional programs have been developed to simultaneously achieve the goals of increased student [...]

As state-mandated standardized testing becomes an increasingly popular tool by which to make student-level high-stakes decisions such as promotion or graduation from high school, it is critical to look at [...]

This article discusses teachers' views on state-mandated testing programs. An overview of the literature is presented, as well as results from a nationwide survey of teachers. Findings from both suggest [...]

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what U.S. students know and coin do in various subject areas. The No Child [...]

Recent trends in federal and state testing policies have close parallels with policies enacted in England during the 1990s. However, rather than looking toward England for lessons learned, U.S. policy [...]

The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act has spotlighted testing and accountability in U.S. public schools: This federal statute calls for a dramatic expansion of state-level high-stakes testing. [...]

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) involves the annual testing of all students in every grade except 9th, from 3rd to 10th grade that rewards or sanctions schools on the basis of gains or declines in school scores. Research observes that retaining grades of students results in weak motivation and depresses achievement and could put students at a higher risk for dropping out.

Regardless of the state's stake level, half of the teachers agreed that the state test measured high standards of achievement. Some teachers agree that the state-mandated test was compatible with their own daily instruction.

Students may turn out as poor readers due to lack of opportunities for regular and engaged reading. Determining the test and test level for each student would help to explore a wide range of reading abilities in students.

Spending a sizable amount of time may not prepare students for their state tests and hence there is a need to enhance the state-testing program by including measures of student achievement. Seven principles are presented during the high-stakes testing program that still hold true for contemporary statewide testing efforts.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine issues ranging from strategic aspects of assessment planning to the more fundamental aspects of assessment such as measuring student evaluation processes. [...]

This study investigates the effects of state testing programs on the instructional practices of elementary teachers and the effects of such practices on their gifted students' attitudes toward school and motivation. Results obtained from a national survey of elementary teachers, representing a variety of metropolitan areas and school poverty levels, as well as qualitative case studies from teachers in three states suggest that the perceptions teachers have of standards, tests, and students shape their classroom actions. These findings indicate that teachers are not likely to engage in effective classroom practices but instead engage in one-size-fits-all practices. Implications of these perceptions on professional development and talent development are discussed., Until the late 1970s, standardized testing had little effect, if any, on instruction. Instead, Goslin (1967) found that teachers seldom used the results of standardized tests, and he reported virtually [...]

With the nation about to embark on an ambitious program of high-stakes testing of every public school student, we should review our experience with similar testing efforts over the past […]

Colleges, corporations, and other agencies often use tests to make important decisions about individuals. Scores on these so-called 'high-stakes' exams can affect whether someone is admitted to college, licensed to [...]

This article reviews the literature on the contrasting-groups standard-setting method and describes 2 versions of the method-tire person-focused version and the response-focused version. Of the 2, the response-focused version is [...]

School personnel have long used individually administered assessments that contribute to high-stakes decisions about individual students. Recent years have seen increasing use of large-scale state assessments that have an important [...]

Tests are used for making decisions about students, including decisions about promotion, in-grade retention, and high school graduation. This article provides criteria for evaluating the technical quality of tests used [...]

The purpose of this study was to examine fourth-grade teachers' self-assessments of their perceptions about writing development and writing instruction. The authors surveyed fourth-grade teachers within one large school district in the Southeastern United States. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies, they analyzed the teachers' self-assessments of their instructional practices with regard to writing. They found that the teachers revealed a wide range of statements about writing instruction with fluctuating perspectives about how writing develops. In addition, there was evidence that the state curriculum and the writing test dictated the teachers' instructional practice. As a result, many teachers revealed discrepancies between their perspectives about writing development and their instructional practices. The authors suggest there are lessons to be learned for all teacher educators from this scenario., What happens to teachers' instruction in the face of high-stakes testing? Are teachers able to apply subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge within the pressure-cooker environment of classroom accountability? This [...]

OVER THE LAST DECADE, TWO IMPORTANT SOCIAL policies originating on the right have been recast as centrist and adopted nationwide. One is welfare reform, which has pushed (some would say […]

Abstract Standardized educational tests have important consequences for both minority and non-minority students. However, there are inconsistencies across these groups with respect to their understanding of the importance of these [...]

This article reports results of a longitudinal study of relative reading achievement of 87 boys and 100 girls from 1st through 6th grades. Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (W. H. MacGinitie, J. Kamons, R. L. Kowalski, R. K. MacGinitie, & T. MacKay, 1980) data were drawn from records of 1 rural school district in Eastern Canada. There was a systematic relationship between gender and reading categorization in Grades 1-3, with more boys below average, and no systematic relationship in Grades 4-6. Probabilities of 6th-grade reading-achievement categorization conditioned on 1st-grade achievement were used to challenge the stability of reading categorization reported in previous studies. The courses of relative reading achievement over the 6 grades of key subgroups of children were followed to show how reading-achievement categorization changes. The implications include a case for early reading intervention and for reconsideration of the view that relative reading achievement is largely immutable.

The authors examine the use and inherent flaws in reliability and validity of the Kolb's learning style inventory assessment tool. Topics include methodology, use of psychometrics, and other educational tests and measurement tools.