Tag » proficiency

• High-Stakes Testing: Does the California High School Exit Exam Measure Up?

  1/1/05 - Callet, Valerie J.

  In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition to providing additional funding for schools and encouraging local autonomy, the new law focuses on accountability in an attempt to close the achievement gap for all students, leaving no child behind. Perhaps the most striking manifestation of Bush's new law is the amplified attention on high-stakes testing as a means to demonstrate accountability. The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) is California's...

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  Mapping State proficiency standards onto NAEP scales: 2005-2007

  1/30/09 - Victor Bandeira de Mello, Charles Blankenship, Don McLaughlin

  "Since 2003, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has sponsored the development of a method for mapping each state’s standard for proficient performance onto a common scale-the achievement scale of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). When states’ standards are placed onto the NAEP reading or mathematics scales, the level of achievement required for proficient performance in one state can then be compared with the level of achievement required in another...

• Preschool Antecedents of Mathematics Achievement of Latinos: The Influence of Family Resources, Early Literacy Experiences, and Preschool Attendance

  1/1/07 - Lopez, Edward M., Gallimore, Ronald, Garnier, Helen

  Seventy-three Latino middle school students participated in a longitudinal study of the preschool antecedents of their mathematics achievement. Path analysis indicated that family resources (parents' educational level, occupation, and income) predicted home literacy activities, which predicted combined early Spanish literacy and English language proficiencies at kindergarten entry, which predicted elementary mathematics achievement, which in turn predicted middle school mathematics...

• Preschool antecedents of mathematics achievement of Latinos: The influence of family resources, early literacy experiences, and preschool attendance

  1/1/07 - Lopez, Edward M., Gallimore, Ronald, Garnier, Helen, Reese, Leslie

  Seventy-three Latino middle school students participated in a longitudinal study of the preschool antecedents of their mathematics achievement. Path analysis indicated that family resources (parents' educational level, occupation, and income) predicted home literacy activities, which predicted combined early Spanish literacy and English language proficiencies at kindergarten entry, which predicted elementary mathematics achievement, which in turn predicted middle school mathematics...

• School racial composition and academic achievement: the case of Hmong LEP students in the USA

  1/1/08 - Lee, Moosung, Madyun, Na'im

  The existence of the achievement gap is more than just a black-white issue; contrary to stereotypes, it is a concern within Asian homes. Hmong students underachieve in comparison with many East Asian students. Traditional cultural practices and poverty have been identified as explanatory factors. Our data suggest that a more critical factor might be within-school segregation. Utilising a racial exposure statistic, it was found that the more diverse a school became, the higher the achievement...

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  Testing, time limits, and English learners: Does age of school entry affect how quickly students can learn English?

  1/5/09 - Dylan Conger

  "The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to begin testing new English Learners (EL) in English language arts within three years after they enter school and holds schools accountable for their performance on these exams. Yet very little empirical work has examined exactly how long it takes EL students to become proficient in English and how the time to proficiency varies for different types of students. Linguistic theorists suggest, for instance, that the age at which students begin...

• A framework for developing high-quality english language proficiency standards and assessments

  1/1/08 - Southeast Comprehensive Center,

  Edynn Sato, PhD, director, WestEd Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center, discusses the framework for creating high-quality English language proficiency (ELP) standards and assessments. The purpose of the framework is to assist states with interpretation and implementation of Title III requirements for ELP standards and assessments.

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  A plan for success: Communities of color define policy priorities for high school reform

  1/5/09 - Campaign for High School Equity,

  This is the Campaign for High School Equity’s inaugural publication. It “makes a compelling case for the need to invest in high schools and provides a blueprint for meaningful reform.” Its recommendations include a call to: (a) make all students proficient and prepared for college and work; (b) hold high schools accountable for student success; (c) redesign the American high school; (d) provide students with the excellent leaders and teachers they need to succeed; and (e) provide...

• A Reading Program to Narrow the Achievement Gap

  1/1/08 - Erickson, Elizabeth

  Due to the No Child Left Behind legislation (PL 107-110, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act), schools are looking for reading programs that will push students into reading proficiency on standardized tests. Programs tend to be expensive, require specific training, and often require buying that company's materials. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

• A READING PROGRAM TO NARROW THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

  1/1/08 - Erickson, Elizabeth

  The article presents a study on an Intensive Reading program (IR) intervention for sixth grade students who were behind at least one year in reading proficiency. The article evaluates whether the program increased student achievement and discusses how students of different ethnic groups performed in the program. Findings showed that no ethnic group performed better than the others. An overview of the literature related to the teaching of reading and active learning is also provided.

• Achievement disparities between minority and nonminority students in suburban schools

  1/1/90 - Levine, Daniel U., Eubanks, Eugene E.

  National data show that in 1986, African-American (AA) and Hispanic (HS) 13-yr-old students with college-educated parents had average reading proficiency scores 16 and 13 points (respectively) below the average for comparable White students. Reading and spelling performance data for 5th-8th graders at a suburban school show that in 1988, AAs were near or above the national norm in spelling but were clearly below the national norm in reading comprehension. Data on AAs' performance in southern...

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  Achievement gap patterns of grade 8 American Indian and Alaska Native students in reading and math

  1/28/09 - Steven Nelson, Richard Greenough, Nicole Sage

  The results indicate that in most states both American Indian and Alaska Native students and all other students experienced achievement gains across the study period. Although achievement gaps were generally found to persist, the American Indian and Alaska Native students were at least keeping pace by increasing in achievement along with all other students. The majority of states with three or four years of continuous data saw an increase in the proficiency rates of American Indian and...

• An Analysis of the Performance Gap Between American Indian and Anglo Students in the New York State Fourth and Eighth Grade Mathematics Assessments

  1/1/05 - Marchand, Richard, Pickreign, Jamar, Howard, Keary

  This study explores differences in mathematics assessment results between American Indian students in Western New York and their Anglo peers. The sample consisted of 2,256 fourth grade students (Native=323 Anglo=1933) and 2,475 eighth grade students (Native=353 Anglo=2122). Scores from New York State's Fourth and Eighth Grade Math Assessments were examined to identify areas of mathematics that contribute to the gap in performance. Analysis of scores indicated that 58[percent] of Native...

• An Approach to Eradicating the Achievement Gap: Making Instruction Meaningful

  1/1/08 - Campos, David

  The article discusses how lessons taught to white and Asian students may eliminate the achievement gap. According to the author, social factors affect children of color including African American and Latino school children making them not as proficient as their white and Asian-American counterparts. An overview of the lesson plan reflecting questions on the students' personal experience that relate to social, political, and economic conditions is offered. The author suggests that teachers...

• Analyzing the Minority Gap in Achievement Scores: Issues for States and Federal Government

  1/1/03 - Miller, G. Edward

  The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that states demonstrate a reduction in the test score minority gap over time but does not specify what methodology states must use to demonstrate this. The Act also requires that a measure of Adequate Yearly Progress be established by each state expressed in terms of the percent of students who achieve a level of "proficiency" on the state examination. While the most common methods used by states for analyzing the minority gap in test scores over...

• Caring Closes the Language-Learning Gap

  1/1/09 - Borba, Mary

  The article discusses how relationships between schools and families of English language learners (ELLs) can affect academic achievement and parental participation in education. The author notes achievement gaps between ELLs and English speakers and discusses how parental involvement in education improves achievement. She recommends the use of bilingual personnel and translation of school documents to improve conditions for parents of ELLs and suggests that parent education programs offering...