National Assessments of Educational

What are students learning? Throughout the world, governments striving to improve educational quality are turning to national assessments to provide this much-needed information in key curriculum areas. The capacity for carrying out national assessments has grown remarkably in recent years, but it has not been matched by widespread use of their findings. This book seeks to maximize an appreciation for the value of such data and to assist countries in exploiting the knowledge that national assessments yield.'Using the Results of a National Assessment of Educational Achievement' identifies the main factors affecting the use of national assessment findings. These include the political context in which an assessment is carried out, the nature of the assessment (census based or sample based), the assignment of accountability for the results, and the quality of assessment instruments. The book describes the type of information that the main report of a national assessment should contain, as well as other means of communicating findings to technical and nontechnical audiences. It outlines general considerations in translating national assessment results into policy and action, and examines specific procedures for using the data in policy making, educational management, teaching, and promoting public awareness.The topics addressed in this volume should be of interest to policy makers, educators, researchers, and development practitioners.

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Abbreviations	p. xv
Factors Affecting the use and Nonuse of National Assessment Findings	p. 1
The Political Context of a National Assessment	p. 3
Accountability	p. 5
The Quality of the Assessment Instrument	p. 15
Type of Assessment	p. 17
Underuse of National Assessment Findings	p. 20
Conclusion	p. 24
Reporting a National Assessment: The Main Report	p. 29
Context of the National Assessment	p. 31
Objectives of the National Assessment	p. 31
Framework for the National Assessment	p. 32
Procedures in Administration of the National Assessment	p. 32
Description of Achievement in the National Assessment	p. 33
Correlates of Achievement	p. 37
Change in Achievement Over Time	p. 42
Conclusion	p. 45
Reporting a National Assessment: Other Instruments to Communicate Findings	p. 47
Product Specification Sheet	p. 48
Briefing Ministers and Senior Policy Personnel	p. 49
Publishing Summary Reports	p. 50
Publishing Technical Reports	p. 53
Publishing Thematic Reports	p. 56
Securing Media Reports	p. 56
Issuing Press Releases	p. 58
Holding Press Conferences	p. 62
Conducting Individual Briefings	p. 63
Posting Web Site Reports	p. 63
Making Assessment Data Available	p. 64
Other Dissemination Instruments	p. 66
Conclusion	p. 67
Translating Assessment Findings into Policy and Action	p. 69
Institutional Capacity to Absorb and Use Information	p. 70
Trustworthiness and Relevance of Information Provided by an Assessment	p. 71
Procedures to Identify Appropriate Policy or Action Following an Assessment	p. 71
Determination of a Systemwide or Targeted Intervention	p. 75
Complexity of Policy Formation and Decision Making	p. 76
Conclusion	p. 77
National Assessment Findings, Policy, and Educational Management	p. 79
Describing Achievement	p. 80
Describing Resources	p. 81
Monitoring Achievement	p. 82
Reviewing the Education System	p. 84
Formulating General Policy and Assisting in Decision Making	p. 84
Setting Standards	p. 88
Providing Resources to Schools	p. 90
Supporting Curriculum Revision	p. 92
Revising Textbooks	p. 94
Conclusion	p. 95
National Assessment Findings and Teaching	p. 97
Teachers' Professional Development	p. 98
Focus on Schools and Classroom Teaching	p. 108
Conclusion	p. 121
National Assessment Findings and Public Awareness	p. 125
Examples of the Use of Assessment Results to Inform the Public	p. 127
The Role of the Media	p. 129
Developing a Communication Strategy	p. 130
Conclusion	p. 132
Toward Optimizing the Use and Value of National Assessments	p. 135
Optimizing the Use of National Assessment Findings	p. 137
Developing National Assessments to Increase Their Value	p. 139
Conclusion	p. 146
References	p. 147
Index	p. 163
Boxes
Issues on Which a National Assessment Can Throw Light	p. 2
Evaluating Achievement on Limited Evidence	p. 8
The Nagative Effect of High-Stakes Accountability Uses	p. 10
Assigning Accountability for Student Achievement	p. 13
Shifting the Blame for School Failure	p. 13
Two Uses of Data from an International Assessment	p. 20
Extent of Use of National Assessment Results, Honduras	p. 21
Summary Report of Illinois State Grade 4 Students' Reading Achievement Levels on the 2007 NAEP: United States	p. 51
Suggestions for Applying the PISA Approach to Teaching and Learning Mathematics: Ireland	p. 52
Press Release Excerpt, NAEP: United States	p. 60
Sample News Release: United States	p. 61
Web Site, Mathematics Achievement in Primary Schools: Ireland	p. 64
Site Map, NAEP Web Site: United States	p. 65
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

National Assessments of Educational Achievement: Using the Results of a National Assessment of Educational Achievement

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials