Browsing by Subject "standardized testing"

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    The No Child Left Behind Act: Negative Implications for Low-Socioeconomic Schools
    (2015) Woods, Allison; Gershoff, Elizabeth
    This thesis examines the effects of The No Child Left Behind Act and it’s impact on low-socioeconomic schools and students. Accountability measured by adequate yearly progress (AYP) and high-stakes testing is closely investigated, along with negative results of curriculum narrowing and school restructuring sanctions. The current system of waivers is also closely reviewed. Data from government reports, literature reviews, case studies, and newspapers are used to argue that No Child Left Behind has hindered the nation’s schools, especially those in low-income areas, and has done little to improve the achievement gap. With No Child Left Behind currently up for reauthorization, it is important to look closely at how the law has adversely impacted our nation’s schools so that new legislation can be passed to better serve all schools, and guarantee that ‘no child is really left behind.’
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    Where Did Education in Texas Go Wrong? A Qualitative Analysis of How Standardized Testing Affects the Quality of Primary Education
    (2020-05-20) McCraney, Rebecca; Jones Barbour, Jennifer
    Education reform, like No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Act, introduced an intensified accountability system in which students, teachers, and schools are evaluated by standardized test scores. For Texas, in particular, the state assessment carries a great deal of weight in measuring accountability. As a result, schools are inundated with blame, pressure, and isolated responsibility in maintaining high test scores to secure adequate funding. In order to understand the source of challenges Texas education faces today, I conducted a qualitative analysis in the form of interviews. The data collected from the interviews revealed three key areas from which Texas education struggles stem from: accountability, assessment, and collaboration. The paper concludes with a few recommendations developed from the analysis such as: base accountability on teacher and student growth; use interim state assessments to track students’ progression; increase cross-industry collaboration.