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Improving Student Achievement

What State NAEP Test Scores Tell Us

Cover: MR-924 | Improving Student Achievement:  What State NAEP Test Scores Tell Us

By: David W. Grissmer, Ann Flanagan, Jennifer H. Kawata, Stephanie Williamson

Why do students have different achievement levels across states? Is math achievement improving across states? Differences in average achievement levels across states are mainly traceable to differing family characteristics. However, students from similar families also score differently across states. These differences are related to differences in resource levels and in how resources are spent. States with high spending per pupil, lower pupil-teacher ratios, higher participation in public prekindergarten and higher reported teacher resources have higher achievement. Disadvantaged children are the most sensitive to low resource, and additional resources could substantially their scores. Between-state, rather than within-state, differences in resources appear to be the main reason for inequitable resource levels for students of lower socioeconomic status. The conclusion is that significant math gains are occurring across most states that cannot be traced to resource changes, that the rate of gain varies significantly by state, and that reform efforts are the likely cause of these gains. The results certainly challenge the traditional view of public education as unreformable.

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Paperback Cover Price: $20.00

Discounted Web Price: $18.00

Pages: 312

ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2561-9

Contents

Preface PDF

Figures PDF

Tables PDF

Summary PDF

Acknowledgments PDF

Abbreviations PDF

Chapter One:
Introduction PDF

Chapter Two:
The State Naep Achievement Results and State Family and Educational Characteristics PDF

Chapter Three:
Review of the Literature PDF

Chapter Four:
Methodology PDF

Chapter Five:
Trends in State Scores PDF

Chapter Six:
Estimating Scores Across States for Students from Similar Families PDF

Chapter Seven:
Effects of State Educational Policies PDF

Chapter Eight:
Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Different Resource Utilizations PDF

Chapter Nine:
Conclusions PDF

Appendix A:
State Naep Test Scores and State Family and Educational System Characteristics PDF

Appendix B:
Naep Exclusion and Participation Rates PDF

Appendix C:
Sources of Bias PDF

Appendix D:
The Tennessee Experiment PDF

Appendix E:
Family Variable Development PDF

Appendix F:
Variable Definitions PDF

Appendix G:
Statistical Results for Estimating State Trends PDF

Appendix H:
Statistical Results for Estimating Score Differences for Students from Similar Families Across States PDF

Appendix I:
Statistical Results for Estimating Effects of State Policy and Educational Characteristics PDF

Appendix J:
Robust Regression Results PDF

Appendix K:
Making Cost-Effectiveness Estimates from the Tennessee Class-Size Experiment PDF

Appendix L:
Regression Cost Estimates PDF

Bibliography PDF

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