National Standardized Tests Research Articles

Assessing the efficiency of secondary schools in Chile: a data envelopment analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the efficiency of secondary education schools in Chile. Since the early 1980s, several educational reforms have been passed with the main objective of improving the quality, equity and efficiency of the Chilean education system. This has initiated a debate about the efficient use of public educational resources. In response, this study provides insights into identifying the most efficient types of schools based on a set of different inputs and outputs. Design/methodology/approach This quantitative research study used data envelopment analysis (DEA), which estimates a single index of efficiency to identify schools performing at superior levels compared to other schools with similar characteristics. Two sets of models are created for evaluating efficiency. The first set of analyses provides a longitudinal efficiency comparison based on student performance on two national standardized tests as outputs, and the second model incorporates socioeconomic characteristics of students attending different schools as inputs in the efficiency estimation. Findings Based on the longitudinal models, it was found that private schools are more efficient and more consistent in maintaining their efficiency over time than other types of schools. In addition, when accounting for socioeconomic factors, publicly subsidized schools were more efficient than public schools. Practical implications The Chilean parliament is currently discussing new educational reforms that focus on more efficient use of educational resources to improve educational quality and equity. The results provided in this study generate useful evidence for policymakers and other stakeholders regarding school efficiency and the appropriate allocation of public resources to support diverse students served by different types of secondary educational institutions. Social implications Education is a key factor affecting social mobility and socioeconomic improvement of societies. Schools are called upon to improve their performance to promote these social goals. Accordingly, more novel forms of research on efficiency are necessary to assess how well schools are transforming their inputs into performance outputs. Originality/value This study provides a longitudinal analysis of educational efficiency using DEA with a national data set of Chilean schools to evaluate how consistent the schools are in maintaining their levels of efficiency over time. In addition, one DEA model accounts for a social “vulnerability” index at the student level to better understand how efficiently secondary schools use their resources. The insights gained provide data-driven answers to support more informed educational decision-making and policy processes in Chile.

Student's Second-Language Grade May Depend on Classroom Listening Position.

The purpose of this experiment was to explore whether listening positions (close or distant location from the sound source) in the classroom, and classroom reverberation, influence students’ score on a test for second-language (L2) listening comprehension (i.e., comprehension of English in Swedish speaking participants). The listening comprehension test administered was part of a standardized national test of English used in the Swedish school system. A total of 125 high school pupils, 15 years old, participated. Listening position was manipulated within subjects, classroom reverberation between subjects. The results showed that L2 listening comprehension decreased as distance from the sound source increased. The effect of reverberation was qualified by the participants’ baseline L2 proficiency. A shorter reverberation was beneficial to participants with high L2 proficiency, while the opposite pattern was found among the participants with low L2 proficiency. The results indicate that listening comprehension scores—and hence students’ grade in English—may depend on students’ classroom listening position.

Effects of reading Strategies and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge on Turkish EFL Learners’ Text Inferencing Skills

<p>Within the framework of foreign language teaching and learning, reading strategies, depth of vocabulary knowledge and text inferencing skills have not been researched extensively. This study tries to fill this gap by analyzing the effects of reading strategies used by Turkish EFL learners and their depth of vocabulary knowledge on their text inferencing skills. Three different measures were used in the study: Word Association Test (WAT), Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI), and inferencing questions used in a standardized national test. The association test and reading strategies scores were regressed on inferencing scores of the participants. The results revealed that depth of vocabulary knowledge was a better predictor of inferencing skills compared to reading strategies. However, the model created by using these two predictors accounted for only 15% of the variance, and the major implication of this result is that there are other more significant factors which affect text inferencing skills of EFL learners than reading strategies and depth of vocabulary knowledge.</p>

Parents’ years in Sweden and children’s educational performance

AbstractThis paper assesses the intergenerational effect of immigrant parents’ incorporation experiences, measured as time in Sweden, on the educational performance of their children, using full Swedish population registry data for 22 cohorts. Employing family fixed-effects, we examine final course grades and national standardized test scores in Swedish and math by parents’ country of origin. Results show a positive effect of parents’ time in Sweden on their children’s performance in Swedish, but not for math performance. These results demonstrate the importance of parents’ linguistic acculturation on their children’s educational performance.Jel codes:I21, J15, J62

Reducing Mistakes in Mathematics Problem Solving through Behavioral Training with a Tablet Computer

This paper proposes a mathematics learning system intended to reduce mistakes in problem solving through behavioral training using a tablet computer. We focused on the case where students’ errors were not due to a lack of knowledge but to a simple mistake. Specifically, we consider the context of traditional assessment methods that feature do-it-again feedback that can focus on the simple mistake, as opposed to conceptual knowledge or logic. The proposed scheme aims to identify and visualize measurable features of behavior that leads to mistakes among students engaged in problem-solving activities. As a pilot study, we placed students in one of two groups: high-scoring and average-scoring students on a national standardized mathematics test in the Republic of Korea. Then, using a tablet computer, we collected information on the handwriting and navigation behavior of students during problem solving with millisecond precision and determined its meaningful features. During the experiments, 15 of the 45 participants were trained on certain features of problem-solving behavior, identified in the pilot study. Three problem-solving assessments were performed, and two training sessions were provided. The results showed that students who trained in problem-solving behaviors achieved an improvement of approximately 14 percent, without additional knowledge training.

El Rol del Género en las Interacciones Pedagógicas de Aulas de Matemática Chilenas

En Chile existen importantes diferencias de género, a favor de los hombres, en los resultados de pruebas nacionales e internacionales en matemática. Este estudio buscó determinar si existen diferencias de género en las interacciones en el aula y se indagó en la relación entre creencias docentes y prácticas pedagógicas. Se filmaron 40 clases de matemática de 7° básico de escuelas municipales chilenas, correspondientes a 20 profesores/as seleccionados/as en un muestreo por conveniencia. Se codificaron las interacciones pedagógicas según género y se aplicó a los docentes un cuestionario de creencias auto-reportadas. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y se utilizaron las pruebas de Wilcoxon y U de Mann-Whitney para comparar grupos. Se encontró que los/as docentes formulan más preguntas que requieren procesos cognitivos complejos para ser respondidas y dan más retroalimentación a hombres que a mujeres, y que los alumnos participan más que las alumnas. No existen diferencias en estas prácticas entre docentes hombres y mujeres. Además, se encontró evidencia inicial de una concordancia entre creencias y prácticas en los/as docentes que reportaron estereotipos explícitos de género respecto del aprendizaje en matemática.

Media representations of national and international standardized testing in the Israeli education system

ABSTRACTThis study applies discourse analysis to Israeli media coverage of national and international standardized examinations within Israel's public education system. Through systematic analysis of the topic in the two main Israeli financial publications between the years 2000 and 2013, we explore the nature and narrative of the media and compare the coverage of national and international standardized testing. We find that most of the media attention was devoted to international examinations, while national examinations were covered in a more limited yet critical way, perceived as unnecessary and even dubious. International examinations, in contrast, were described as axiomatic components of the education system. Articles on both national and international standardized testing criticize the education system, blaming teachers, the Ministry of Education, budget constraints, and marginalized populations for Israeli students’ inadequate results. We frame our analysis by alignment of the articles along global–local and also neoliberal–humanistic axes. We structure our assessment within the global–local nexus and discuss the broader implications of the role of the testing in framing the local educational public discourse.

The effect of bidialectal literacy on school achievement

The Norwegian language has two written standards, Bokmål (majority variety) and Nynorsk (minority variety), and children receive their schooling in one or other of them. Pupils schooled in Nynorsk acquire the Bokmål variety simultaneously through extracurricular exposure and thus develop what may be termed bidialectal literacy. In this study, we correlate, at municipal level, the results from Norwegian standardized national tests in reading, arithmetic, and English from four cohorts of eighth graders (2009–2012), with available statistics on language of instruction and socio-economic status. The finding is that municipalities with Nynorsk pupils have better than average results in national tests once socio-economic factors are taken into consideration. We suggest that this may be seen as an effect of the ‘bilingual advantage’ in cognitive development and that such advantage may arise even in the case of closely related linguistic varieties.

Understanding factors related to Chilean students' digital skills: A mixed methods analysis

For new generations to fully integrate and participate in an increasingly technology-rich society they must become digitally literate. Education systems have a role to play in this, especially given the growing evidence of a digital divide. Through this study, we look to identify and characterize factors related to the digital skills of 10th grade Chilean students, as measured by a national standardized test. A mixed methodology was used to explore these factors and provide a more detailed analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using a Hierarchical Linear Model to determine which factors explain student performance on the test. In addition to this, a qualitative analysis was also carried out using an exploratory case study. The purpose of this case study was to take a more in-depth look at the characteristics of high and low-performing students on the digital skills test. This was done by analyzing their activities, perceptions and motivations when using technology. The quantitative results revealed that the most important factors in developing digital skills are having access to a computer at home, linguistic capital, socioeconomic status, and years of experience using a computer. The qualitative study also revealed that students who scored highly on the test were generally able to focus and concentrate on their school assignments when using the Internet. These students also adopted cognitive and organizational strategies in order to be more effective. Our findings should be further investigated in order to support the design of school activities that aim to develop students' digital skills.

Network Management of Food Additives Quality Analysis and Inspection

In this paper, on the basis of the implementation of the national chemical industry standard analytical test methods and analysis of test items, a food additive quality analysis and inspection of network management applications are developed using the development technology of Visual Basic language and computer system operating environment, to achieve a network management software for users on food additives of quality analytical testing. The software sets up an information sharing network platform for enterprise and quality management departments, which is a major innovation in the food additive quality analysis on test management methods and tools. 1. Significance of the Research  In today's social development, the computer has brought great convenience and efficiency to people's work and life. Information technology, network technology has become the important choice of cost savings, increase efficiency (1). If traditional methods are used to complete analysis of current data processing and inspection reports analyzing in food additive quality inspection with inconvenience on experiment inspectors and managers, which not only result in data no registration and data loss, but also inefficient and careless management flaws. Therefore, in order to meet the chemical manufacturers of food additives quality analysis of network management needs tests, the development of food additive quality of the results of calculation test, data processing, product specifications automatic evaluation and preservation of computer print management software are significant (2). 2. Purpose of the Research

A avaliação das aprendizagens no ensino básico português e o reforço da avaliação sumativa externa

A avaliação das aprendizagens, nas últimas décadas, tem sido utilizada pelos Estados economicamente desenvolvidos como um processo de monitorização e de prestação de contas da qualidade da educação escolar promovida, naquilo que se vem designando de processos de accountability. Tal finalidade tem sido concretizada pelo aumento da avaliação sumativa externa, realizada por exames nacionais estandardizados. Os resultados obtidos pelos alunos nessas provas servem de barômetro para aferir e monitorizar essa qualidade educativa, com referência a padrões uniformes, determinados economicamente e que são visíveis em metas oficialmente estabelecidas para a educação escolar. É pela medição do cumprimento dessas metas pelos alunos nos exames nacionais que se processa a aferição e a monitorização por parte dos Estados da qualidade educativa. Não estando Portugal distante dessa influência neoliberal e neoconservadora na educação escolar, o objetivo do presente texto consiste em analisar e refletir sobre as mudanças nas orientações legais para a avaliação das aprendizagens no ensino básico que foram implementadas a partir de 2012 e que têm que ser enquadradas numa ideologia neoliberal mitigada. Esta análise e reflexão incidem sobre os documentos normativos que atualmente regulamentam a avaliação das aprendizagens no ensino básico português e que se traduziram no alargamento dos exames nacionais de português e a matemática aos três ciclos desse nível de ensino e na tendência de valorização dos resultados em detrimento dos processos de aprendizagem.

Sleep Data Lead Large School System to Push Back High School Start Times

Sleep Data Lead Large School System to Push Back High School Start Times

Genetic differential susceptibility in literacy-delayed children: A randomized controlled trial on emergent literacy in kindergarten

In this randomized controlled trial, 508 5-year-old kindergarten children participated, of whom 257 were delayed in literacy skills because they belonged to the lowest quartile of a national standard literacy test. We tested the hypothesis that some children are more susceptible to school-entry educational interventions than their peers due to their genetic makeup, and thus whether the dopamine receptor D4 gene moderated intervention effects. Children were randomly assigned to a control condition or one of two interventions involving computer programs tailored to the literacy needs of delayed pupils: Living Letters for alphabetic knowledge and Living Books for text comprehension. Effects of Living Books met the criteria of differential susceptibility. For carriers of the dopamine receptor D4 gene seven-repeat allele (about one-third of the delayed group), the Living Books program was an important addition to the common core curriculum in kindergarten (effect size d = 0.56), whereas the program did not affect the other children (d = -0.09). The same seven-repeat carriers benefited more from Living Letters than did the noncarriers, as reflected in effect sizes of 0.63 and 0.34, respectively, although such differences did not fulfill the statistical criteria for differential susceptibility. The implications of differential susceptibility for education and regarding the crucial question "what works for whom?" are discussed.

Gang Risk Factors and Academic Readiness in a Southern Middle School

The current Georgia study examines middle-school-aged gang and non-gang members regarding the risk factors of gang membership and potential effects of these risk factors on academic achievement. Participants, 406 eighth grade students from a suburban middle-school, completed a 42-item survey assessing an array of demographic and risk factor variables. In addition, students provided self-report information regarding their success on national standardized testing used to measure academics readiness. Of the 28 variables analyzed, lower academic readiness was associated with ethnicity and/or gang membership. Findings are discussed in light of the complexity of the gang issue and the importance of recognizing the specificity associated with demographic predictors. Researchers are encouraged to continue exploring gang involvement in a variety of settings investigating differences in locality, school structure, and race/ethnicity. Teachers, parents, school administrators, and other key stakeholders may examine the aforementioned differences to collaboratively develop and share prevention and intervention successes and failures to enhance academic readiness and reduce gang involvement among youth.

The relationship between unhealthy snacking at school and academic outcomes: a population study in Chilean schoolchildren.

We examined the association between unhealthy snacking at school and academic outcomes in students from the Santiago Metropolitan Region (Chile). Cross-sectional population-based study. We measured the nutritional quality of snacks at school using an FFQ, and accounting for the amounts of saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt in the foods, and academic outcomes using national standardized test scores in Language and Mathematics. Multivariate regression analyses modelled the relationship between unhealthy snacking at school (exposure), potential confounders and performance in Mathematics and Language (outcomes). Random sample of 1073 students (13.1 (SD 2.3) years old) attending public, partially subsidized and private schools. Fifty-six per cent of students ate items at snack time that were high in fat, sugar, salt and energy, and thus were considered to have unhealthy snaking. Thirty-six per cent and 8% were considered to have poor-to-fair and healthy snacking, respectively. Unhealthy snacking significantly lowered the odds of good academic performance in both domains. Students having unhealthy snacks were 56% less likely to pass in Language (fully adjusted OR = 0.44; 95% CI 0.23, 0.85) and 66% less likely to pass in Mathematics (fully adjusted OR = 0.34; 95% CI 0.19, 0.64) compared with students having healthy snack items. Schoolchildren eating unhealthy foods at snack time had worse academic performance in Language and Mathematics, as measured by a standardized test. Although association does not imply causation, these findings support the notion that academic and health-related behaviours are linked. More research is needed on the effect of school health programmes on educational outcomes.

Design of Light Moisture Tester and its Application in Tiefa Coal Industry Group

This paper introduces the research and design of a light moisture tester. In the coal quality analysis field, moisture test most of the use of infrared heating pipe heating or drying box to measure, low heating rates, nitrogen through a single mode, before heating furnace uniform nitrogen filled with test conditions and have the test conditions, the same way caused by nitrogen, nitrogen waste. Based on this study, the heating pipe comprises an infrared tube into a light tube, the heating rate is improved; the general nitrogen control size flow switching mode using 2.5min before the experiment, large flow quick heating furnace filled with nitrogen, achieved through experimental conditions drying nitrogen, open a small flow, keep the atmosphere. The improved design of a light moisture meter analysis of water air drying method precision test, analysis of water air drying method accuracy experiments, 6 water - air drying method of precision experiment, 6 water - air drying method accuracy experiments, analysis of water through nitrogen drying method precision experiment, analysis of water. Nitrogen drying method accuracy experiments, Ȼ 6 full water through nitrogen drying method precision experiment, Ȼ 6 full water through nitrogen drying method accuracy experiments, results in line with national standard test, repeatability. Instrument for field application test in Tiefa Coal Industry Group, good test effect.

Comparing marginal effects of Chilean students' economic, social and cultural status on digital versus reading and mathematics performance

This paper provides evidence that helps understand the digital divide in education. It does so by comparing the effect of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) on the digital skills of Chilean students compared with mathematics and language. This comparison is made using national standardized tests. The marginal effect of a group of variables measuring student ESCS was compared both as a whole and separately using multivariate linear regression analysis. The results show that the marginal effect of ESCS as a whole on students' digital skills was equal to the effect on mathematics and greater than the effect on language. Furthermore, the results show that the parents' level of education was the most relevant factor of ESCS for explaining student performance on the digital test, more so than for mathematics and language. These findings challenge the belief that the Internet would reduce economic, social and cultural inequalities in new generations. Instead, they reveal that the gap among Chilean students tends to perpetuate or widen when comparing performance in mathematics and language with performance in the digital domain. At the same time, by comparing national test results, this paper offers empirical evidence for the existence of a second digital divide in the field of education, a concept which is widely discussed at a theoretical level but with little empirical support to date.

Why Can’t Teenagers Go to Sleep Earlier?

Puberty signals a change in adolescents’ biological clock that compels them to stay up about two hours longer than they did when they were younger, but their schools rarely consider this fact.

School Starts Too Early for Teens, Pediatricians Agree

School Starts Too Early for Teens, Pediatricians Agree

College English Test: To Be Abolished or To Be Polished

College English Test (CET) is a national standardized achievement test in mainland China. As a test with government backing, its passing rate has been used as one important index to evaluate higher institutions’ teaching quality, which has pushed institutions to improve the teaching facilities and enhance quality of teaching staff for College English. It is believed that this has ever promoted the rapid growth of undergraduates’ English level and accumulated knowledge for test development. Meanwhile Chinese society has imposed upon CET extra value, which makes it a high-stakes test and its negative impacts are emerging. It has resulted in test-oriented education and become a hurdle to College English reform. In addition its validity and fairness are constantly being challenged. After carefully balancing its positive and negative backwash to College English teaching and learning, I propose that a substantial reform of the present CET might be a feasible solution. Government’s withdraw of its administrative role from CET and a change from achievement to proficiency test should be the orientation of reform. Furthermore, the validity of the test needs to be further improved.