Great (and Not so Great) Expectations: The Demographics of Proficiency Cut-Scores

Autor/in	Reed, Douglas S.
Titel	Great (and Not so Great) Expectations: The Demographics of Proficiency Cut-Scores
Quelle	In: AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice, 7 (2010) 3, S.37-48 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1931-6569
Schlagwörter	Academic Achievement; Grade 8; Grade 4; School Uniforms; African Americans; Whites; Hispanic Americans; English (Second Language); Federal State Relationship; Achievement Tests; Standards; Race; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schulleistung; School year 08; 8. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 08; School year 04; 4. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 04; School uniform; Schulkleidung; Afroamerikaner; White; Weißer; Hispanic; Hispanoamerikaner; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Bund-Länder-Beziehung; Achievement test; Achievement; Testing; Test; Tests; Leistungsbeurteilung; Leistungsüberprüfung; Leistung; Testdurchführung; Testen; Standard; Rasse; Abstammung; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Leseleistung; USA
Abstract	Advocates of uniform standards frequently argue that disparate standards produce unequal opportunities to learn. Holding some students to a lesser set of standards, the argument goes, discriminates against students at the low end of the standards spectrum. While states clearly establish different definitions of proficiency, little research explores how this affects different demographic groups. This study examines the demographics of students in states with low expectations of proficiency when compared to those with high expectations. The findings indicate that although lower performance standards are expected of some demographic groups, the pattern is not uniform: In the 4th grade, the median African-American student faces a lower proficiency cut-score in both math and reading than the median white, median Hispanic, median ELL and median poor student. By 8th grade, however, there is virtually no "expectations gap." These findings suggest that the achievement gap is not primarily the product of different formal expectations facing students. In short, schooling contexts likely better explain the continued existence of the test-score gap. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures and 4 footnotes.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Association of School Administrators. 801 North Quincy Street Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203-1730. Tel: 703-528-0700; Fax: 703-841-1543; e-mail: info@aasa.org; Web site: http://www.aasa.org/publications/jsp.cfm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10