Test Score or Student Progress? A Value-Added Evaluation of School Effectiveness in Urban China

Outcome-oriented evaluation of school effectiveness is often based on student test scores in certain critical examinations. This study provides another method of evaluation—value-added—which is based on student achievement progress. This paper introduces the method of estimating the value-added score of schools in multi-level models. Based on longitudinal student achievement data, two measures of school effectiveness in one local education authority in China are compared. It is found that the between-school difference in both test-score and value-added is large comparable with that of Western countries. The results of the two measures of school effectiveness are highly different. The value-added measures lack consistency across different subject areas within schools while the test score measures are highly correlated between subjects. Teachers show their preference for value-added measures over test-score measures of education quality. It is suggested that value-added measures of school effectiveness should be used as a complement to rather than a substitute for test-score measures. The shortcomings of value-added approach are also discussed.     

Benchmarking citation measures among the Australian education professoriate

Individual researchers and the organisations for which they work are interested in comparative measures of research performance for a variety of purposes. Such comparisons are facilitated by quantifiable measures that are easily obtained and offer convenience and a sense of objectivity. One popular measure is the journal impact factor, based on citation rates, but it is a measure intended for journals rather than individuals. Moreover, educational research publications are not well represented in the databases most widely used for calculation of citation measures, leading to doubts about the usefulness of such measures in education. Newer measures and data sources offer alternatives that provide wider representation of education research. However, research has shown that citation rates vary according to discipline and that valid comparisons depend upon the availability of discipline-specific benchmarks. This study sought to provide such benchmarks for Australian educational researchers based on analysis of citation measures obtained for the Australian education professoriate.     

Equity and social exclusion measures in EU lifelong learning policies

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to examine how EU lifelong learning policies are trying to reach the vulnerable by looking at what measures against social exclusion they offer and how equitable these measures are. It is a qualitative study that focuses on policy documents that form the European Union’s legal and political frameworks of reference in the lifelong learning area since 1992. The document analysis has been complemented by semi-structured interviews with EU lifelong learning experts. The findings show that early school leavers and migrants are the main target groups in the policies, leaving many other groups at risk of being excluded from learning opportunities. There is not enough attention to measures addressing wider social phenomena. There is also an overemphasis on basic skills which are understood in a very narrow way as literacy and numeracy when referring to the vulnerable. We argue that a greater variety of measures as well as better targeted measures are needed to address the multiple and complex needs of the vulnerable. Such measures would allow a broader understanding of lifelong learning where those that are hardest to reach are offered learning opportunities independent of their personal and social circumstances     

试论我国著作权法技术保护措施的限制规则

技术保护措施是数字网络时代权利人的一种自力救济手段,为技术措施提供法律保护是我国作为WCT与WPPT成员国应尽的义务。对技术措施的保护需要协调好与合理使用制度间的关系,对技术措施进行限制。通过比较,发现我国著作权法关于技术措施的保护力度高于美国、欧盟等发达国家或地区,与作为发展中国国家的基本国情不符,需要进一步限制技术保护措施。通过分析限制技术措施的正当性所在,在比较国外先进立法模式基础之上,提出完善我国技术措施的建议。     

Evaluating psychometric properties of common autism educational identification measures through a culturally and linguistically responsive lens

Little information regarding the psychometric properties of the most commonly used autism identification measures used in school settings with traditionally racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) groups is available. This analysis of autism identification measures is particularly important due to the demographic increase in the United States among most REM populations in recent decades. In addition, most REM groups are inequitably identified for autism and these measures may contribute to disproportionate identification based on problematic psychometric factors. This study systematically compiles the recommended psychometric properties pertaining to validity and reliability of the common autism identification measures among REM groups that are traditionally underrepresented (i.e., Black and Latinx populations) for autism identification. Conclusions suggest that several of the most common autism identification measures lack sufficient psychometric analyses to evaluate appropriate utilization with REM populations, specifically those who are Black and Latinx. The findings from this study may inform school psychologists' utilization and knowledge of limitations of these measures, as well as assisting with the determination of the appropriateness of these measures for use with REM populations.     

Comparing the Accuracy of Student Growth Measures

Testing programs are often interested in using a student growth measure. This article presents analytic derivations of the accuracy of common student growth measures on both the raw scale of the test and the percentile rank scale in terms of the proportional reduction in mean squared error and the squared correlation between the estimator and target. The study contrasts the accuracy of the growth measures against that of current status measures—current test scores and their percentile ranks. Key findings include the extent that status measures are more accurate than any of the growth measures and that alternative methods to estimate growth could be more accurate than the currently used methods. Our findings highlight the importance for evaluating the statistical properties of growth measures along with other concerns for states that are debating the reporting of growth. Our results also point out that assessing the accuracy of growth measures requires the specification of quantities of interest in terms of latent achievement rather than observed test scores, which is common practice for developing status measures but essentially never done by testing programs for growth measures.     

Multiple Measures and High-Stakes Decisions: A Framework for Combining Measures

The article presents a framework for combining multiple measures to reach high-stakes decisions. Criteria are identified for the employment of conjunctive, compensatory, and complementary approaches to combining measures. The framework is illustrated through the documentation of the School District of Philadelphia's initiative to employ multiple measures, including standardized test scores, to determine promotion decisions. The author demonstrates that the use of multiple measures itself does not necessarily improve the reliability and validity of the decisions. It is the logic by which the measures are combined that determines the accuracy and appropriateness of the decisions reached.     

Applications of the Hotelling T2 Statistic to Designs Involving Multiple Measures on Two Dimensions

Multiple measures taken on subjects are usually classified along two dimensions: (1) measures on the same dependent variable taken at different periods of time or occasions; and (2) measures on different dependent variables taken at one testing or observation period. In this paper an appropriate procedure for the analysis of “multivariate repeated measures” designs, i.e. designs in which measures are taken along both dimensions simultaneously, is discussed. Examples are given of the application of the procedure to quasi-experimental time-series designs and to the problem of determining rater agreement when a group of individuals are rated on more than one variable.     

Use of probabilistic and deterministic measures to identify unfavorable earthquake records

This study introduces measures to identify resonant （concentration of energy in a single or a few frequencies） or unfavorable earthquake ground motions. Probabilistic measures based on the entropy rate and the geometric properties of the power spectral density function （PSDF） of the ground acceleration are developed first. Subsequently, deterministic measures for the frequency content of the ground acceleration are also developed. These measures are then used for identifying resonance and criticality in stochastic earthquake models and 110 acceleration records measured at rock, stiff, medium and soft soil sites. The unfavorable earthquake record for a given structure is defined as the record having a narrow frequency content and dominant frequency close to the structure fundamental natural frequency. Accordingly, the measures developed in this study may provide a basis for selecting records that are capable of producing the highest structural response. Numerical verifications are provided on damage caused to structures by identified resonant records.     

The use of teacher-judgment measures in the identification of gifted pupils

There is considerable emphasis today on the provision of special educational treatment for academically gifted pupils. A variety of selection tools are used to identify such pupils, including intelligence tests, achievement tests, creativity measures, and teacher-judgment measures. The latter type of measure forms the focus of this review, and the purpose is to assess the psychometric properties of these teacher-judgment measures in terms of the available empirical data. The major conclusion from the review is that there is little basis for the negative assessments so often associated with these measures. The paper includes recommendations regarding (a) the use of the measures in the identification of gifted pupils and (b) future research on the measures.     

School-based assessment of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Schools are uniquely situated to provide information relevant to the assessment and treatment of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across a variety of tasks, settings, and observers. The importance of the school setting to the assessment and treatment of ADHD has resulted in the development of numerous measures appropriate for such assessment, but few guidelines for their use. The purpose of this article is to describe school-based assessment procedures and their relationship to ADHD. These procedures include teacher rating measures, direct observations in classrooms and on playgrounds, peer rating and sociometric measures, and permanent product measures such as academic performance. It is recommended that school-based assessment of ADHD involve the concurrent use of multiple measures to assess adequately the wide variety of symptoms associated with this disorder. It is further recommended that assessment serve the purpose of determining treatment efficacy to avoid unwarranted preoccupation with diagnostic issues that are as yet unresolved. The components of a comprehensive school-based assessment of ADHD are described, and their relationship to school-based treatment is discussed.     

依托SIMATIC实验室改革现场总线课程教学

分析了当前现场总线技术课程教学中存在的一些问题及其原因;提出了依托SIMATIC实验室对现场总线教学进行改革的一些措施,包括采用实验室授课、调整理论与实践的课时比例、优化实践项目以带动理论教学。多轮教学实践表明,这些改革措施适合民办高校现场总线课程的要求,取得了良好的教学效果。     

Early Literacy Measures for Improving Student Reading Achievement: Translating Research Into Practice

The importance of early literacy instruction and its role in later reading proficiency is well established; however, measures and procedures to screen and monitor proficiency in the area of early literacy are less well researched. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the technical adequacy and validity of early curriculum-based literacy measures, Letter–Sound Correspondence, Onset Phoneme Identification, and Phoneme Segmentation, developed for use within the problem-solving model in the Minneapolis Public Schools and (b) describe the district-wide implementation of these measures. In general, these measures were found to have adequate reliability and validity, have moderate to moderately high correlations with criterion measures (oral reading, report cards), and be sensitive to growth across the school year. A case study of how these measures are used for screening and progress monitoring to improve reading achievement within 1 school is included. Limitations and future directions are also presented.     

刑事强制措施救济的理论基础与价值

我国刑事诉讼法未赋予犯罪嫌疑人、被告人在被采取强制措施时的抗告权，法律并未对犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的救济程序和救济途径作出规定，我国强制措施实施方面缺乏有效的救济措施，难以防止强制措施被滥用的危险发生。对于强制措施予以救济，能够制约强制措施的滥用，并能给受到不同形式强制措施的公民有效的权利救济机会和途径。为保护犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的合法权利．应赋予其通过正当渠道进行抗告的权利．并保证权利能够行使．     

钢筋混凝土肋梁楼盖应急加固现场试验研究

试提出对已建成钢筋混凝土结构进行应急加固,通过现场静载试验检测结构楼盖极限承载力的方法,用工程常见的在较短时间内可以实现的加固措施,对钢筋混凝土肋梁楼盖进行现场应急加固 实验证明这些加固措施和检验方法是可行的、正确的,对工程结构加固的实践和研究有重要的实践意义     

预先防卫措施的法律定性

关于预先防卫措施,我国刑法理论界和实务界研究不多,但这一现象在现实生活中是大量存在的。该文认为预先防卫措施法律定性不能一概而论,应当具体问题具体分析。文章对预先防卫措施的概念、特征、分类及法律定性进行了分析,并认为谨慎(严格)预先防卫措施是一种特殊的正当防卫行为,具有合法性。     

新型绿色贸易壁垒——碳关税措施及中国的应对

WTO协议允许成员为保护环境采取贸易限制或禁止措施。但该措施应为实现合法目标的必要措施,不违反非歧视原则,并不得构成对国际贸易的变相限制,否则就构成了绿色贸易壁垒。《美国清洁能源安全法案》以减少二氧化碳排放,保护环境为目的,但实际上并非实现该目的必要措施,反而对国际贸易造成障碍,造成新型绿色贸易壁垒。文章对此进行分析,并提出我国的应对措施。     

Risk acceptability and cost-effectiveness of protective measures against terrorist threats to built infrastructure considering multiple threat scenarios

Decisions are often needed about the need and/or extent of protective measures against explosive blast loads on built infrastructure. A decision support analysis considers fatality risks and cost-effectiveness of protective measures expressed in terms of expected cost spent on risk reduction per life saved for terrorist threats to infrastructure. The analysis is applicable to any item of infrastructure, but in this paper is applied to casualties arising from building facade glazing damage. Risks may be compared with risk acceptance criteria in the form of quantitative safety goals. The risk acceptability and cost-effectiveness of protective measures includes cost of the protective measures, attack probability,reduction in risk due to protective measures,probability of fatality conditional on successful terrorist attack and number of exposed individuals.     

ABILITY FACTORS AS A FUNCTION OF ADVANTAGED AND DISADVANTAGED GROUPS

Preliminary factor analyses of predictor tests in advantaged and disadvantaged groups is recommended as a way of forming a priori expectations concerning validities of the predictors to guide both use and research. Factor analyses of Project Talent ability measures are reported for groups defined by top and bottom quartile placement in intelligence and socio-economic status. There are no important differences in results associated with differences in socio-economic status, but there are fairly numerous differences in loadings for individual measures in groups defined by level of intelligence. Most of these differences can be explained by the characteristics of the scales of measurement. For a small number of measures, however, there is evidence for differences in loadings as a function of the intellectual level of the subjects per se. These latter measures would be expected to have differential validities for similarly selected intelligence groups, but not for socio-economic groups.