The importance of adjusting for pupil background in school value-added models: A study of Progress 8 and school accountability in England

In the UK, USA and elsewhere, school accountability systems increasingly compare schools using value-added measures of school performance derived from pupil scores in high-stakes standardised tests. Rather than naïvely comparing school average scores, which largely reflect school intake differences in prior attainment, these measures attempt to compare the average progress or improvement pupils make during a year or phase of schooling. Schools, however, also differ in terms of their pupil demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and these factors also predict why some schools subsequently score higher than others. Many therefore argue that value-added measures unadjusted for pupil background are biased in favour of schools with more ‘educationally advantaged’ intakes. But others worry that adjusting for pupil background entrenches socioeconomic inequities and excuses low-performing schools. In this article we explore these theoretical arguments and their practical importance in the context of the ‘Progress 8’ secondary school accountability system in England, which has chosen to ignore pupil background. We reveal how the reported low or high performance of many schools changes dramatically once adjustments are made for pupil background, and these changes also affect the reported differential performances of regions and of different school types. We conclude that accountability systems which choose to ignore pupil background are likely to reward and punish the wrong schools and this will likely have detrimental effects on pupil learning. These findings, especially when coupled with more general concerns surrounding high-stakes testing and school value-added models, raise serious doubts about their use in school accountability systems.     

华利烟花厂爆炸事故分析及安全措施研究

近年来,我国烟花爆竹爆炸事故频频发生,造成重大的人员伤亡和惨重的经济损失。究其原因,非法生产、经营烟花爆竹是发生爆炸事故的主要原因。为减少烟花爆竹安全事故的发生,研究分析烟花爆竹行业的有效监管办法,本文以黑龙江伊春烟花厂爆炸事故为例,分析事故原因,主要从政府监管的方面,针对管理上的漏洞、政令不通、监管不力、从业人员(主要是业主)安全意识淡薄等几个因素进行了探讨,着重讨论了烟花爆竹行业安全管理的可行途径。对烟花爆竹行业的安全管理提供一些有益的参考。     

人机界面系统输入模块的控制方法

介绍了一种基于P89C51单片机的触摸式人机界面系统中作为系统输入的电阻触摸屏,介绍了8x15行列式电阻触摸屏的结构、工作方式及接口电路的设计,并详细介绍了控制方法。     

Multisim8在高职物理及电类课程教学中的应用

高职物理电类课程,实践性很强,但好多学校设备资源有限。Multisim8可以方便地对各种电路进行仿真,能有效帮助学生对理论的理解,而且软件具有直观、简便等优点,可以有效解决学生课后的实践难题。通过一些具体例子,说明Multisim8在物理以及电类课程教学中的运用,是一种很好的理论联系实际的教学方法,也是一种对学生实际能力培养的有效工具。     

二氯甲烷提纯方法的改进及1,9—二苯基—1,3,6,8—四烯—5—壬酮的合成

本文合成了一种指示剂:1,9—二苯基—1,3,6,8—四烯—5—壬酮,并首次使用该指示剂,通过一系列对比实验,对二氯甲烷提纯方法进行了改进。改进后的提纯方法可以保证二氯甲烷中不含残余酸。     

科考经验对当代语文考试改革的启示——从唐宋八大家与科举的关系说起

唐宋古文作家对科举考试曾有所批判,但后来他们的作品又因具有典范性、文学性而适合于科举考试的需要,因而成为考生学习的重要内容。考察这一变化过程,不仅可对中国古代科举考试多有一些了解,而且也能为当今语文考试改革提供某些启示。     

英语专业学生逻辑思维能力的匮乏与翻译教学策略——兼评学生在TEM8中英汉互译的逻辑错误

学生在翻译实践和TEM8应试中由于逻辑思维能力的匮乏造成的错误理解和表达屡见不鲜。要改变这一现状须引导学生让逻辑思维积极介入翻译的整个过程以及词义选择、句式结构和语篇把握等各个层面,以培养其逻辑思维和逻辑分析的习惯,从而提高翻译质量。     

KF8生根剂在金桂扦插繁殖中的应用

在计算机智能控制条件下,以金桂为试材,研究了KF8生根剂在扦插生根中的作用效果．结果表明：用KF8生根剂浸泡插穗约30s,扦插于快繁苗床,2个月内金桂枝条的生根率高达98％,存活率达99％,比使用市售生根粉的生根率和存活率分别提高42％和11％．此研究对于金桂产业化生产和集约化经营有现实意义．     

一种基于短消息的智能家居远程控制器

该文提出一种基于短消息的智能家居远程控制器设计方案,该控制器以GSM移动通信网络作为远程控制信号的通信平台,用户通过手机等设备向远程控制器发送特定控制指令短信,远程控制器可根据短信内容进行家电等远程设备的控制．控制器硬件包括信号处理及控制模块ATMEGA8单片机,GSM通信模块TC35,电源,显示,控制驱动等单元电路．系统的软件包括初始化、短信提取与判别、控制驱动、显示等功能模块．该远程控制器可广泛应用于智能家居等场所．