Texas Trends in Education : Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, 1994-1997 / Nancy J. Smith.

The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) study describes either 3- or 4-year trends in average campus-level passing rates on TAAS at all grade levels. It discusses student, teacher, campus, and district characteristics as they may relate to student success on TAAS by looking at data for students in grades 4, 8, and 10 for four consecutive academic years. By examining a cohort of eighth-grade students and tracking in retrospect their performance in seventh and sixth grades, the report details student, teacher, campus, and district characteristics as they may relate to continued student success on the TAAS over time. The second and third components of the analysis view education features in ways consistent with previous research efforts so as to make meaningful comparisons. Key characteristics are grouped into categories of contexts, such as campus size and district wealth. The results show that statewide passing rates on the TAAS increased each year from 1992-93 through 1996-97. The findings indicate that school practices and processes are integrally related to TAAS performance at each grade level. Numerous tables and appendices provide detailed descriptions of the data. (RJM)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.