The Effects of the Washington State Education Reform on Schools and Classrooms: Initial Findings. RAND Documented Briefing

Brian M. Stecher ... [et Al.] Supported By The Office Of Educational Research And Improvement, U.s. Department Of Education. A growing number of states are implementing standards-based accountability systems in their efforts to improve student achievement. Policymakers in these states believe that standards-based reforms that include high-stakes testing can be powerful tools to change what is happening in schools and classrooms. This study is part of ongoing research funded by the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles, to investigate the impact of standards-based state education reforms on schools and classrooms. Researchers from RAND and the University of Colorado, Boulder, began this program of research in 1995-96 with an examination of the effects of standards-based education reform in Kentucky, which was one of the earliest in the country, including new performance standards for students and a new statewide-testing system. After studying the effects of the Kentucky reform for 3 years, researchers shifted their attention to Washington State, which was just beginning to implement standards-based reform. Research activities began in Washington in 1998-99 and continued through 1999-00. This briefing summarizes results from the 1999 survey of teachers and students. (DFR) A growing number of states are implementing standards-based accountability systems in efforts to improve student achievement. This briefing reports the initial findings from a study of Washington state’s reform. Although early test results showed that only a minority of students achieved the rigorous standard embodied in the reform, the most recent results show gains in the percentage of students meeting the standards in math, reading, and listening skills in elementary and middle schools. A survey of Washington principals and teachers showed that they understood and endorsed the reform and that 80 percent of the school curriculum was aligned with statewide standards in tested subjects. However, some changes may be less desirable: In some cases, teachers emphasized tested material over equally important material not covered by state testing. They also engaged in extensive test preparation activities