Do higher state test scores in Texas make for better high school outcomes?
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. This paper gives a detailed overview of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) and evaluates the impact of the TAAS by examining trends in statewide test scores, as well as analyzing data from high schools to determine, among other things, if rising tests scores coincide with rising dropout rates. Some of the patterns examined in this paper include: enrollment trends; 9th to 12th grade progression; 9th grade retention; and college plans (on the part of students.) The authors also look very closely at how the TAAS effects white students vs. minority students and how the TAAS effects districts depending on where they are located – urban, suburban, rural, etc. Category: Student Achievement/ Special Populations Keywords:Texas; TAAS; minority students; dropout rate; passing rate; enrollment rate Catterall, J. S. (1989). Standards and school dropouts: A national study of tests req
