Achievement directed leadership

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this investigation was to develop and field-test a tutorial program designed to give classroom teachers the skills necessary to produce valid and effective classroom achievement tests. Information was gathered with regard to the general level of knowledge possessed by teachers and principals on the topic of classroom testing both before and after their participation in the tutorial program, and a determination was made as to whether their level of knowledge was a function of position, years of experience, grade level, or educational background. A secondary question studied the possible beneficial effect of providing the teachers and principals with background information on the topic of classroom testing prior to their participation in the tutorial program. A pretest-treatment-posttest design was employed and the statistical results were correlational in nature;The main portion of the data gathered were derived from a target group of 53 teachers and principals from the Mason City, Iowa area. Approximately one-third of the group was pretested two weeks prior to their attendance at the tutorial program and received background information at that time. The rest of the group was pretested just before the program. The entire target group received training in the fundamentals of classroom testing and was posttested at the conclusion of the program. Statistical analyses consisted of t-tests and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to answer the operational hypotheses. At that time an item score analysis was performed on the pretest and posttest results;The tutorial program was found to be effective in teaching the skills necessary for the valid and effective use of classroom achievement tests as indicated by significant gain scores obtained by the subjects. Furthermore, it was found that no prediction could be made about a subject's pretest score or posttest score based on that subject's position in the organization, years experience, grade level, or educational background. Providing background information to the subjects on the topic of classroom achievement testing prior to their attendance at the tutorial program yielded no measurable benefits.</p>