Author's abstract: The study explored the perceptions of the Georgia elementary principals as high-stakes testing is utilized in the theme of accountability. The study examined 335 principals personal and professional demographics and perceptions of the implementation of high-stakes testing. The study employed a descriptive, survey approach to address the research questions. A self-designed survey questionnaire was developed to explore principals perception of high-stakes testing, and included both a qualitative and quantitative orientation. Findings indicated that the majority of the 335 Georgia elementary principals who responded to the survey were 46-55 year old females who worked in suburban areas of the state. They typically held the Education Specialist degree, have an average of two years of experience as principal, and made AYP for the 2005-06 school year. Respondents believed that they could use high-stakes testing results to improve student achievement. At the same time, the principals expressed concern that factors beyond the control of the principal influenced student achievement yet were not considered with the findings from the test results. 2 Principals supported the purpose of high-stakes testing as the improvement of student achievement and indicated that although the results were consistently used for that purpose high-stakes testing did not improve education for all students. A majority of principals indicated that high-stakes testing appropriately held them accountable for student achievement as measured by the tests, but did not evaluate their school leadership abilities.

Author's abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of Georgia Teachers with administering the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) to elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities and determine how those experiences informed their perception of the Georgia Alternate Assessment. The GAA was designed to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities on grade level standards. The goal of including students with significant cognitive disabilities in standardized testing and statewide accountability systems is to positively impact the curriculum and instruction, and the teaching and learning process for these students. Georgia's special education teachers experience the GAA from within and are in an insightful position to share their perspectives of whether the GAA is meeting this goal. Experiences and perceptions for this study were provided by Georgia teachers who had experienced administering the GAA to elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. A grounded theory analysis revealed common experiences and perceptions among the participants. Findings from the participants revealed the participants experienced the administration of the GAA as a balancing act in which they had to balance often conflicting aspects of meeting state and federal guidelines and meeting the daily instructional needs of their students with significant cognitive disabilities. Continued analysis revealed that these participants perceived the GAA to be a meaningless tool for teaching and a meaningless measure of assessment for elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. Finally, continued grounded theory analysis resulted in the emergence of a theory. The participants of this study found the GAA to be an ineffective tool for measuring the teaching and learning of elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. While not completely abandoning grade level standards, these participants advocated that teaching and high stakes assessment of elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities be based on a curriculum that has a more pivotal impact on their quality of life outcomes. They advocated teaching and assessment of daily living and functional life skills.

To better understand how high-stakes accountability has influenced teaching and learning, this book takes an in-depth look at the myriad consequences that high-stakes tests hold for students, teachers, administrators, and the public. By focusing on these tests and spending large amounts of time on test preparation and driving teachers to teach low-level, rote memorization, schools are essentially wiping out non-tested subjects such as science, social studies, physical education, and the arts. Although testing is promoted as a strategy for improving education for all, research shows that testing has differential effects on students with special needs, minority students, students living in poverty, and those for whom English is a second language. The Unintended Consequences of High Stakes Testing unpacks the assumptions and philosophical foundations on which testing policies are based. The authors' arguments are grounded in extensive interviews and research. Through an examination of research, these authors show that high-stakes testing promotes students' dependence on extrinsic motivation at the cost of intrinsic motivation and the associated love of learning—which has tangible impacts on their education and lives. Features: -Examines how high stakes testing from the perspectives of teachers, students, and adminstrators. -Considers how testing impacts the curriculum including tested subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics as well as non-tested subjects such as science, social studies, physical education, and the arts. -Documents how teachers and administrators engage in test preparation and discusses ethical and unethical test preparation practices. -Reviews the evolution of testing through history and how it mpacts the curriculum. -Examines the differential effects of testing on students with special needs, minority students, students living in poverty, and those for whom English is a second language.

Author's abstract: This study was conducted to identify Georgia high school principals' perceptions of student diversity. The student demographics of many Georgia school districts and schools are chnaging rapidly, while some school districts and schools have not experiencced much, if any, demographic change. As a result, it is important for principals to be aware of what other principals perceive as advantages and disadvantages, the types of policies/programs that impact principals in regard to student diversity as well as to be familiar with artifactual evidence that may represent an appreciation or awareness of student diversity. The data displayed in this study was gathered through the use of qualitative methodology. The primary instrument used for this investigation consisted of in-depth interview questions and a participant observer perspective used to gather evidence. In the actual transcripts of the respondents, the data recognized preparing students for the real world as the primary advantage of student diversity and, according to respondents, the primary disadvantage was the problem between homogeneous groups that lead to proplems between heterogenous groups. The appreciation or awareness of student diversity was documented through the use of reviewing relevant school and district documentation as well as the taking of photographs at each school. This investigation found that all participants knew and documented the federal laws in regard to equal opportunity; however, the researcher did document, by way of digital photographs, an awareness or appreciation for diversity that showed little effort was being made to address student diversity in the respondents' schools. The results of this study were viewed as being particularly important to other high school principals as well as policy makers.

Author's abstract: Academic standards have come to occupy center stage in public schools to guide teachers in their instruction, and they have become the means by which teachers assess students’ performance. With more emphasis placed on student performance and higher test scores, states have come to rely dramatically on them to raise educational standards. Their introduction also has prompted outside entities such as the federal and state governments and corporations to become involved in public education. While not direct, their involvement has also influenced how academic standards are developed and implemented in public schools. In this sense, governments and corporations have introduced economic models in public schools, changing the process of how schools function, what teachers teach, and how students’ performance is measured. In the state of Georgia, the introduction of state academic standards came as a result of compliance with federal guidelines. The implementation of academic standards like the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) brought changes in education such as students having to know specific material to pass standardized tests, and teachers being compelled to teach verbatim what the standards said to teach. The end result was that the rigidity and strict alignment to the GPS affected teachers’ perception of power in their instruction in negative ways. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers’ power in their instructional practices was affected by the GPS. The methodology used in this study was a qualitative design and was guided by a series of interviews of teachers at a high school in East Georgia. The data collected was audio-recorded and examined by using two methods of analysis: inductive analysis to allow emerging themes to develop from individual interviews and cross-case analysis to identify emerging themes and patterns from multiple sets of data. The analysis of the data involved coding and organizing it into common patterns and themes to make a holistic report.