Uwe Maier

Impact of test-based accountability pressure on student achievement

A literature review on crosscountry comparative studies

Shortlink: https://www.waxmann.com/artikelART102670

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Abstract

In the past decade, German federal states enacted educational standards and mandatory testing which aim at quality assurance and data-based school improvement. Accountability policies and high stakes testing in Anglo-Saxon countries were a precursor for the test-based reform movement in Germany. However, the stakes attached to test results in Germany are rather low and schools are not put under rigorous accountability pressure. This is one major difference to test-based school reforms in the United States where the “No Child Left Behind” legislation requires states to raise school accountability pressure. This literature review synthesizes evidence from international and US cross-country comparative studies on the effects of test-based school accountability pressure on student achievement. It is assumed that research evidence on the impact of accountability pressure might be of interest for further developments of mandatory testing systems in Germany.

Keywords
Test-based school reforms, Mandatory testing, Accountability pressure, Student achievement, Cross-country comparative studies

APA citation
Maier U. (2010). Impact of test-based accountability pressure on student achievement: A literature review on crosscountry comparative studies. Journal for Educational Research Online (JERO), 2(2), 125-152. https://www.waxmann.com/artikelART102670