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The results of a survey on teachers' perceptions regarding Florida's test-based accountability program raised serious doubts about whether testing has precipitated positive outcomes in upper-elementary students' learning. Nearly all of the 708 Florida upper-elementary teachers who completed the survey reported that testing had a negative effect or no effect on student learning in reading, writing, and mathematics. Factors associated with students' decrease in learning are discussed and implications are provided. (Contains 3 tables.)

We queried Florida elementary teachers about how they perceived their principals' professional and personal inviting leadership behaviors during a time when many teachers and principals felt a lot of pressure due to test-based accountability. Despite the pressure, teachers reported that their principals demonstrated fairly high levels of inviting leadership behaviors. Further, we found a positive relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of their principal's inviting leadership behaviors and their job satisfaction, the climate of their school, and the accountability rating assigned to their school. These findings suggest that there is an association between the way in which principals interact with their faculty and the achievement level of students. While many factors affect student achievement, this study reminds us that factors such as inviting leadership behaviors are an important component of quality schools. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to assess administrators' professionally and personally inviting behaviors and examine whether administrators' reported behaviors were correlated with school rankings, job satisfaction, school climate, or time spent on instructional leadership. Overall, both principals and assistant principals reported engaging in high levels of professionally and personally inviting behaviors. This suggests that, with respect to inviting leadership behaviors, administrators believe that they have adjusted to the demands of Florida's test-based accountability system and are able to be inviting leaders.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether teachers perceived Florida's high-stakes testing program to be taking public schools in the right direction. More importantly, we sought to understand "why" teachers perceived the tests to be taking schools in the right or wrong direction. Based on the survey results of 708 teachers, we categorized their concerns and praises of high-stakes testing into ten themes. Most of the teachers believed that the testing program was not taking schools in the right direction. They commented that the test was used improperly and that the one-time test scores were not an accurate assessment of students' learning and development. In addition, they cited negative effects on the curriculum, teaching and learning, and student and teacher motivation. The positive effects cited were much fewer in number and included the fact that the testing held students, educators, and parents accountable for their actions. Interestingly, teachers were not opposed to accountability, but rather, opposed the manner in which it was currently implemented. Only by understanding these positive and negative effects of the testing program can policymakers hope to improve upon it. To this end, we discuss several implications of these findings, including: limiting the use of test scores, changing the school grading criteria, using alternative assessments, modifying the curriculum, and taking steps to reduce teaching to the test. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

This study examines how rural elementary school administrators perceive the effects of high-stakes testing in comparison to suburban and urban elementary administrators. High-stakes testing had a greater impact, both positively and negatively, on rural administrators than on their counterparts in suburban and urban schools. Specifically, the positive effects were that rural administrators were more motivated by the testing program to do a better job, found the test results more useful in assessing teachers, and found the test results more useful in meeting the academic needs of students. The negative effects were that rural administrators felt more pressure than urban administrators to improve test scores and found their school rating to more negatively affect their ability to attract high quality teachers than administrators in suburban schools. (Contains 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine how elementary school administrators in a large U.S. state perceived the overall effects of testing on education in general and, more specifically, on their instructional leadership responsibilities. We surveyed 325 Florida principals and assistant principals, many of whom viewed the testing program positively in that it provided them with data regarding teachers and students that were helpful to them in their role as instructional leaders. Yet, many also claimed that the testing program was taking Florida's public schools in the wrong direction, in part, because of the manner in which schools were assigned grades and allotted financial rewards. Implications include improving the quality and type of test results, modifying the current grading and incentive part of the accountability system, and helping administrators attract quality teachers to work in lower-rated schools. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Teachers and principals don't always agree about the effects on education of accountability systems based on high-stakes testing. Mr. Jones and Mr. Egley look at the implications of these differing perceptions and suggest some strategies for creating a climate in which teachers and administrators can move forward on improving student learning. (Contains 13 endnotes.)

The purpose of this paper is to discuss Florida teachers' recommendations for improving the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and to compare their recommendations with those of Florida administrators. Although teachers' suggestions varied as to the types and extent of remedies needed to improve the FCAT, some common themes emerged. The most common suggestion was to eliminate the tests altogether. Less extensive suggestions included shortening the length of some of the tests, making the test scores more reliable and valid, making the test questions more developmentally appropriate, making the test results more diagnostic, eliminating the school grading, eliminating the rewards and sanctions, not basing the school grades on the test scores alone, using the tests as one piece of the assessment in combination with other assessments, providing more than one writing prompt from which to choose for the writing test, and decreasing the amount of reading in the mathematics tests. Administrators' suggestions for improving the FCAT were similar to those of teachers but tended to differ in emphasis. These differences make sense, considering the different roles and responsibilities that each are assigned. We hope studies such as this contribute to the body of knowledge used to make improvements to Florida's test-based accountability system. (Contains 1 table.)

"Stereotype threat" refers to the risk associated with confirming a negative stereotype based on group membership. We examined this effect in a sample of African-American high school students. Stereotype threat was manipulated by presenting a visual spatial reasoning test as (a) diagnostic of mathematical ability or (b) a culture and gender fair test of mathematical reasoning. Support was found for the general effect, and while tests of the effect of the manipulation on anxiety and perceptions of ability and expectancies for success were statistically inconclusive, the data trended in the predicted direction. Implications related to the high-stakes testing of African-American students are discussed. (Contains 6 figures and 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Florida elementary school administrators believe the state's testing program is taking public schools in the right direction. Questionnaire responses from principals and assistant principals show that the majority of administrators believe the testing program is not taking schools in the right direction. Most commonly, the administrators said they believe the tests are not an accurate measure of student learning and are not fairly used. The grading system, in particular, troubles many administrators. Other concerns focus on the tests' narrowing of the curriculum and potential stress for teachers and students. Only a few positive outcomes were attributed to the tests, including that they held students, educators, and parents accountable. These findings suggest that most administrators believe Florida's testing program should be revised. Some possible alterations are discussed, including eliminating school grades and monetary incentives. (Contains 3 tables.)

Testing and accountability programs can lead to some positive changes towards student performance. Here, Jones and Egley explore on whether Florida administrators thought that there was anything that could be done to improve the country's testing program in order to reduce or eliminate the types of concerns raised in George's study by conducting a survey among school administrators. They also discuss the administrators' suggestions and provide some implications for improving high-stakes testing program. (Contains 1 table.)

Introduction/Purpose: While hallux valgus (HV) is understood to be a triplanar deformity of the first metatarsal, less is known about the contribution of the sesamoid-metatarsal joint (SMJ) to pain and function. Osteoarthritis of the SMJ is frequently present in HV feet, with an incidence rate ranging from 32% to 81%. Following surgical correction, approximately 10% of HV patients remain dissatisfied, but factors affecting postoperative outcomes are poorly understood. The primary aim of our study was to describe the relationship between degenerative changes at the SMJ as measured on weightbearing CT (WBCT) scans and 1-year patient-reported outcome scores following a modified Lapidus procedure for correction of HV. We hypothesized that decreased joint space at the SMJ would affect postoperative patient-reported outcomes. Methods: This study included 48 consecutive patients who underwent a modified Lapidus procedure for HV, had preoperative and at least 5-month postoperative WBCT scans, and had preoperative PROMIS scores and at least 1-year postoperative PROMIS Physical Function (PF), Pain Interference, and Pain Intensity scores. For each patient, the first metatarsal and sesamoids on preand postoperative WBCT scans were segmented using Disior Bonelogic software and uploaded to Geomagic Design X to perform distancing mapping. The minimum and average distances between the first metatarsal head and medial sesamoid (medial-SMJ) for each patient pre- and postoperatively were calculated. Sesamoid subluxation was measured on WBCT scans using the grading system from 0 to 3 (Yildirim et al.). A simple linear regression model was used to investigate the correlations between minimum preoperative and postoperative medial-SMJ distances and 1-year postoperative PROMIS scores in patients with postoperative reduction of the sesamoids (grade 0). Results: Preoperatively, the mean minimum and average medial-SMJ distances were 0.76 ± 0.37 mm and 1.54 ± 0.33 mm, respectively. Postoperatively, the mean minimum and average medial-SMJ distances were 1.08 ± 0.25 mm and 1.73 ± 0.24 mm, respectively. Thirty-five of 48 patients had a complete reduction of the sesamoids. Lower preoperative minimum distances at the medial-SMJ were significantly correlated with worse 1-year PROMIS PF scores (r=0.405, P=0.016) (Figure 1). Similarly, lower preoperative minimum distances at the medial-SMJ were significantly correlated with worse 1-year PROMIS Pain Intensity scores (r=-0.350, P=0.039) but did not reach significance for 1-year PROMIS Pain Interference scores (r=-0.286, P=0.095). The postoperative minimum medial-SMJ distance was not correlated with 1-year PROMIS PF, Pain Interference, and Pain Intensity scores. Conclusion: In HV patients undergoing a modified Lapidus procedure with postoperatively reduced sesamoids, decreased joint space at the medial sesamoid-metatarsal head articulation was associated with worse 1-year postoperative function as measured by PROMIS PF scores and worse 1-year postoperative pain as measured by PROMIS Pain Intensity scores. In contrast, postoperative degenerative changes at the SMJ were not found to be associated with patient-reported outcomes. Our results suggest that pre-existing SMJ arthritic changes may affect postoperative outcomes and may be a source of dissatisfaction following HV surgery despite appropriate correction of the deformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a methodology for modeling long-term evolution of multiple inlet systems in southwest and central Florida. The paper discusses the application of this methodology to two inlets within Sarasota Bay system in southwest Florida. The case studies of Longboat Pass and Venice Inlet demonstrate the importance of considering large temporal and spatial scales in multiple inlet systems. The results describe the evolution of Longboat Pass and Venice Inlet from 1880 to present. The analysis begins with natural conditions that existed before dredging or inlet modifications and investigates how inlet evolution can be influenced by navigation improvements or mining of ebb shoals for beach nourishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We surveyed 708 teachers and 325 principals in Florida's elementary schools how Florida's test-based accountability program was affecting their motivation. Findings indicate that teachers and administrators feel a lot of pressure to improve student scores on the statewide tests. This pressure has motivated some teachers and administrators do a better job, while others reported that it had no effect on their motivation. Because bonus money appears to have little effect on motivating teachers above and beyond testing itself, policymakers should consider using this money for other educational in general, both teachers and administrators were satisfied with their jobs and believed that their school climate was healthy, with administrators reporting higher levels satisfaction and healthier school climates. These findings indicate that Florida's program is having the effect some policymakers intended: it is motivating educators. Future studies should examine whether this increased motivation has resulted in increased student learning and motivation or has simply resulted in an increase in the amount time spent preparing students for the tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a survey on teachers' perceptions regarding Florida's test-based accountability program raised serious doubts about whether testing has precipitated positive outcomes in upper-elementary students' learning. Nearly all of the 708 Florida upper-elementary teachers who completed the survey reported that testing had a negative effect or no effect on student learning in reading, writing, and mathematics. Factors associated with students' decrease in learning are discussed and implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents suggestions from elementary school administrators in improving the test-based accountability system of Florida. Suggestions for improving the usefulness of the tests; Suggestions for improving the test format or items; Recommendations regarding school grading and testing consequences.