NCLB - No Child Left Behind Act State Assessment Systems Questions and Answers

Question 1

The No Child Left Behind Act mandated that state assessment systems include annual testing in reading and mathematics for which specific grade spans?

Accepted Answer

Grades 3-8 and once in high school

Answer

Every other grade from 1 through 12

Answer

Grades K-2 and 9-12

Answer

Grades 4, 8, and 11 only

Question 2

A key principle of the NCLB Act was that state assessment systems must be technically sound and demonstrate a strong connection to classroom instruction. To this end, NCLB required that all state tests be aligned with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The state's own challenging academic content and achievement standards

Answer

National curriculum frameworks developed by the Department of Education

Answer

The content of the most widely used commercial textbooks

Answer

Performance levels of students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the primary accountability purpose for requiring state assessment systems under NCLB to disaggregate student performance data by specific subgroups (e.g., race/ethnicity, disability status, economic disadvantage)?

Accepted Answer

To identify and close achievement gaps between different student groups

Answer

To provide a basis for assigning students to remedial or advanced classes

Answer

To calculate a single, overall performance score for each school

Answer

To fulfill federal data collection requirements for the U.S. Census Bureau

Question 4

A school district under NCLB is administering its annual state assessment. According to the law's requirements for state assessment systems, how must the district handle students with the most significant cognitive disabilities?

Accepted Answer

Administer an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards.

Answer

Exclude them entirely from the assessment and AYP calculations.

Answer

Report their scores but only for local, not state-level, accountability.

Answer

Administer the standard grade-level assessment without any accommodations.

Question 5

Under NCLB, what was the primary function of requiring states to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics?

Accepted Answer

To serve as an external benchmark to help verify the validity of state test results.

Answer

To provide individual student diagnostic reports to parents and teachers.

Answer

To determine which schools would be labeled as 'in need of improvement'.

Answer

To replace the state's own assessment in any subject where the state's proficiency rates were too low.

Question 6

While reading and mathematics were tested annually in certain grades, NCLB also mandated the assessment of science. According to the law's requirements for state assessment systems, how often were students required to be assessed in science?

Accepted Answer

At least once during grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12.

Answer

Every year in grades 3 through 8.

Answer

Only once upon graduation from high school.

Answer

Twice in elementary school and twice in high school.