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This paper investigates differences between male and female student performance on multiple-choice (MC) versus constructed-response (CR) items used on the large-scale math and reading PISA tests. The results, based on data for high school-aged students in 35 countries including the US, provide consistent evidence that on average male students tend to earn relatively higher scores on MC test items whereas female students tend to earn relatively higher scores on CR test items. The pattern was consistent across countries, although the magnitude of differences varied by country and were larger on average in reading than in math. Policymakers, researchers, and other audiences using test scores to compare student achievement across gender groups should consider the types of item formats used on tests when interpreting results.

This paper describes threats to making valid causal inferences about pandemic impacts on student learning based on cross-year comparisons of average test scores. The paper uses Spring 2021 test score data in Colorado to compare three different statistical adjustments that have been used to make inferences about pandemic impacts. Results illustrates how unadjusted cross-year comparisons may be misleading and highlight instances when the statistical adjustments can lead to different conclusions about the relative impacts for different groups of students.

Undocumented students who became eligible for California’s state aid program enroll in college at similar rates to their peers, though are more likely to attend community college due to differences in where they apply. Yet undocumented students who attend four-year colleges are equally likely to persist and earn a degree, pushing against any evidence of “mismatch” that suggests these students are not prepared for those environments.

We find that Florida’s Bright Futures financial aid program had essentially no impact on postsecondary enrollment and degree completion. These findings align with emerging notions that state merit aid programs produce smaller effects when compared to more effective need-based aid.

The federal government instituted changes to simplify the FAFSA filing process – known as “prior-prior year” – which led students to submit their FAFSA substantially earlier and increased refiling rates for independent students. Nonetheless, the policy did not appear to substantially alter state aid receipt or postsecondary attendance for any groups.

Link to Resource: Between-Year Stability of Growth Percentiles : Technical Brief #3Authors: Benjamin R. Shear and Elena Diaz-BilelloThe purpose of this research brief for the Colorado Department of Education

Link to Resource: Growth Percentiles, Achievement & Demographics: Technical Brief #1 - 2019Author: Benjamin R. Shear and Elena Diaz-BilelloThe purpose of this research brief for the Colorado Department of

Link to Resource: Factors Impacting Growth Percentile Variability: Technical Brief #2 - 2019Author: Benjamin R. Shear and Elena Diaz-BilelloThe purpose of this research brief for the Colorado Department of

Link to Resource: Examining student growth and teacher ratings on the SLOsAuthors: Derek Briggs, Rajendra ChattergoonCitation:  Briggs, D. & Chattergoon, R. (2016). Examining student growth and teacher ratings on the SLOs.  Brief

Link to Resource: District-wide Perceptions about the SLO Process in 2015-2016Authors:  Elena Diaz-Bilello, Rajendra Chattergoon, Derek BriggsCitation: Diaz-Bilello, E.,  Chattergoon, R. & Briggs, D. (2016). District-wide