Unintended Effects of Educational Reform in New York

Trends in the incidence of retention, remediation, and identification of students as handicapped were examined in 12 elementary schools across a period of increased high-stakes assessment and public accountability (1978-1979 to 1988-1989). At the primary grade levels there was a significant increase in the incidence of identification of students as handicapped and a significant increase in the proportion of children retained in grade or identified as handicapped. The increases occur before the administration of the first mandated high-stakes assessments. The implications of these trends for understanding reports of school effectiveness and statewide student achievement in reading are discussed Finally, suggestions for the redesign of large-scale high-stakes assessment reports are offered.