The Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) initiative began in 2014 in anticipation of a new global emphasis on early childhood development (ECD). Led by UNESCO, the World Bank, the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and UNICEF, the initiative aims to promote feasible, accurate and useful measurement of…

This resource is part of a series of reports about challenges facing statewide science assessments and innovative solutions states are enacting to meet those challenges. Deciding to implement a system of assessments is a critical step toward ensuring that all students are getting the high-quality science education they need--but it is also…

The new Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards should be part of every school district's repertoire of standards to ensure that the learning needs of advanced students are being met. "NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: A Guide to Planning and Implementing High-Quality Services" details six standards that…

States are in various stages of reforming how they evaluate their educators, all striving for a new system that can assess a range of abilities and practices over long periods of time and capture the full nature of an educator's performance. The strongest systems look at teaching in a more comprehensive way than evaluations have done in the past,…

School principals can foster effective literacy instruction by orchestrating community collaboration in an ongoing cycle of literacy program development, implementation, evaluation, and revision outlined in this ten-step plan. The steps address forming a community advisory board, appointing a building literacy leader, forming a literacy team,…

The Council of Chief State School Officers' "Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate the Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities" was first developed to establish guidelines for states to use for the selection, administration, and evaluation of accommodations for…

Five major steps in the identification of gifted and talented youth are discussed, and problems in each area are noted: (1) determination of program goals and types of gifted youth to be served; (2) nomination procedures; (3) assessment procedures; (4) individual differentiation; and (5) validation of the identification process. (CL)

Intended for college and university admissions officers, faculty, and administration, the booklet presents an overview of learning disabilities (LD) and the implications of LD on postsecondary services. A definition of LD is given, followed by a list of typical characteristics of LD adults. Characteristics of a model comprehensive college LD…

These guidelines are intended to help New York State school districts: (1) develop procedures for identifying gifted students and (2) use the information obtained through identification procedures as a basis for deciding how educational programs and services can be modified to serve the students. Initial sections of the manual define giftedness…

Reviews lessons learned from experience with computer-aided learning that can inform the use of computers in student assessment in college teaching, describes the experience of two institutions with computer-assisted student assessment, and makes recommendations for developing and implementing effective institution-wide systems. (Author/MSE)

The report details the background, development, and implementation of a school-community coordinated preschool program for suspected handicapped children under age 5. Legal mandates to identify preschool children with special needs are cited, despite a permissive mandate of serving those identified. Ten steps to be taken by districts in planning…

This booklet provides an introduction to project-based instruction, explaining the research-based rationale for using the approach and outlining how the approach can increase students' engagement and knowledge retention. It offers guidelines for planning and implementing projects and includes a checklist of important things to keep in mind when…

The article examines communication training for handicapped students making the transition from school to adult life in terms of the need for communication training, principles of assessment, and the communication specialist as consultant. (DB)

This book talks about the enormous pressure school counselors are under to document effectiveness by using data and producing quantitative accountability reports--whether or not they've had the appropriate training. Highly respected by counselor educators and trainers it gives preservice and inservice school counselors the tools to knowledgeably…

This handbook serves as a guide for administrators and lead teachers in a staff development program for improving the quality of instruction in high schools in Oregon. The staff development program is divided into a 2-day basic training program and a 3-day advanced training program. In the first session, participants learn to establish learning…