This paper provides an analysis of inclusion as it relates to national goals, national standards, and national tests for students with disabilities. Concerning the six national education goals specified in Goals 2000, the paper finds that the primary data collection programs used to document progress toward the goals exclude 40 to 50 percent of…

Accrediting associations assess colleges in order to find out what has been accomplished, and to find out how it might be better accomplished. Assessment of educational outcomes can be a useful way to demonstrate the success of alternative means. However, accrediting agencies do not rely exclusively on outcome measures, since they only assess what…

Critically examines the arguments of Leon Lessinger for teacher accountability and applicability of these arguments to early childhood education. (Author/SS)

Two major issues related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are explored: (1) the roles and responsibilities of federal and state education agencies in reformulating NAEP to facilitate comparisons among states; and (2) problems and solutions in aligning or accounting for differences between national assessment objectives and…

It is the process of regular exercise that promotes fitness. Concentrating too much on the product by overuse of fitness norms and comparisons between children may mask the real issue and can result in negative experiences for the children most in need of improvement. Key related issues are also raised. (MT)

It has been recommended that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) specify comprehensive exercise domains to measure academic achievement, and provide a national item pool to measure the objectives in these domains. These domain specifications and item pools would serve to satisfy the increasing demand for valid, accurate, and…

Some issues of concern to administrators of measurement service centers in most campus settings are discussed. Goal setting is an important factor in managing the development of a measurement organization. Goals may be categorized as immediate, long term, or probably unattainable. All types are useful and should be formally identified and…

This article presents the viewpoint that care must be taken to fit the specifics of a testing program to its intended purpose. Testing for diagnosing individual student learning and for school evaluation should not be confused. Statewide testing programs may provide evaluative information, but are inadequate sources of diagnostic information. (LMO)

Believing that educational reforms are overdue, the author proposes three radical solutions: only validated instructional programs should be implemented, results of systematic public assessments of pupil achievements in learning should be published annually, and teachers should periodically submit evidence of learning achievement in their classes.…

Recommendations are made for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment of informative, persuasive, and imaginative writing. Five major objectives should be assessed by NAEP: (1) writing as a way of thinking and learning; (2) writing to accomplish a variety of purposes; (3) managing the writing process; (4) controlling forms…

The steady growth of state testing programs and its implications for the measurement community are discussed in terms of testing purposes (monitoring, accountability, and curriculum advancement) and test development, administration, and reporting. It is important that the measurement community address crucial issues to maintain its substantial…

Based on the FairTest perspective, this paper argues that the United States does not need a national test to measure progress toward the nation's educational goals and that such a test would have adverse impacts on low-income and minority students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) should remain an indicator system but should…

An ideal system of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), from the local school district perspective, must follow several principles based on the 1985 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing: (1) Testing must be viewed by teachers and students as worthwhile. (2) Test results must be presented in a timely and useful…

The role of the state government in higher education assessment is clearly expanding as both the state's interest and investment in higher education grows. Currently, patterns of state involvement vary widely--from indirect incentive programs to direct legislation or regulatory action. Institutional assessment and the resulting reform must be…

Criticisms of norm referenced standardized tests are contrasted with the assumption and claims of proponents of Rasch model testing and item banking. The Rasch test theory model is based on the assumption of equal interval curriculum referenced scales for both students' abilities and test item difficulties. The Portland school district has…