The success of standards-based education systems depends on two elements: strong standards and assessments that measure what the standards expect. States that have, or adopt, test-based accountability programs claim that their tests are aligned to their standards. But there has been, up to now, no independent methodology for checking alignment.…

The Curriculum and Research Development Center of Indiana State University sought to determine the number of high schools in Indiana that teach environmental education in some form. A questionnaire was mailed in February 1974 to the principals of all senior high, junior/senior high, and K-12 schools. The investigators were interested in finding…

Alignment of content standards, performance standards, and assessments is crucial. This guide contains information to assist states and districts in aligning their assessment systems to their content and performance standards. It includes a review of current literature, both published and fugitive. The research is woven together with a few basic…

This document is designed to show the connections between assessment tools available for primary and intermediate grades in the Kentucky public schools. Sections of the document outline the essential assessment tools and give information about how they support and mirror each other. These tools can be used to bridge the knowledge of primary and…

This monograph, addressed primarily to Michigan teachers, presents an analysis of the item data from the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) study of fourth and seventh graders. Summary data related to construction and administration of the tests are presented, and reliability, validity and equating of tests are discussed. Items were…

In the fall of 1973, the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) began using criterion referenced tests rather than the norm referenced tests used in earlier years. This volume presents the results of the 1973 study, presenting interpretive remarks about the performance levels of students from the fourth- and seventh-grades for each…

Reviews the basic precepts of environmental education (EE) summarizing state-level efforts directed at its establishment. Discusses an EE plan with a 3-year scope and sequence for middle school students along with other suggestions for systematically incorporating EE into K-12 curriculum. Examines curricular frameworks, program characteristics,…

Unless communities create equitable learning environments, many students will be excluded from learning and will not be fully prepared for the workforce of the future. The Vermont Institute for Science, Math and Technology has developed benchmarks to assure educational equity. Benchmarks are listed for the following areas: (1) school and classroom…

In North Dakota, a statewide assessment was made of compliance with Public Law 101-392 (the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act) through questionnaires completed by 171 secondary school administrators (representing 77 percent of the 211 secondary schools in North Dakota), in 1991. The assessment showed that secondary…

California was a pioneer in new forms of student assessment through a system entitled the "California Learning Assessment System" (CLAS). For different reasons, several interest groups objected to the CLAS, which has been discontinued. The history of the CLAS program sheds light on the future of testing policy in California and perhaps…

Seeking to describe the current conditions of U.S. arts education, this document contains information collected and compiled from state education agencies. In 1984, the National Executive Board of Music Educators National Conference (MENC) adopted three goals which stated that by 1990: (1) every student in grades K-12 would have access to music…

The 1991 Manitoba Health Education Assessment consisted of the grade-4 health education test, a survey of grade-4 teachers, and the comparison of student performance in grades 5 and 10 from 1982 to 1991. The grade-4 sample consisted of 10% of students from English language schools, all students in Franco-Manitoban schools, and 25% of all students…

This manual is a compilation of state policies in consumer education. It is based on a national survey, conducted in 1978 by the Education Commission of the States (ECS), of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Intended for use by policymakers, administrators, curriculum specialists, and consumer educators, the manual defines consumer education as…

This report summarizes the comprehensive, written self-assessments comleted by seven Minnesota tech prep consortia. The 1993-94 cohort of consortia was the first group to use the self-assessment. Within each tech prep consortium, the evaluation was completed by cross-district teams of teachers, administrators, and others who had been trained by…

This report contains the comprehensive, written self-assessments completed by 10 Minnesota tech prep consortia. The 1994-95 cohort of consortia was the second group to use the self-assessment. Within each tech prep consortium, the evaluation was completed by cross-district teams of teachers, administrators, and others who had been trained by the…