For more than four decades the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has tracked the achievement of U.S. students in major academic subjects. This national resource is the only assessment that states and now many urban districts can look to as an objective yardstick of their performance over time, relative to national benchmarks, and…

The debate about national assessment in education is in its infancy in New Zealand. It is recognized that the requirements of assessment for national monitoring may conflict with assessment of a formative nature within the schools because of differing requirements for the numbers of students assessed, the type of assessment advisable, and the…

An edited version of the Executive Summary of the Ninth Annual Report to Congress by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education is presented. Among topics addressed for the 1985-86 school year are number of students served, least restrictive environment, and anticipated service needs of students exiting…

To achieve universal primary education by the year 2000, the Sudanese government found that it would have to do substantial research into the varying local conditions affecting the implementation of national educational programs. Two steps that could help ensure the effectiveness of national efforts are (1) involving local and regional personnel…

Discusses the evolution of state-level assessment activities of college graduates' skills/outcomes to provide a context for a proposed national system and examines extent and types of testing in six states. Addresses the purposes of postsecondary assessment and draws conclusions as to institutional support needed to sustain a collaborative system.…

This report presents a plan for an Educational Assessment and Accountability System for Hawaii. The purpose of this plan is to provide an analytical as well as a descriptive account of the condition of public education in Hawaii. It is meant to be a vehicle to provide the means by which educational outcomes can be examined in light of contextual…

As part of a multiphase study of Job Corps vocational education offerings and outcomes during fiscal year 1982, a study examined Job Corps efforts and procedures for identifying high growth occupations. Using input from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, researchers identified high growth occupations for which the Job Corps is either currently…

This report was compiled to serve as a reference on assessments of achievement in pre-college mathematics. Patterns of mathematical assessments are discussed in terms of the history and nature of assessments of achievement, the relationship between assessment and minimum competency testing, and the current status of state assessment programs.…

Examines forces shaping the development of a national collegiate assessment program, including increases in immigrants and elective courses. Highlights obstacles to assessing college students' critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving abilities and argues that a national program should begin in states and individual colleges rather…

Analyzes literacy campaigns in developing countries since early postcolonial efforts. Sees the Experimental World Literacy Programme as a turning point, reflecting lessons learned from past failures. Identifies features of successful campaigns, including political will, resource mobilization, timing, decentralized implementation, realistic…

For a number of years, the 16 ERIC Clearinghouses have tracked educational issues and trends in their respective special areas of concern. This is the first unified collection of papers resulting from the tracking effort. Each paper contains an analysis of research, practice, and policy in the scope area covered by the authoring Clearinghouse. The…

Information collected from interviews with 15 ministers of education and 30 program directors and researchers at 18 universities in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina is used to study academic programs which prepare persons to be educational planners and administrators. Section one describes background…

The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk" began a new reevaluation of American schooling. The issues raised in that and several more recent reports are summarized and discussed in this preface to the ERIC volume, "Trends and Issues in Education, 1986." This paper offers observations and reflections on the issues presented in that volume and…

Australia's second National Research and Evaluation Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (VET), which covers the period 2001-2003, builds on the following major themes contained in the first national strategy, which covered 1997-2000: stakeholder orientation, national coordination, and the importance of effective dissemination. The…