The Pennsylvania Department of Education suggests a scheme of what a school district might do in the way of preassessment publicity, concurrent publicity, and postassessment publicity regarding Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) reports. A case study is presented of a hypothetical school district with five elementary schools, two junior highs,…

The main document, of which this report is a summary, covers the assessment activities of the Minnesota Department of Education from June 1971 through December 1972. This summary report contains a chapter-by-chapter overview of the full report, with a concentration on the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the reading, mathematics, and…

This report contains the results of the first statewide educational learner pilot assessment in Wisconsin. The objectives of the program were: (1) to develop and refine the statewide assessment process including instrument development, instrument administration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of the results; (2) to provide a…

School improvement is a continuous, systematic process to enhance student learning, improve educational opportunities, and increase the effectiveness of the educational programs and services provided to students. The Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) is an ongoing process that includes assessing the strengths and needed improvements in…

This study examined the extent to which students with disabilities are included in accountability systems in states in which there are high stakes for educational systems. Conducted through a World Wide Web search of states' education Web sites and direct links to their Web sites, the study examined the indicators on which states collect…

A study examined state Individualized Education Program (IEP) forms to determine the extent to which they include documentation of standards and assessments. All 50 states were asked to send their IEP Forms and to indicate whether they were required, recommended, or simply sample forms. Out of the 41 states with IEP forms, only 5 states…

This document contains raw data on the various issues affecting the pre-K-12 community. The information was collected from Lexis-Nexis, legislative staff, state newsletters, school board/teacher associations, and various media. The issues presented here are in alphabetical order and are divided under three headings: state name, status of the…

Findings are reported from a 50-state survey of state assessment and accountability systems conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education in 2000. A four-step process was used to collect and verify data for the preparation of state profiles. Nine common layers of accountability have been identified: (1) a statewide system of…

This report provides guidance and information on resources to assist elementary schools, parents, community members, and policymakers in implementing a systemic approach to standards-based education. It makes clear recommendations on how schools can achieve a coordinated system in which standards, assessment, accountability, and curriculum are…

Through a retrospective study, the methods of investigative journalism are analyzed as they are applied to a statewide evaluation of student achievement and to a local school evaluation of new student registration procedures. The benefits and shortcomings of the journalistic approach are illustrated. (Author/AL)

Information from state assessment programs may be utilized to identify the characteristics of schools performing in an exemplary fashion, so that effective practices can be adopted and implemented in other schools. Various effective school practices and findings, revealed by school studies conducted in six states, are distilled in this paper. (AEF)

Examines the purposes of large-scale assessment programs, outlines the dangers and benefits of these assessments, considers the research evidence about the consequences of assessment, discusses how to evaluate assessment quality, and presents some ideas about the variables that influence the probabilities for good and bad assessment. (SLD)

This document reports on the evaluation of eight women's studies programs in the State University of Florida System. After reviewing the development of women's studies as a discipline, sections of the report cover measures of quality and vigor in women's studies programs, curriculum, women's studies programs as community builders on and off…

The progress states have made toward fulfilling their requirements under Title I of the Improving America's Schools Act is reported. Some states are reporting that they have developed content standards for some subjects, but not for others. In some states, both local school district and state standards are being developed. In all, 43 states had…

Guidelines for North Carolina public schools that are interested in developing and submitting plans for outcome-based education (OBE) pilot programs for the years 1993-94 and 1996-97 are offered in this document. The OBE program is based on the premise that all students can learn and focuses on the expectations for achievement necessary for…