On December 10, 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) was signed by President Barack Obama and became the United States' current national education law (United States Department of Education [U.S. DOE], n.d.). The ESSA was a long overdue reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Unlike previous…

This publication provides an overview of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The following topics are covered : (1) Introductory Information, including a timelime and ESSA modifications to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); (2) State Plan; 3) Statewide Accountability System, ; (4) Academic Assessments; (5) Standards; (6) School Improvement;…

By 2012, all of the states in this study had started implementing new or revised teacher and leader evaluation systems. The systems include many and varying updates. In some cases, the updates were designed to meet conditions for a state's "Race to the Top" grant. In others, the updates were made to meet conditions for a state's waiver…

Many articles and reports have reviewed, researched, and commented on international assessments from the perspective of exploring what is relevant for the United States' education systems. Researchers make claims about whether the top-performing systems have transferable practices or policies that could be applied to the United States. However,…

An interview with John I. Goodlad concerning the research he and his associates have been conducting over the last eight years in an attempt to describe "Schooling in America." (IRT)

The guiding principles and procedures for pupil assessment in Portuguese compulsory education were established by the Implementing Order No. 1/2005, 5th January, with amendments introduced by the Implementing Orders No. 18/2006, 14th March and No. 5/2007, 10th January, and apply to the learning objectives and competencies defined for the various…

This pamphlet surveys the last ten years of a Pennsylvania assessment program called Educational Quality Assessment (EQA). The assessment, mandated by state law, measures student achievement in ten goal areas. Pamphlet topics cover legislation and history, administration of the program, the EQA inventory, and the school report. (Author/LD)

The field-oriented, competency utilization system (FOCUS) training program attempts to specify a theoretical framework to practice utilizing a verified pool of competency statements and the assessment component of the Georgia Principal Assessment System. This paper depicts the developmental process that went into building the FOCUS instructional…

The National curriculum assessment (NCA) in Wales has evolved from common foundations into a system that is now distinct from that in England. The influence of the political and social milieu of Wales can be seen both in the distinctive features that have been in place from the outset and in the more radical changes introduced since 2002. In this…

Designed for educators actively involved with the teaching of writing, this summary report contains an overview of the background, major findings, and recommendations of the 1979 Manitoba (Canada) Writing Assessment Program. Various sections of the report provide the following information: (1) highlights of the general report of the program; (2)…

The document contains a descriptive outline of the various components of the Texas career education learning system. This includes: (1) a brief discussion on policy guidance; (2) an overview of career education from 1970-1975; (3) an outline of goals for public school education; (4) a 25-page document called "Basic Learner Outcomes for Career…

The third party evaluation of the K-12 career education project RACE (Researched Activities for Career Education) focused on test results of students in four selected grades. A career education questionnaire was administered as a pre-test and again as a post-test to students in the third and sixth grades. Ninth and twelfth grade students were…

Presents the National Endowment for the Arts' summary of educational needs, program emphases, and future directions as contained in its "Five-Year Planning Document, 1990-1994." Provides an overview of the 1988-1994 planning document, as well as a comparison of previous and current observations regarding the National Endowment's…

Discusses the development of the National Assessment of Educational Progress and describes how its methods and materials are being used in Nebraska, Connecticut, Maine, and other states as a tool to improve educational programs. (Author/JG) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Results (Utilization).