Drawing from two international measures, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), this brief provides a snapshot comparison of the United States to other education systems. Specifically, this brief addresses how the U.S. compares to other countries in overall…

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,…

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…

Discusses a local history project sponsored by The Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine. States that studying a local community focuses students' attention on how people and historical events have shaped their own lives. Describes how the program helped a fourth grade class explore and understand the past and present, as well as prospects for…

In July 1992, American College Testing convened a 5-day meeting to set achievement levels in writing for grades 4, 8, and 12 to be recommended for use in reporting the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Sixty-six panelists (teachers, non-teacher educators, and non-educators) attended the meeting and participated in the…

The New Standards Project, attempting to create an assessment system comprised of performance exams, portfolios and projects, may not have fulfilled its promise to create a national system of tests worth teaching to. However, NSP did deliver high- quality professional-development opportunities for hundreds of teachers across the nation. (Contains…

The technical characteristics of the reading criterion referenced tests administered to pupils in grades 4, 8, and 11 as part of the Louisiana State Assessment of Reading are described. Fourth and eighth grade tests include vocabulary, phonetic and structural analysis, comprehension and study skills; eleventh grade tests include vocabulary, word…

The major emphasis of the Kentucky Educational Assessment Program is to determine the actual level of performance of Kentucky pupils in relation to the desired levels of performance established in the 1972 report entitled "Goals of Education in Kentucky." The report was published by the Kentucky State Department of Education and contains…

This report is written for local educators who are responsible for the administration of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests and for other people who are generally interested in the purposes and methodology of MEAP. The 1975-76 assessment will report 19 variables at the student, classroom, school or district levels, in the…