With scant research to draw upon with respect to the maintenance of vertical scales over time, decisions around the creation and performance of vertical scales over time necessarily suffers due to the lack of information. Undetected item parameter drift (IPD) presents one of the greatest threats to scale maintenance within an item response theory…

In 2005, state fish and wildlife agency wanted to examine how one of its conservation education programs was providing science-based understanding and outdoor experiences by evaluating students' knowledge, skills, attitudes and intended behavioral outcomes related to fish, fishing and aquatic habitats in Montana. A key factor in this study was the…

This handbook describes the responsibilities of district and school assessment coordinators in the administration of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). This updated guidebook contains the following sections: (1) General Assessment Guidelines for All Assessments; (2) Writing Specific Guidelines; (3) Reading and Mathematics…

An educational evaluation design based on a non-linear model of change is presented for use in configuring statewide and/or district-wide systems to support schools in which all students learn to think and acquire basic skills and information. Discussed as a concrete example is Connecticut's Common Core of Learning (CCL), which describes what the…

This report outlines the major themes of the 2000 annual conference of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), which focused on educational accountability in the 21st century. The conference opened with a panel presentation on the Texas accountability system. This session included a presentation by one of…

Policy decision makers, early educators, and early interventionists face numerous challenges as they develop and implement statewide accountability systems to evaluate and improve children's early intervention and early childhood special education outcomes. Kansas was an early adopter of the Child Outcomes Summary Form (COSF) developed by the…

Recommendations are presented for the state-by-state assessment of student achievement as part of the development of educational indicators to be compared across states. The State Education Assessment Center of the Council of Chief State School Officers solicited comments from the states about developing the assessment program. Issues were…

A rating scale designed by the Alaska Department of Education to be used by administrators, professional staff, and community representatives to assess community education programs is presented. The scale elicits information regarding: (1) philosophy; (2) administration/management; (3) personnel management; (4) fiscal management; (5) planning; (6)…

The purpose of this handbook is to assist state, district, and school personnel in implementing the Assessment Component of the Foundation Program Assessment and Improvement System (FPAIS). The FPAIS is a comprehensive system for managing curriculum, intended to improve instruction for students. The Assessment Component includes the gathering and…

Described is the system of evaluation used to monitor and assess the effectiveness of community service/continuing education programs in Florida funded through Title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It is necessary to first describe the State Agency's understanding of program evaluation and indicate the influences that contribute to that…

Guidelines for evaluating responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) for state-level educational assessment programs are presented. The guidelines articulate key choice points, options, and considerations by state (and district) testing directors as they solicit services for large-scale assessment from commercial testing companies. Focus is on…

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…

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)

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)

Beginning in 1998, a state program called Reaching for Results began focusing on raising achievement for all Louisiana students. This program includes two different approaches: (1) teaching strategies that support students in meeting educational outcomes that will prepare them for life after school; and (2) assessments that evaluate student…