Alexander Astin, a pioneer in assessment research, has argued persuasively for building national databases that would permit programs and institutions to share common data and thus compare themselves with peers (1987, 1991). Others have suggested that certain process and outcome data should be collected and shared by disciplinary associations and…

The Arizona Leadership Academy (ALA) assists school leadership teams in making a positive difference in their schools and communities in order to improve the education of the students of Arizona. Participants focus on schools and communities working together, examine the role of professional growth and development for educators, develop a…

Conceptual foundations of a process for assessing higher-order thinking are reviewed, and a viable model for carrying out the process is presented. The first section of the paper formulates 21 criteria that should be met by any process adequate to the task. The second section outlines the basic concept of critical thinking on which the paper is…

Direction and guidance are provided for establishing and maintaining bibliographic instruction (BI) programs. This document provides an overview of BI and BI programs and points readers to other sources of information. Five key topics were identified and the following papers are presented: (1) "An Introduction to Learning Theory" (Lori Arp); (2)…

COPE (Client-Oriented, Provider-Efficient) methodology, a self-assessment tool that has been used in 35 countries around the world, was used to improve the quality of care in family planning clinics in Kenya. COPE involves a process that legitimately invests power with providers and clinic-level staff. It gives providers more control over their…

This document presents profiles of the state education agency (SEA) program monitoring systems in the 58 states and jurisdictions receiving funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The first section includes an overview of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) compliance monitoring review system is provided.…

This resource provides tools that are relevant to understanding the nature and scope of substance abuse. The tools are also meant to be helpful in identifying and guiding students who need help and in preventing substance abuse. The aids are grouped into five sections. Section I provides basic fact sheets on substance abuse among youth. Section II…

This paper presents an Evaluation Scale which is applicable to various types of educational Web sites. It consists of three parts: composition of the site (concerned with general characteristics, presentation and illustration of information, and user's impression); pedagogical aspects; and curriculum-related aspects. Twenty-seven biology teachers…

In Great Britain, interest in the measurement of value added was stimulated initially by the requirement that schools and further education (FE) colleges publish league tables of examination results. Value-added data can be aggregated to compare different institutions' performance. Within colleges, value-added data provide a basis for setting…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on research methodology and information systems. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Parental Agreement on Ratings of Child Behavior: Measures of Agreement and Related Factors" (Carol T. Nixon, William E. MacLean); (2) "CAFAS…

This manual provides an overview and instructions for the application of vocational assessment to secondary special needs students, especially in Illinois. The manual is organized in six sections. The introductory section describes the provisions of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act in regard to student assessment and includes…

To achieve the goal of helping students acquire the pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for continuous professional development as well as successful entry into the profession, the development of reflective inquiry and decision-making skills has emerged as the focus of a growing number of teacher education programs. This paper…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of high school reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the California's new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the scoring guide for…

This sampler discusses California's English-language arts assessment program and presents examples of elementary school reading assessments, writing assessments, and writing prompts. The first section of the sampler takes an integrated look at the changes which make up the new English-language arts assessment. The second section presents the…

These guidelines for service evaluation arose out of a 1986 meeting of the International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap. An introduction focuses on the concepts of support and service and the need for minimizing restrictiveness and empowering the individual. Seven principles are enumerated, specifying the rights of people…