The chapters in this collection deal with a range of issues that surround the positive and negative aspects of assessment and distinguish assessment and evaluation. Educational organizations have become more and more dominated by the processes of assessment and evaluation in various guises such as teacher appraisal, accountability, and student…

Guidance is offered in Spanish on the creation and use of alternative assessment, and a process model is presented that links assessment with curriculum and instruction, based on contemporary theories of learning and cognition. The introductory chapter provides background on the purposes of assessment and the need for new alternatives, with an…

Criticisms leveled at the American education system are examined in this paper, which asserts that misinformation about Japanese education should not be used as a basis for educational reform in the United States. Commonly reported changes made against the American public school system are explored; they include lowered student intelligence,…

Information about the performance of Pennsylvania's public schools in relation to the six national education goals developed by the nation's governors and the Bush Administration at the Charlottesville education summit is provided in this report. Initiatives taken to improve educational quality and plans for further action are described. The first…

Findings of a study that incorporated a method for measuring the economic efficiency of K-8 school districts in Illinois are presented in this paper. The quadriform concept was used to identify four categories, or quadrants, for identifying school districts--technically efficient, low service, high service, and technically inefficient. The method…

The California Strategic Plan for Special Education sets specific goals and outcomes for the future in 11 critical areas: early intervention for infants and preschoolers, prevention, assessment, student outcomes and quality indicators, service delivery, education in the least restrictive environment, regionalization for students with low incidence…

The California Art Education Association conducted a portfolio assessment pilot project to provide visual arts educators with examples of classroom practice to serve as a foundation for further development of performance/portfolio assessment. Key issues addressed during this project included the purposes of assessment portfolios for students and…

During 1991, the Department of Education of the Northwest Territories took a number of important steps toward its goal of ensuring the school system reflects the cultures of the people it serves. This report expands on the initiatives the department undertook in 1991. Following introductory statements by the minister and deputy minister,…

This report reviews the concept and means of assessing progress toward meeting Goal 5 of the National Goals Panel which aims at universal adult literacy and knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy and exercise citizenship. The goal's specific objectives focus on the relationship between work and education and outcomes,…

The background and purpose of course assessment are examined. The paper includes suggestions for classroom instructors in setting up formative assessment plans based on qualitative research. Focus is on the interview technique. It is discussed as a practical source for evaluating what actually takes place during a course, including the appraisal…

The beliefs and values of teachers and administrators in one school district regarding their desire and capacity to change and on helping school leaders plan the change process were evaluated, in light of the America 2000/Nebraska 2000 community school campaign. This report summarizes the evaluation focus, procedures for data collection and…

This document describes performance assessments (PAs) (alternative assessments or authentic assessments). PA requires students to perform a task rather than select an answer on a ready-made list. Some methods that have been used successfully to assess performance include open-ended or extended response exercises, extended tasks, and portfolios.…

This report presents an evaluation of the Advanced Courses Development Programme (ACDP) that was set up to rationalize the provision of advanced courses in Scottish further education colleges and central institutions. The ACDP is based on students achieving a certain level of competence in a vocational subject defined in terms of outcome and…

This report presents the results of a workshop, held in Arlington, Virginia, on November 17-19, 1991, to discuss with the larger community the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) effort to develop strategies for assessing college student learning in support of National Education Goal Five, Objective Five which supports a substantial…

This self-study instrument is designed to review graduate programs in health education and health promotion. Information collected can be utilized to assist administrators and faculty to properly assess the status of their specific programs (school health, community health, public health, health promotion/worksite health promotion, other) and…