The dominant issues in considering the use of tests developed outside the classroom to measure the impact of curriculum reform on higher order thinking are reviewed by a panel interviewed for this discussion. Panel members are: (1) Stuart Kahl, (2) Robert Linn, (3) Senta A. Raizen, (4) Lauren Resnick, and (5) Thomas A. Romberg. It is conceded…

The first part of a four-part analysis and assessment of Pakistan's system of primary education, this document presents summary conclusions and recommendations. Despite gains in primary school attendance and recent good economic performance, Pakistan's educational base remains so weak as to constitute a serious threat to continued economic growth.…

A conceptual framework is provided for generating assessment tasks that provide an instructor with a richer description of student reasoning/thinking than is possible by simply giving students problems to solve. The application of this framework is illustrated with material from introductory statistics courses which focus on: (1) sampling; (2)…

Schools that are concerned with evaluating their programs need more than just the average scaled assessment scores from standardized tests. To help schools, the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program produces school and district reports that contain the stories behind the averages. These reports describe the kind of students who took the…

This brochure describes the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a program that aims to improve the effectiveness of the nation's schools by making objective information about student performance in selected learning areas available to policymakers at the national, regional, state, and local levels. Commonly known as the…

Five years of state test results for Pennsylvania are examined, focusing on differences among elementary schools in which a majority of students do not master basic learning skills. Data are provided for 1,505 elementary schools in about 500 districts. The largest learning problems occur in about 10% of the schools; these schools have been…

The question of whether tests can be both curriculum-neutral and effective means of monitoring and motivating educational practice is discussed. Educational reform and testing are intimately linked, as tests are widely viewed as a means of educational improvement. Tests/assessments influence educator behavior by stimulating them to assure that…

Divided into four sections, this guide has been compiled to answer the most frequently asked questions about music education in Minnesota and to provide a consistent, uniform base of information for all schools and districts. The first section, "Curriculum and Evaluation," describes resources available to educators and administrators…

The way in which the partial credit model is being used in one large education system to analyze performance on standard assessment tasks undertaken by all students in their final year of high school is described. The assessment tasks include investigative projects, laboratory tasks, worked problems, drawings and studio work, essays, and…

Reporting on a study designed to evaluate West Court High School (WCHS, a pseudonym) in Louisiana, this document discusses quantiative and qualitative aspects of the study; the development of interview protocols for the administrators, teachers, students, and parents who participated; and the sociograms developed to assess the interaction patterns…

This document reports responses from Alaska's 54 school districts to a Department of Education survey on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The first section provides general information about the school districts' responses in those three areas, including information on curriculum guides, graduation requirements, student assessment…

The roles of institutional researchers in the overall goal setting and monitoring process were studied in 1982. In addition, the use of databases and new technology (e.g., computer models and planning aids, information retrieval systems, and national databases) as support mechanisms for assessment of institutional performance, and the methods used…

A field test of an evaluation of a teacher education program at Glassboro State College (New Jersey) used 19 preservice teachers as subjects. The evaluation model adopted for the study, CIPP, is an acronym for the four types of evaluation incorporated into one model: context, input, process, and product. Tests administered to students were the…

The development of state program review and different state approaches to program review are examined, along with policy issues, implications, and alternatives. It is noted that most state policy calls for periodic reviews of college programs leading to certificates or degrees. New developments in state program reviews include: review of…

The effectiveness of Upward Bound (UB), a federally funded program to assist high-ability disadvantaged youth in completing programs in higher education, is addressed in this study. The study sought to determine if participation in UB enhances high school performance and participation in postsecondary education, especially in comparison to non-UB…