Two gifted program evaluations found an absence of data on student learning, fragmentation of service models across the K-12 expanse, and a lack of systemic staff-development strategies and parent involvement. Insufficient resource bases and complex leadership demands that required movement on multiple fronts simultaneously created barriers to…

Describes two methods of introducing computer-assisted assessment (CAA) using Question Mark software. The University of Luton uses CAA for summative assessment; Loughborough University uses CAA mainly for formative assessment. Both have central units to provide support and development for staff wishing to use CAA in instruction. Students at each…

Discusses implications of states' requiring use of high school graduation exams. Finds testing requirements already blocking thousands of students from getting diplomas required for college admission, and complicating colleges' efforts to recruit black and Hispanic students. At the same time college officials praise tests for helping ensure that…

This study reports the results of a comprehensive survey (59 fixed and 3 open-ended response items) of a stratified (by grade) random sample of K-5 teachers in Indiana (n = 594; response rate = 49.5%). Results indicated that social studies is becoming increasingly marginalized in the K-5 curriculum relative to other core subject areas (e.g., math…

This study uses Partial Credit Rasch analysis to study a complex data set of student responses to survey items relating to chance and data. The items were administered in the classroom and collected from 1993 to 2003 in the Australian state of Tasmania. Data were collected from a total of 5514 individual students across Grades 3 to 11 over the…

The statewide implementation of instructional support teams (ISTs) in Pennsylvania is analyzed in terms of the challenge of bringing team-based problem-solving models to scale. The history of the phase-in of ISTs in more than 1,700 elementary schools is presented, and the salient research conducted on ISTs is reviewed. The results indicate that…

The author, an experienced teacher and teacher educator, describes how she has learned to incorporate assessment purposefully into every mathematics lesson she teaches. Such an approach, she writes, tells her whether the lesson was accessible to all students while challenging the more capable, what the students learned and still need to know, how…

In this article, the author draws attention to the fact that in school evaluations, students will improve on state-mandated tests, but the improved scores will not influence a school's adequate yearly progress (AYP) status because those students' scores do not cross the proficiency point. A state's proficiency point on each of its standardized…

The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test scores for 2004 have been announced. The tests, administered to juniors, attempt to assess how well students perform in mathematics, reading, writing, science, and social studies. There is a good deal at stake here. For students, it means money: Any student who meets or exceeds the state's…

During the past decade there has been an increasing interest in positive psychology, which promotes a shift away from the traditional deficit-based model of mental health to a framework that emphasizes social-emotional strengths. The building of strengths and an emphasis on the prevention of problems are at the forefront of positive psychology and…

This paper is the second part of a longitudinal study on the reliability of and access to ICT technologies in remote schools in north Western Australia [WA]. Part One was featured in the last issue of "AEC" ["Australian Educational Computing"]. It was an investigation into the access and practicalities of online opportunities…

The author, an executive director of Assessment and Accountability for the Poway Unified School District, relates how their school district implemented an assessment program with practical applications to teaching and learning. Rather than being yet another burden on teachers or a local report card on schools, the district's goal was to define…

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has strongly influenced European education policy and the entire global neo-liberally toned discourse that nowadays prevails in the implementation of national education policy and educational reforms. The educational policy governance of the OECD is based on overall and supranational…

With the advancement of technology and new developments in other social aspects, education is faced with challenges to produce well-rounded citizens for the 21st century. Some of the important qualities for individuals to be successful in the new era include creativity, application, and cooperative skills. Basic education in China had demonstrated…

The purpose of this article is to examine a nationwide effort of educational reform in Peru. Specifically, the authors take a close look at the nation's efforts to change secondary education through the implementation of a 2-year postsecondary learning opportunity called the "bachillerato." First, the authors briefly present the…