New to the current assessment-reform movement is an emphasis on the use of performance assessments to support systematic state-, district-, or school-wide objectives. This document presents findings of a study that sought to document and analyze the key characteristics of performance assessments, the facilitators and barriers in assessment reform,…

The New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) supports seven design teams that develop and implement comprehensive designs for high-performance schools. By 1995 plans had been developed for over 200 participating schools. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the elements of school-accountability systems that aid or…

The volume contains papers presented at "Winds of Change: A Colloquium in Music Education," and examines the current need for reform in music education. Assessments of music's failure to achieve central curricular status, and outline scenarios for reform and improved status for music education are presented. The reform plans emphasize the value of…

This paper reports the results of an analysis of the relationship between scorer behaviors and score variability. Thirty-six essay scorers were interviewed and asked to perform a think-aloud task as they scored 24 essays. Each comment made by a scorer was coded according to its content focus (i.e. appearance, assignment, mechanics, communication,…

Since the early 1980s, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) have shown unprecedented interest in the setting and evaluating of educational standards and in improving assessment procedures. This book is the outcome of a study undertaken by the OECD in…

This document reports on the evaluation of eight women's studies programs in the State University of Florida System. After reviewing the development of women's studies as a discipline, sections of the report cover measures of quality and vigor in women's studies programs, curriculum, women's studies programs as community builders on and off…

States across the United States are setting tough new standards, defining what students should know and be able to do. Unlike more traditional assessments, standards-led assessments are more closely linked to curriculum, incorporate preestablished performance goals, and require students to demonstrate a broad range of problem-solving skills. This…

The Ability Explorer (AE) is a newly developed self-report inventory of abilities that is appropriate for group or individual administration. There are machine-scorable and hand-scorable versions of the test, and there are two levels. Level 1 is for students from junior high to high school, and Level 2 is for high school students and adults.…

The United Kingdom's 1992 Education Act established the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), which was mandated to oversee an inspection system for all schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which the inspection process helped schools with their school-development planning. A survey was mailed to…

Elements of arbitrariness in the standard setting process are explored, and an alternative to the use of cut scores is presented. The first part of the paper analyzes the use of cut scores in large-scale assessments, discussing three different functions: (1) cut scores define the qualifications used in assessments; (2) they simplify the reporting…

A new paradigm for evaluating school restructuring that is based on the teacher-as-researcher concept, or action research, is presented in this paper. The first section compares the traditional and new evaluation paradigms. The old model is competitive, one-dimensional, reactive, and based on external change agents; it appeals to fear and views…

Test theory encompasses models and methods for drawing inferences about what students know and can do, cast in a framework of ideas from measurement, education, and psychology. The emerging paradigm of cognitive psychology prompts new considerations about collecting and interpreting evidence, suggesting alternative models for the nature,…

The gap between policymaker enthusiasm for the uses of student assessment and expert caution is analyzed by examining new forms of student assessment as an education policy strategy. The study is based on interviews with 34 national and state policymakers and focuses on their differing expectations of what assessment policy can accomplish and how…

The construct validity of content standards is addressed in terms of their representative coverage of a construct domain and their alignment with the students' cognitive level of developing expertise in the subject matter. The construct validity of performance standards is addressed in terms of the extent to which they reflect increasing levels of…

Understanding the distribution of achievement levels of students' performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is aided through the use of the trilinear chart. This chart is described and its use illustrated with data from the 1992 state NAEP mathematics assessment. The trilinear chart is used to portray three variables…