The cluster of studies that has come to be called the "effective schools research" is providing a reliable database on the basic differences between effective and noneffective schools. Researchers have identified three fundamental factors common to effective schools: (1) a belief in, and commitment to, student learning; (2) a sense of…

In the 1980s, nontraditional education is becoming an outdated term, because elements of such education have been integrated into most colleges and universities. The major innovation within nontraditional education is the external degree. Valley developed six major models of external degrees: administrative facilitation, modes of learning, the…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the assessment procedures initiated and used by most Canadian provinces during the past decade to describe public school reading achievement, to identify commonalities and differences among those procedures, and to comment on the significance of the identified trends. The stated purposes of evaluation…

This brochure describes the mission of National Assessment, the highlights of recent findings, and the procedures used in gathering the data. It also outlines how the project is administered and governed and projects a framework for the development of upcoming assessments. The booklet includes a number of charts and graphs depicting achievement…

A literature review on evaluation and assessment of undergraduate education is presented as part of the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness. It is designed to provide an overview of certain evaluation frameworks that have been used in higher education, present some approaches used…

A process by which institutions of higher education can plan for change with the times, come to terms with the dynamics of change, and initiate adaptation to a perceived future is presented. This guide is intended to be an outline for action that can be adapted to the diverse range of operations and governance current in American colleges and…

Among the results of two complementary studies on the effectiveness of Arizona secondary vocational education were the following: (1) the vocational students were more satisfied with school than the nonvocational students; (2) the vocational students felt better prepared for work; (3) the 12th-grade nonvocational students scored significantly…

This guidebook aims to provide clear, non-technical descriptions of procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of local gifted education programs in Virginia. The procedures were developed with both external and internal evaluations in mind. The evaluation process is described in four phases: planning, collecting the data, interpreting the data…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), a private, nonprofit body, was established in 1987 to address the need for uniform teaching criteria and improved methods for gauging how well such standards are met. The NBPTS is comprised of 63 members who are teachers (the majority), school administrators, local board members,…

The results of a poll, conducted in an inner-city area in New Orleans, Louisiana, and designed to assess parent attitudes toward public education, is described in this report. The procedures used in determining the sample for this study included: (1) identification of all students attendinq the four feeder schools in the inner-city area; and (2)…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), like most large national surveys, employs a complex stratified multistage unequal probability sample. The design provides a rigorous justification for extending survey results to the entire U.S. target population. Developments in the analysis of data from complex surveys which provide a…

The possibilities and problems in the use of within-group slopes of outcomes on inputs as indicators of substantive educational group effects are considered. Slopes are proposed as outcome measures which may reflect within-group processes in between-group analyses of multilevel data. Research on aptitude x treatment interactions, contextual…

Reuven Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device and Instrumental Enrichment (LPAD/IE) system presents a valid approach to assessment, which moves from constructs, to pedagogical theory, to instruments, and to remedial strategies. This system uses standardized tests in a standard approach, but not for the purpose of the quantification of…

A review of relevant research reveals the general characteristics of a test of oral communication performance, some specific characteristics of testing programs, and some directions that future performance testing should take. Characteristics of tests of oral communication performance are as follows: (1) students should be able to apply the skills…

The Elementary-Middle School (E-M) Development Project was conducted to provide comprehensive and scientific research on objectives, contents, and methods of education in Korea. It provided the basis for development of a new educational system through which major educational problems could be resolved. The project also provided opportunities to…