In the fall of 1992, the National Association of Test Directors (NATD) surveyed its members on their involvement in the development of performance assessments and scoring rubrics. The extent to which members have developed performance assessments is reported, along with how they went about it, the advice they would offer others who are developing…

This monograph on quality in early childhood programs contains two parts: an exploratory essay on the subject and an annotated bibliography selected from a search of the ERIC data base from 1985 through April 1993. The essay examines five perspectives on assessing the quality of early childhood programs. A top-down perspective on quality…

Consisting of five sections, this paper presents the policy of the British Columbia (Canada) Ministry of Education regarding the organization of educational services for students through provincial curriculum and assessment programs. It also provides guidance to school and district personnel as they carry out their responsibilities to interpret…

The 1991-92 school year marked the first year of implementation of Year-Round Education (YRE) in seven Riverside Unified School District elementary schools. To assess participant satisfaction with the program, a survey was conducted of parents, all staff, and fourth- through sixth-grade students. The parent survey was conducted in two phases.…

This second annual report identifies the specific progress made by South Dakota during 1991-92 toward achievement of the six National Education Goals. The state's objectives to achieve each of the six goals are outlined, as well as actions taken and proposals made. "Families First," a state initiative that focuses on strengthening the…

This handbook is designed to help Utah school districts compile and report pertinent information to their respective publics, in compliance with the provisions of House Bill 170, which requires districts to prepare annual district reports. Following the introduction, suggestions are presented for the content, information sources, and reporting…

This paper presents a study of primary and secondary mathematics teachers' changing assessment practices in the context of policy, stakeholder, and personal presses for change. Two cohorts of teachers, one of 35 elementary, middle school, and high school teachers and the other of 24 elementary and middle school teachers participated. Using survey…

At the recommendation of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a National Study of Charter Schools. This document is summary of the second-year report of this study. The second-year report presents information about charter schools for the 1996-97 school year and is based on a telephone survey designed to collect data from all…

A concept-map assessment consists of a task that elicits structured knowledge, a response format, and a scoring system. Variation in tasks, response formats, and scoring systems produce different mapping techniques that may elicit different knowledge representations, posing construct-interpretations challenges. This study examined two mapping…

To explore the degree to which schools change, an analysis of how systemic participants (external agencies, the school, and individuals in the school) facilitate or constrain the rate of change is offered. Change, or learning, was assessed by following schools' and reviewers' use of an accrediting agency's criteria for school improvement, in this…

The late 1980s witnessed the deregulation and decentralization of education in Belgium. To examine some of the effects of this reform, four dimensions of general secondary education in the Flemish community following reforms are provided here. Each dimension is explored in a chapter. The first dimension, the structure of Flemish education,…

Drawing on current research, this paper advocates the optimization and enhancement of quality in group day care. Child development researchers offer many suggestions for improving the quality of child care. Recent research has indicated the importance peers play in children's development. Researchers have also indicated the importance of…

This text, like the earlier edition, is based on an interactive view of ability and disability. It differs from the previous edition in its focus on reading and writing together as integral dimensions of literacy. The interactive approach suggests that reading or writing disability may reflect the match between the learner and the conditions of…

For over a decade the Public School Forum of North Carolina has used a study group approach that employs the Forum's Board of Directors as a research team that works with others invited to participate in examining major problems facing North Carolina's schools. A request from the Glaxo Foundation led to the Forum's sixth major Study Group. This…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) continuously monitors the knowledge, skills, and performance of the nation's children and youth in a variety of academic subjects. Data from the NAEP 1996 Long-Term Mathematics Assessment show a positive linear trend for all three age groups since the first assessment in 1973, indicating…