Although educational reformers frequently use the words "system,""systemic change," and "systemic approach," many lack a fundamental understanding of the systems concept. This paper describes the application of systems theory to the problems of educational reform and educational assessment. It introduces basic concepts and principles and describes…

This report reviews the outcomes of a forum convened to examine policy and practice issues surrounding the annual evaluation of effectiveness of programs and services for students with disabilities. At the forum, alternative approaches being used by states to implement program evaluation were discussed, along with issues in gathering…

The Work Keys System from the American College Testing Program is an innovative national system that provides a continuous structure for documenting and improving the workplace skills of individuals. By providing individuals with reliable information about their own skill levels and the levels required for jobs, Work Keys can help individuals make…

This annotated bibliography lists works pertaining to tests and measurement. Three guides to commercially published tests are described briefly as follows: (1) the "Mental Measurements Yearbooks" published by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements; (2) "Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education,…

The goal of the New Hampshire Council for the Social Studies is to actively work to improve social studies instruction in New Hampshire in the 1990s. This guide outlines the basic goals, structure, and methods of the social studies curriculum, K-12, for New Hampshire. The guide provides a definition along with a rationale for social studies…

This paper addresses methodological and substantive issues regarding the use of portfolios of students' work in Chapter 1 evaluation and program improvement. In evaluations using portfolios desirable characteristics of the evaluation procedure are objectivity, reliability, and validity. The Chapter 1 Evaluation/Program Improvement System (CHEPIS)…

This document presents the results of a survey questionnaire of undergraduate education in sociology sent in spring 1991 to a nationally representative sample of 597 four-year colleges and universities. The data from 502 responding four-year colleges and universities (out of 529 eligible institutions) were weighted to provide national estimates…

The role of context in learning has taken on a new significance in recent research in that it might account for the "lost learning" that should result from the school experience, but which does not appear on normative assessments intended to measure learning in areas explicitly valued by society. A naturally occurring microworld, or…

Focusing on publications that have addressed Total Quality Management at the university level, this annotated bibliogrpahy contains 42 citations. The citations date from 1979 to 1992, with the greatest number in the late 80s and the 90s. Both journal articles and books are included. (NKA)

A regional seminar examined and defined the goals of secondary education in countries of the Asia and Pacific region seminar; it also analyzed causes for changes in secondary education goals and emerging trends. A total of 20 participants from the following countries--Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New…

Findings of an audit of the New York State Education Department's procedures to maintain security over Pupil Evaluation Program (PEP) and Program Evaluation Test (PET) examination materials are presented in this report. The audit sought to determine whether the department's security procedures adequately prevented unauthorized access to exam…

This guidebook is designed to serve as a resource and road map for restructuring schools, focusing on the development of a systematic process to implement and manage change. Chapter 1 defines restructuring as the reform of school-organizational relationships and processes to increase student learning and performance, with a focus on the following…

This is the first report from a 5-year study of the classroom level effects of state assessment reforms. The first year examines changes in the teaching of writing and mathematics in Kentucky elementary and middle schools as a result of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System and the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). This report…

One of the benefits of performance based assessment is its allowance for the teacher to gather information about how the student understands and applies knowledge. In this Digest, the basic steps a teacher should take to plan and execute effective performance-based assessment are outlined. Coverage includes the steps of planning and executing…

Smaller class sizes in California were viewed as a way to improve K-3 education, especially in the area of literacy. The urgency to act prompted state leaders to adopt class-size reduction (CSR) without knowing for sure that it would work and without establishing a formal procedure for evaluating the program. This report looks at past research on…