This volume contains abstracts of the more than 300 discussion papers, symposia, displays, and training sessions presented at the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA) 1999 annual meeting. Papers deal with elementary, secondary, and higher education and cover a broad spectrum of educational issues. Although many papers focus on the…

This paper addresses the controversy about use of "out-of-level" testing, the practice of assessing students (usually those with disabilities) with a lower-level version of a test. The controversy pits unintended instructional consequences against "accurately" measuring performance and avoiding student frustration. Introductory…

This report reviews the current status, empirical findings, theoretical issues, and practical considerations related to state-level minimum competency testing programs. It finds that, although two-thirds of current testing programs now use direct writing prompts to assess writing achievement, essentially all programs rely on multiple choice tests…

In June 1998, California started an evaluation of standards-based accountability. The evaluation focused on the status and impact of local accountability systems, content standards, assessment measures, use of data, consequences and incentives, and assistance in school districts across the state. In the course of the study, the California…

Since 1991, the National Science Foundation has funded 59 state, urban, and rural systemic initiatives to promote achievement in math, science, and technology. The Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) is a six-state consortium that focuses these efforts on low-income rural schools. A primary means of accomplishing this is a 1-day,…

This volume reports the results of the first phase of the Civic Education Study conducted by International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). During 1996 and 1997, researchers in 24 countries collected documentary evidence on the circumstances, contents, and processes of civic education in response to a common set of…

This paper describes the progress of the Colorado Partnership for Educational Renewal (CoPER), an initiative that increases contact and dialogue between universities and P-12 faculty. The report provides a history of Colorado's foundation for the school-university partnership, which was established in 1986, and discusses a long-range evaluation of…

This document provides complete collections of columns from the journal "Assessment Update" for the past 10 years. By-lined columns from Trudy W. Banta, Editor, include articles on: (1) encouraging faculty involvement in assessment; (2) the growing variety of assessment methods; (3) assessment in response to external pressures: performance funding…

This report describes Virginia Community College System's (VCCS) performance on several facilities utilization measures for 1998 and compares measures with standards adopted by the state council. As a system, classrooms were used an average of 33 hours per week and were occupied at an average of 67% capacity. Laboratories were used 26 hours per…

As some reform-minded teachers have discovered, classroom assessment can serve as a vital tool for meeting the challenges associated with project science activity. In essence, it functions as an infrastructure that both students and teachers rely on as a mediational tool for classroom activity and communications. The research described in this…

Contributions to this collection explore the relationship between education and assessment in the context of the British National Curriculum and mandated nationally standardized assessment procedures. The chapters are: (1) "Concepts of Assessment: An Overview" (Vic Kelly); (2) "Progression, Observation and Assessment in Early…

This document presents Prince George's Community College's (PGCC) institutional accountability report. It summarizes the following: (1) the college's mission, aspirational goals, significant trends in academics, demographics, and finance; (2) institutional assessment of instructional budget, African American full-time faculty, and students in good…

A number of studies have demonstrated the existence of "effective" schools in comparison to other "ineffective" models. To identify the contexts for success, a study examined "teacher instructional" and "school" variables to characterize the complex of factors that might be needed to achieve high levels of…

The standards and accountability movement of the last decade has resulted in the collection of more assessment data about students than ever before. Often, the results from high-stakes tests have been used merely to grade and rank schools and students. A new trend, however, has emerged where school leaders see the power of using these same…

This paper describes the design and process of an outcomes assessment tool created and modified over the past 10 years by the English department at the College of Southern Idaho. Initiated by the State Board of Education and executed by the department, this process is effective in its objectives: first to inform students of their competence to…