This paper outlines concerns relating to the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district educational assessments and the provision of non-standard accommodations (NSAs). The major concerns are that: (1) the term "non-standard accommodation" is an oxymoron and muddies the issue; (2) NSAs change the plain meaning of words…

This is a 2001 report on Palo Verde College (PVC) (California) student demographics, enrollment status, citizenship, educational goals, and academic persistence. Student data were collected and analyzed to meet accrediting standards, improve institutional effectiveness, and fulfill the local district's mission. The report discusses enrollment…

This is a report on 2000-2001 Perkins III core performance standards and measures for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Perkins performance measure definitions for the system were finalized with the Virginia and federal departments of education in fall 2000. Core indicators include: (1) student attainment, which measures academic and…

This document is a report on 1999 and 2000 fall credit student analysis. The study surveyed approximately 100,000 credit students at over 300 community colleges. The report focuses on the reasons credit students enroll in community colleges and the different characteristics of credit students. The survey responses placed students in one of the six…

In September 2001, 37 educational researchers, assessment specialists, and practitioners from around the world gathered in England for a 3-day conference on assessment focusing on assessments developed and used by teachers day-to-day in the classroom. The meeting was structured to permit the development of ideas and strategies for bringing…

This publication presents a comprehensive overview of one of the most profound shifts in educational policy and practice that has occurred during the 20th century--the transition from a testing culture to an assessment culture--and discusses its implications for English language learners (ELLs). The document brings together a wide range of…

Educational Research Information Center (ERIC) Trends are analyses of higher education literature contained in the ERIC database, describing major concerns in institutional practice. A large percentage of the literature from 1999-2000 on administration describes the common themes of presidential leadership, leadership/management styles,…

This volume and its companion, "Part 2," bring together transactions of the Rasch measurement special interest group of the American Educational Research Association. This volume opens with a discussion of the early years in Rasch measurement and then presents the "transactions" in chronological order, from a 1987 discussion…

This volume and its companion, "Part 1," bring together transactions of the Rasch measurement special interest group of the American Educational Research Association. It presents "transactions" in chronological order, from a 1992 discussion through the winter 1995 volume. Four issues of the "Transactions" are…

This is the second progress report under "Academics 2000: First Things First," a Texas initiative under the Goals 2000 program. The Academics 2000 Education Improvement Plan, adopted in 1995, is organized under the nine objectives for Texas public education listed in the Texas Education Code. The progress report discusses implementation…

Since 1991-92, student writing portfolios have been part of Kentucky's high-stakes performance-based assessment. A study of schools with continuously improving or continuously declining writing portfolio scores led to identification of 36 indicators of successful writing programs. These indicators were used to develop a comprehensive needs…

This working paper summarizes the results of an expert panel review of the Lexile Framework (LF). The review was conducted by five panel members through readings, the preparation of brief individual reports, and participation in a meeting held on April 26, 2001 in Washington, D.C. The list of panel members and invited observers, along with brief…

In current evaluation practice, the implicit philosophy of value, appraisal, and action is seen as a form of Benthamite utilitarianism. A domain of value called "educational worth" is described. Ways of detecting the presence of educational worth in liberal learning programs are identified. (MLW)

The three general categories that encompass the legitimate uses to which test data can be put (i.e., public reporting at the local, state, or regional level; identifying needs and allocating resources; and making judgments about promotion and graduation) are identified and examples are offered of policymakers' use and misuse of test results. (LC)

Describes an audit checklist developed by the Mahoning Shenango Area Health Education Network to identify continuing education needs of nurses. This checklist was then piloted in four community hospitals, and data collected will be used in planning future programs. (NRJ)