A sound performance evaluation system uses a multitude of assessment methods to gather information and data about the performance of an individual. Four models are described that have been used with multiple assessment results to make decisions about performance. In a compensatory model, weak performance on one measure or attribute can be traded…

This is the first in a series of reports on the educational progress of Texas public schools. It reviews the concerns that led to the development of the integrated accountability system now used in Texas and examines this system relative to those of other states. A major new research and evaluation effort, the Statewide Texas Educational Progress…

The goal of this paper, and the symposium it represents, is to provide an examination of the perspectives of district personnel from four diverse states. The papers present the current status of legislated student assessment programs in California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Illinois. Similarities and differences in implementation methodology are…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress' (NAEP) 1992 reading assessment was administered to nationally representative samples of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students attending public and private schools, and to state representative public-school samples of fourth graders in 43 jurisdictions. Nearly 140,000 students were assessed in…

In order to establish a tertiary educational sector that is able to provide equal opportunities to all students, it is vital that institutions diversify curriculum delivery and course assessment strategies. Although it may appear impractical to develop a course that takes into consideration the various learning preferences of all individuals,…

This curricular framework is designed to assist administrators and teachers in planning, developing, and implementing technology education programs in North Dakota. It provides a philosophical foundation and a broad outline from which educators may construct comprehensive school technology education programs. The materials will aid local school…

Instructional technology can help teachers formalize alternative methods of assessment. It allows them to record and report on student performance more fully and more dynamically. This paper discusses tools and methodologies used by a group called Teachers Using Technology to Measure Mathematics Meaningfully as they expanded their repertoire of…

Over the last several years, state boards of education have become increasingly engaged in the development of content and performance standards and the assessments that will accompany them. This guidebook provides information on the move toward standards-based education. Part 1 provides a brief historical overview that places the standards…

The problems involved in reversing ineffective schools have begun to engage researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. This paper conceptualizes the extent to which ineffective schools have to be understood as "different" from schools with other levels of effectiveness, and speculates which types of improvement strategies are most…

This collection of articles is the third in a series on assessment produced by Finger Lakes Community College (New York). It deals with classroom assessment as an ongoing process that can be of significant value to teachers as well as to students. Assessment at the college and assessment in the classroom in general are explored. Articles include:…

Recent studies indicate that Americans have lost faith in public schools. Polls trace a steady decline of confidence in the educational system, a decline extending over the past two decades. The general trend masks two anomalies, however. First, several indicators associated with increased confidence in the schools are on the rise--students…

If rewards are to be used as a school-reform tool, their formats must be more closely tailored to the organizational characteristics of schools and to the purpose of improving teaching and learning. This paper describes lessons learned from Kentucky's collective incentive system, the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS). The…

A 1994 national survey collected copies of 36 states' student outcomes, standards, or goals documents. Two states, Florida and Indiana, and the District of Columbia included information related to goals, outcomes, standards, or indicators that could be compared to the National Center on Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (NCEO)…

This investigation mapped the correspondence between indicators at the post-school level included in the comprehensive system of educational outcomes and indicators developed by the National Center for Educational Outcomes (NCEO) and indicators included in select national data collection programs. The NCEO model articulates outcomes and indicators…

One factor thought to contribute to the underutilization of mental health services, especially among rural Americans, is the stigma attached to mental illness and the associated help seeking process. This study investigated the effects of an instructional unit on mental illness and related issues on rural adolescents' concept of mental illness and…