This brief identifies practices that include students with disabilities in large-scale assessments as required by the reauthorized and amended 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It notes relevant research by the National Center on Educational Outcomes and summarizes major findings of studies funded by the U.S. Office of Special…

In California, ABE 321/326 provides funding for supplemental local assistance grants for Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and ESL/Citizenship. This report presents findings and recommendations from the 1997-98 Adult Basic Education (ABE) 321/326 survey questionnaire developed by the Comprehensive Adult Student…

During the 1990s, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded a number of large-scale initiatives designed to change the way mathematics and science are taught in schools. These efforts, called Systemic Initiatives, shared a common emphasis on aligning all aspects of the educational system in support of a shared vision of effective mathematics…

This publication reports the findings of a 1997 survey of Catholic high schools. It is the first of several reports to be issued as part of a multiyear project. The findings are presented in five chapters: Institutional Characteristics, with emphasis on geography, governance, gender and grade levels, and selectivity; Staff and Student Profiles,…

This report presents the results of a survey of the 1998 graduates of Westchester Community College. The 464 graduates responding to the survey have fared quite well since graduating. The mean salary of those employed full-time is $29,755. Two-thirds reported being employed, which is slightly less than last year's graduating class. Of those…

This report details the activities, findings, and actions that have made up Germanna Community College's (Virginia) student outcomes assessment program in specific reporting areas for 2000-2001. The following sections comprise the report: (1) an executive summary; (2) a report on assessment activities in five general education areas, including…

This document is a report on a 2001 national survey of community colleges conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The survey was designed to identify various community service programs that community colleges administered, partnered, or sponsored. The study surveyed 1,067 community colleges, with 363 colleges (34%)…

This report presents first-year results of a multistage research study that examines the progress made during the past decade by the 50 states and six regional accrediting associations toward establishing and implementing higher education teaching and learning assessment policies. The report provides a history of state and regional assessment…

This study looks at the effects that the general education assessment undertaken for the Performance Funding Program has had on general education at the public two-year institutions of higher education in Tennessee. The purpose of the Performance Funding Project was to provide motivation, through financial incentives, to public institutions for…

Student teaching handbooks from seven state-supported institutions of higher education that offered special education as a major in preservice teacher education programs were studied to determine the extent to which Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards for student teaching experiences were incorporated into teacher preparation…

Different kinds of tests are given to determine student achievement. Standardized achievement tests are often used, but have many limitations. They may be useful in determining the content students should learn and its relevance for future learning and the curriculum. Criterion referenced tests eliminate a major weakness of standardized tests in…

This article provides an historical perspective on current interest in alternative assessment in the United States and identifies critical qualities that good assessment should exemplify. The paper then reviews research results regarding the technical quality and consequences of using this new form of assessment for large-scale accountability…

This book provides a succinct discussion of the development and use of classroom assessments. It is designed for college courses and settings in which a full survey textbook is not appropriate in terms of coverage and cost, such as educational psychology or teaching methods courses or self-study by teachers. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction";…

Included in this report is the State of Texas' vision statement, mission statement, philosophy statement, priority goal for higher education statement, and a list of state-level benchmarks for higher education. The report also contains the state's community colleges' mission and philosophy statements, and a section pertaining to assessment of…

This report provides the results of an annual state-level survey of student, staff, and high-school graduate counts for grades prekindergarten through 12. The data are collected from state education agencies, processed by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and then verified by the National Center for Education Statistics. The report answers three…