This report discusses the findings of a study that attempted to investigate the participation rates of students with disabilities in the Oregon statewide testing program. The study joined individual student data from the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program and the Oregon Special Education Child Count to examine participation rates. The report…

This video is designed to help parents assist their children's educational success by assessing a child's learning strengths and weaknesses. The video first presents five potential problems areas and symptoms that may be manifested by the student: (1) unchallenged; (2) passive learning; (3) skill gaps; (4) behavioral concerns; and (5) learning…

This theme issue addresses school reform, focusing on accountability, attrition, public-supported private education, equitable education, and schoolwide reform. "School-Student Performance and Accountability" (Jose A. Cardenas) discusses what constitutes good performance in school; the shifting emphasis among the input, output, and…

The standards-based educational reform initiatives of the 1990's call for assessment innovations to support high standards. To document state assessment policies and to develop policy recommendations for assessment innovations, the George Washington University Center for Excellence and Equity in Education surveyed state assessment directors in…

This report highlights and summarizes accountability activities and initiatives submitted by Illinois' 49 community colleges. It is designed to assure that programs and services offered by the colleges are high-quality, cost-effective, and support the mission and priorities of each institution. The first section of this report, "Priorities,…

This paper offers a scenario for how educational assessment might change in response to market forces that affect not only the future of large-scale testing but also society in general. The scenario divides into three generations distinguished by the purpose of testing, test format and content, and the extent to which testing capitalizes on new…

This handbook provides teachers and administrators with strategies to construct, adapt, and use rubrics. A rubric is defined as a tool for assessing instruction and performance according to predetermined expectations and criteria. The chapters in this text contain guidance on formulating, applying, and reviewing the pros and cons of this form of…

The handbook addresses the assessment of student performance and the establishment of criteria by which to measure student progress in six domains within science: (1) Concepts; (2) Processes; (3) Applications; (4) Attitude; (5) Nature of Science; and (6) Creativity. Each domain is defined, and a rationale is provided for assessing student learning…

In 1994, the state of Georgia adopted a model of education reform that defined new education goals and formalized a structure that involved state policymakers and local communities. The system operates on the premise that regular assessments of progress should drive innovations or strategies for achieving results. This guide presents an…

The Maine Department of Education has encouraged all the state's school districts to develop a comprehensive assessment system to comply with legislative requirements and to create an integrated system of curriculum, instruction, and assessment that provides all children with the best possible education. The resource guide uses the…

The Windsor Central School District Leadership Team in rural upstate New York, as charged by the State Education Commissioner, addressed issues of improving student outcomes by defining exit goals and outcomes for high school students to accomplish by the time they graduate. In addition to developing these goals and outcomes, the team also decided…

This report presents questions and typical responses from focus group discussions conducted at Johnson County Community College (JCCC, Kansas) in March 1999. A total of 23 individuals of varying ages from all geographic regions in Johnson County participated in three focus groups, designed as a follow-up to a phone survey about constituency…

Available world statistics, however limited, indicate a trend toward the universalization of literacy, reason for cautious optimism. Deep commitments and bold action are necessary to eradicate illiteracy by the year 2000. Some important facts do not appear in statistical data, for example: (1) most literacy gains result from expansion of schooling…

Assessment and testing associated with implementation of the national curriculum developed by the British Department of Education and Science (London) are reviewed. Topics addressed include: profile components in the assessment framework, assessment and testing methods, bias in assessments, assurance of confidence in national assessment,…

This report discusses the progress in the development and clarification of the term "environmental literacy" (EL) and suggests ways in which the term may be used to advance the field of environmental education. Part I presents the evolution of EL beginning with a description of the concept as a goal of general education. Discussed in…