Good performance criteria can and must help define educational goals and serve as an instructional tool in the classroom. The rationale for considering instructional usefulness when designing performance criteria begins with the proposition that clearly stated performance criteria are excellent instructional tools. It is also apparent that…

The 38 conference papers in this volume were chosen to exemplify different definitions of, and approaches to, quality, as they are applied in a wide range of educational and training contexts. The papers are: "Designing Organisations That Learn" (D. J. Dicks); "Quality Assurance in a European Context" (D. Alexander, J. Morgan);…

This final report describes activities of a project which addresses issues concerning assessment in higher education through forums, papers, and development and dissemination of resources on activities in the states. In particular the project sought to explore how state initiatives to improve undergraduate education through assessment can be…

In 1987 the Toronto (Ontario, Canada) Board of Education launched the development of the Toronto Board Benchmark Program to establish benchmarks, which are samples of student performance on a wide range of language and mathematics tasks. These samples, in print and video, show what students in grades 3, 6, and 8 can do on learning tasks based on…

Changes that have been made in reporting and disseminating information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress are discussed, focusing on those changes brought about by the first Trial State Assessment (TSA). The TSA collected data on the mathematics performance of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in public and private schools in 40…

This book gives middle school and secondary school teachers a comprehensive look at assessment, from definitions and history to practical suggestions and political implications. It explores the theory behind student-centered assessment and examines practical strategies teachers can use to bring about student-centered assessment in an educational…

This book provides basic skills and knowledge about assessment so that teachers can expand their ability to deal with appraisal problems in their own settings. The first section deals with the basic principles of assessment. The second section concerns creating and applying assessment tools. The third section reviews issues in understanding and…

This paper describes a study that investigated the interchangeability of four different assessment methods for measuring middle-school students' understanding of science concepts. The four methods compared were hands-on tasks with associated multiple-choice and written justification items, written analogues of the hands-on tasks, and two types of…

Authorized in 1994, schoolwide programs are intended to enable high-poverty Title I schools to improve curriculum and instruction for all students without restricting services to only some students. Also part of Title I, the Migrant Education Program (MEP) supports supplemental instruction and support services for qualifying migrant children. In…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Education Assessment represents the first comprehensive approach on a national level to the development of methods for assessing student performance in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. The Assessment reflects the conviction that the arts are essential for every child's…

An important feature of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is its ability to document trends in academic achievement on core curriculum areas over an extended period of time. This report presents the major results of the NAEP 1996 science, mathematics, reading, and writing long-term assessments. These results chart trends going…

This guide for parents explains implications of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires the participation of students with disabilities in statewide and districtwide assessments, leading to greater accountability by the educational system for educational results for all students. The guide notes that…

This policy paper provides a list of questions and associated strategies that parents and parent organizations can address in an effort to ensure that statewide assessment systems fully and fairly include students with disabilities as required by the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other federal laws.…

This digest summarizes the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA 97) with emphasis on changes in the new law. First, it highlights principal changes in the law. These changes include participation of children and youth with disabilities in state and districtwide assessment programs; the way in which…

Designed for high school students interested in careers in special education and related services, this leaflet outlines the role of the adapted physical education teacher. It addresses the nature of the work, the education required, personal qualities that teachers should have, job outlook and advancement, and how to prepare for a career as a…