In this non-experimental study, a model was developed for portfolio assessment based on definitions and applications in the assessment literature. This model describes portfolio components, scores to be computed, and uses to be made of the scores. The literature was then reviewed to find examples of actual applications that would provide realistic…

This guide is designed to help school staff plan effective summer programs for disadvantaged children by offering an array of ideas for designing exciting and stimulating summer programs and offering important information from research and practice on what makes an effective summer program. If schools are to expect excellence from disadvantaged…

This resource manual was produced to assist the South Carolina Technical College System's efforts to improve institutional effectiveness and accountability. The first two sections of the manual provide a brief foreword, a description of state initiatives for research and academic excellence in South Carolina, the text of state legislation…

This paper explores the issues surrounding quality in higher education and its necessary adaptation to the online world of educational delivery. A historical perspective on quality standards is presented, and characteristics of recent models for quality control are outlined. Quality-related issues in Walden University's (Minnesota) two new online,…

This report of a 2-year study on public university responsiveness to academic and vocational reforms in public K-12 schools and community colleges focuses on: (1) how state universities respond to curricular experiments, and (2) the difficulties reformers encounter with universities. The report presents a brief summary of previous progressive…

In preparation for the 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act reauthorization, the Department of Education established the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE). The plan of study examined five broad research areas: (1) implementation of the Perkins Act; (2) access of special populations to vocational education; (3) status of…

The question of the appropriateness of a set of national standards for educational achievement in the United States is extremely complex. One source of the complexities is the diversity of human characteristics, and the distortions that come from racism, sexism, and other forms of chauvinism. The current practice in testing seems to treat validity…

This yearbook, a retrospective and prospective exploration of educational change, focuses on the challenges of curriculum, instructional supervision, and leadership for education in the United States. The yearbook opens with a foreword by Stephanie Pace Marshall, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) President, 1992-93, and…

The relationships among factors reported on report cards developed for local school districts in Tennessee were studied, offering information about how the selected factors relate to student outcomes. Each year Tennessee's State Board of Education produces a report card on each school district using data provided by the district and the State…

This paper presents arguments for changing a portion of current federal policy for evaluating Chapter 1 grants to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Chapter 1, part of the federal Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA), provides funds to schools and districts to improve education for economically disadvantaged students. The paper advocates that…

A study conducted in 1988 assessed the effectiveness of the multigrade system in providing a primary education at four pilot schools in sparsely populated, rural areas of Zambia. In an attempt to alleviate the problems of financial strain and low enrollment in rural schools, this system combines two or more grade levels into one class taught by…

This publication is the second annual report on the programs and plans of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Representatives of state and federal education agencies have presented the NCES with a report, "A Guide to Improving the National Education Data System," which contains recommendations for improving the nation's…

Indicators of current issues and concerns in the assessment of science teaching and learning outcomes are discussed. The greatest public attention to science test scores is devoted to scores from assessments that are external to schools, including national assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), international…

This report contains preliminary results from the 1992 mathematics assessment by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of nationally representative samples of about 26,000 4th, 8th and 12th grade students in 1,500 public schools and private schools in 44 states; and compares data to findings from the 1990 NAEP mathematics tests.…

An evaluative study in New York (New York) comprehensive half-day public school prekindergarten programs serving language minorities is reported. The study investigated effectiveness of city policy supporting the use of the children's native (home) languages for some portions of instruction. Information was gathered on: (1) supervisory staff's…