Defines productivity as the ratio of outputs to inputs. Describes ways of using productivity measures in comparing instructional approaches, program implementations, and longitudinal trends. Offers cautions about potential misinterpretations of productivity comparisons, using a hypothetical analysis of the productivity of four specific…

Argues that quality is measured by outcomes. Lists potential measures for high school quality. Considers problems and approaches to the assessment of quality-with-equity. Suggests tempering performance expectations according to germane input characteristics, evaluating the range of programs offered, and addressing the issue in terms of…

This checklist of criteria is intended to assist school system personnel in better determining the effectiveness of their educational programs in the area of citizenship education. (RM)

The California Commission on the Teaching Profession was formed to review California's teaching profession and to make recommendations concerning any aspects of the profession. The issues of teacher preparation and licensing, equity, school management, and working conditions are briefly discussed. (DF)

A statistical model is proposed that describes the determination of an educational outcome variable as a nonlinear function of explanatory variables defined at different levels of a survey data hierarchy, such as students and classes. The theoretical and practical derivation of the model is discussed, and an example is given. (Author/BW)

From the Assessment of Performance Unit (APU) in Britain, illustrative comments of 11- and 15-year-olds concerning mathematics are presented. Sex differences in attitudes and in test performance are also given. (MNS)

Reviews the Council of Chief State School Officers' effort to establish a nationwide system of educational indicators. Suggests the benefits of such a system. (MCG)

The detrimental effects of nonresponse bias are particularly significant given the widespread use of the survey data collection method in educational surveys. Current methods for remediating nonresponse bias in educational surveys are explored and critiqued. (Author/LMO)

The "what" and "how" of the Assessment of Performance Unit surveys of the mathematics performance of 11- and 15-year-olds in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are explained. The framework and forms of assessment are detailed, and the experience of the testers noted. (MNS)

For the first time in over two decades, students enrolled in British Columbia, Canada, senior high schools in 1984 had to write external examinations in history, geography, and other subject areas, regardless of their academic standing. The implications of British Columbia's new assessment program for classroom instruction are discussed. (RM)

Examines some of the variables that have been found to affect topic choice and writing performance in writing assessment. (FL)

Presents findings from an assessment of medical education in the United States and Canada, offering suggestions for changes in current practices. These include rote learning, an emphasis on science that virtually excludes the humanities, and instructional methods that make students passive recipients of information. (JN)

Although evaluation practice in Israel is strongly influenced by American thinking, it is also a unique local response to societal, political, academic, cultural, and interpersonal pressures. In this interview Arieh Lewy discusses educational evaluation in Israel and the cultural context in which it operates. (Author/BS)

Assesses major findings and recommendations of the education commission reports and discusses issues and topics that they avoid. Argues that the inadequacies of the reports derive from the defective nature of the commission process itself. Also argues that even if the commission reports had never been issued, American schools would be on the mend.…

Examines prevailing definitions of coherence in text. Cites writing samples from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to illustrate how coherence at the paragraph level must supersede coherence between sentences. (HTH)