This 13th annual edition of "Education Vital Signs" reports on indicators of school and student success, such as parent involvement, academic coursework, high school completion, technology use, achievement test scores, and student performance on reading, math, and science assessments. Also offers state-by-state statistics and a profile of school…

This study reports the characteristics of the 4,751 high school students (out of 374,527) who achieved perfect scores in 1 or more subtests of the 1991 PLAN academic performance test, an academic assessment of 10th graders. Comparisons by gender, ethnicity, and subtest (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning) and a profile of…

New data are presented on the academic preparation of college-bound students by discipline area and ethnic group, average college entrance examination scores (Scholastic Assessment Test--SAT and American College Testing--ACT) by gender and ethnic group, proportion of test takers and ethnic groups, and advanced placement candidates by gender and…

Discusses which kinds of data educators should respect and which they should reject. Asserts that most state accountability tests fail to produce the kinds of data that will improve teaching and learning. Teachers can get the data they need from their own instructionally useful classroom assessments. (WFA)

Investigates effects of type of kindergarten schedule (full day, half day, or alternate day) on teachers' ability to assess children's end-of-year achievement. (BB)

Proposition 48 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics, discriminates against Black athletes and historically Black colleges and universities. Furthermore, the best athletes are not always the best students; the bill limits the…

Traces the entry and exit criteria of transitional bilingual education programs through federal court decisions, laws, and regulations over the past decade. Examines the validity of the rules used to decide who needs transitional bilingual education. (MLF)

The emergence of the America 2000 campaign has redefined the phrase national education agenda. More than at any time in history, the national agenda has become the federal agenda. Nevertheless, as this discussion reveals, the problems of urban schools remain largely ignored. (SLD)

Reviewing evidence from high school completion and dropout rates, college attendance, test scores, and international comparisons leads to the conclusion that U.S. schools do a pretty good job of teaching students who are ready to learn. Given what schools have to contend with, their performance is indeed impressive. (SLD)

Uses 11 data sets from 6 local British education authorities to examine the relationship between student performance on fifth-form examinations and school effectiveness. Presents hierarchical linear modeling to account for differences in prior attainment, gender, and social background. Finds few differences in school impact on performance. Urges…

The six articles of this special issue focus on minority issues in program evaluation. The aim is to begin a discussion of minority concerns about the impact of cultural dominance on definitions of social goals, the measurement of outcomes, and the political consequences of the selection of evaluation methods. (SLD)

A survey of 180 dental students in 3 classes assessed student knowledge of computer-related topics and perceptions of the usefulness of computers in different areas of practice management. Computer ownership and use, computer-related courses taken, software types used, and student characteristics (age, sex, academic achievement, undergraduate…

A 1990 survey of 102 directors of internal medical residencies with the largest numbers of foreign-born foreign medical graduates revealed the most important performance predictors were performance on the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination or National Board of Medical Examiners test, interviews, and U.S. postgraduate clinical experience.…

A study was conducted to identify appropriate standardized tests of English second-language proficiency among foreign high school students after a three-month stay, for use in a battery of tests to determine achievement gains. Identification of three potential tests and further considerations in selecting the appropriate test are reported here.…

Focusing on educational measurement that suggests an action and has an outcome, 16 problem areas are defined and grouped into the following classes: (1) validity; (2) issues of statistical adjustment; (3) data insufficiencies; (4) other issues related to standardized testing and constructed responses; and (5) technical issues of psychometrics.…