This document is comprised of the two issues in volume 3 of "Parent News Offline," a publication of the National Parent Information Network (NPIN) designed to introduce those without Internet access to the activities and information available through NPIN. The Spring 2001 issue contains the following articles: (1) "What To Consider…

Schools are complex organizations that serve as the primary official location for the socialization of children in the United States. Given the centrality of this institution, many theoretical frameworks are usefully applied to their study. Regardless of the framework used, however, three focal features of schools stand out--evaluation,…

Public schools can be considered a form of workforce development, and thus it is important to measure the "work product" of the schools. The Public Policy Forum's annual analysis of public schools in the 50 districts serving southeastern Wisconsin measured absenteeism as educational opportunities lost because children were not in class.…

Findings from this Fordham-sponsored survey--the fourth survey of Dayton, Ohio parent/community attitudes toward education since 1988--present a fascinating array of opinions about today's schools (and those who are responsible for them) and the changes that could be made tomorrow. Over 70 percent of Dayton-area parents support the idea of…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

Weaving together the latest knowledge and best practices for teaching children to read, this indispensable text and professional resource provides a complete guide to differentiated instruction for diverse learners. Uniquely integrative, the book places the needs of English language learners and students with disabilities front and center instead…

In 1995 the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), Richmond (Virginia) commissioned a study of alternative high school scheduling modules to determine the effects of different schedules on teaching strategies, teacher and student satisfaction, and student and school performance. This report presents results of an analysis of student…

This assessment packet contains all materials to assess a student's competency in resource management. The purpose of the tests at the state level is to demonstrate achievement in knowledge associated with work and family life competencies. Used by the classroom teacher, the results can indicate a program's strengths and weaknesses and serve as a…

In 1992, the U.S. Department of Education, through its National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), surveyed the mathematics performance of approximately 250,000 students through two comprehensive surveys: (1) the National Assessment and (2) Trial State Assessment. The National assessment surveyed approximately 26,000 fourth, eighth, and…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) measured mathematics and science achievement of middle school students in more than 40 countries. About one quarter of the tests' nearly 300 items were free response items requiring students to generate their own answers. Scoring these responses used a two-digit diagnostic code rubric…

This paper investigated how the examination of student behavior, seen as techniques and their effects, has participated in the construction of citizenship in compulsory schooling in Finland. Data were gathered from "state educational discourse," including national curricula, governmental committee reports, legislative and regulatory…

This study investigated how the adoption of a constructivist model of teaching and learning and simple item analysis techniques can be used to explore the instructor's pedagogical content knowledge in teaching elementary statistics. Descriptive data (percent of students responding to multiple-choice test options) are provided that support the case…

In Perth, Western Australia, summative assessment has not been a teaching tool in the teaching of religious education courses in the Catholic schools. This study investigated whether the use of formal assessment procedures in the teaching of religion had an effect on student learning outcomes. Subjects were 128 students (4 classes) in year 8 of an…

Rapid social change with profound implications for the raising of children contributes significantly to the problems schools face, but it is also true that schools can exacerbate children's problems. Suggestions are made to improve education and to make schools places where children are helped to cope with stress. Current practices that might be…

This report describes and compares the inclusive assessment and accountability systems of Maryland and Kentucky, with a focus on components, scoring methods, reporting practices, data use, participation of students with disabilities, testing accommodations, and implementation considerations (including cost and training issues). Maryland and…