The present investigation was aimed at exploring the stability of the standard score distributions on the GED (General Educational Development) Tests taken by U.S. high school seniors in equating studies conducted by GED Testing Service during the span of 5 years from 2001 (the norming year) to 2005. Three questions were addressed by this…

This paper provides an overview of the methods and results of alignment analyses and standard-setting procedures used in investigations conducted during the development of alternate assessments in two states: Wisconsin and Idaho. To meet the assessment and accountability mandates contained in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act…

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is an educational program developed by the Center for Civic Education (the Center). The program instructs students on the history and principles of American constitutional democracy with the primary goal of promoting civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary, middle, and…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1998 Civics Assessment measured student knowledge, intellectual and participatory skills, and civic dispositions at the eighth grade level. This publication describes eighth graders performance based on 37 questions from the eighth-grade assessment. Thirty of the thirty-seven questions were…

This paper describes an assessment of community college student knowledge in the liberal arts at two-year colleges in Southern California. A survey instrument with multiple choice questions covering five liberal arts subject areas was distributed to 4,200 students in randomly selected classes at ten colleges. More than 2,500 questionnaires were…

In order for citizens to be capable of fully engaging in civic and political life, they must possess a minimum of civic skills. Civic skills include personal communication skills, knowledge of political systems, and the ability to critically think about civic and political life. Numerous civic skills have been identified theoretically, but only…

Use storybook reading to build the early literacy competencies that preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade students need to become successful readers and learners. This essential research-based guide provides strategies and sample interactions that will help teachers to strengthen children's knowledge of written language, vocabulary, phonology,…

This study was designed to measure anxieties, expectations, achievement levels, and the mastery of research and statistics prior to and after the completion of a research methods course by 109 graduate students (85 female and 24 male). Subjects completed surveys and pretests to measure anxiety, perceptions about research and statistics, and…

The articles in this journal issue examine three different aspects of gifted adulthood. In "Self-Appraisal, Life Satisfaction, and Retrospective Life Choices across One and Three Decades" (Carole K. Holahan and others), 383 children who were part of Terman's original study of the gifted in 1921 were revisited at various points in their…

Olae is a computer system for assessing student knowledge of physics, and Newtonian mechanics in particular, using performance data collected while students solve complex problems. Although originally designed as a stand-alone system, it has also been used as part of the Andes intelligent tutoring system. Like many other performance assessment…

The traditional K-3 social studies curriculum has focused on food, clothing, shelter, communication, transportation, and other cultural universals. Very little information exists about children's prior knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about these topics. A study was designed to provide such information with respect to the topic of…

The main problem addressed in this paper is how to help learners construct knowledge in exploring hyperspace provided by existing hypermedia/hypertext-based resources on the World Wide Web. Knowledge construction involving reflection needs an awareness of exploration goals, i.e., the reasons why learners have explored Web pages. The authors…

This paper discusses the development of effective staff development programs to support use of computer technology in the elementary school classroom. Elements discussed include strategies to reach reluctant technology users, and suggestions for getting started with such a program. The paper also presents the findings of a survey study exploring…

The knowledge encapsulation theory (H. Schmidt and H. Boshuizen, 1992) predicts that experts under certain conditions shift from the use of clinical knowledge to elaborated biomedical knowledge. In normal routine cases, experts process cases with their encapsulated clinical knowledge. These differences in processing are reflected in clinical case…

This issue of "Tap into Learning" continues an exploration of ways computers can support student learning. As in previous issues, a constructivist learning theory is used as a framework for discussion. This issue examines the notion that social interaction plays an important part in the construction of knowledge. Articles include: "Communication:…