This evaluation examines the impact of the first 6 to 7 months of the Washington Scholarship Fund (WSF) programs on students in grades 2-8 who had previously been attending public school, but had changed to private ones. More than 6,000 students had applied by lottery to a WSF school voucher program. The evaluation estimates the program's impact…

This study sought to determine the differences between perceptions of school superintendents and school board presidents in Louisiana public school districts on the criterion variable of superintendent competencies needed for continued employment in the superintendency. It sought as well to determine if these differences are related to the…

This is the final report in the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's series of national surveys monitoring the impact of the "Tomorrow's Schools" reforms, which began in 1989. These reforms shifted substantial financial and administrative responsibilities from the former Department of Education and Education Boards to staff and…

Although support for using portfolios in student assessment is widespread, few educators agree on what portfolios are and what their purposes should be. This book details a step-by-step process to help preschool and elementary educators get started in the use of portfolios for student assessment or gain new insights or strategies in their use.…

The use of latent class analysis for establishing student performance standards was studied. Latent class analysis (LCA) is an established procedure for investigating the latent structure of a set of data. LCA presumes that groups, classes, or respondents differ qualitatively from one another, and that these differences account for all of the…

As part of a research project being conducted to determine the impact that the Maryland Learning Outcomes and the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) are having on classroom instruction and assessment practices, science classroom materials were collected from elementary and middle schools in Maryland during the 1997-1998 school…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is one of the most comprehensive international studies of schooling and students' achievement in science and mathematics. TIMSS was originally conducted in 1995. Four years later in 1999, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study-Repeat (TIMSS-R) was conducted. This document…

This document outlines the performance standards for music in North Dakota public schools, grades K-12. Four levels of performance are provided for each benchmark by North Dakota educators for K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade levels. Level 4 describes advanced proficiency; Level 3, proficiency; Level 2, partial proficiency; and Level 1, novice. Each grade…

The standards in this document are intended to provide every student in North Dakota's public schools with a set of skills that will enable him or her to participate in lifelong leisure, avocational, or professional music pursuits. To help all students achieve the standards outlined in the booklet, North Dakota educators must continue to ensure…

This study investigated cognitive constructs to be measured by word problems in algebra. One performance-based assessment was administered to 290 high school students. Students' responses were scored by three scoring systems: the correct/incorrect criterion (0/1); a holistic scoring rubric (0-4); and an analytical scoring rubric for measuring…

This article provides an historical perspective on current interest in alternative assessment in the United States and identifies critical qualities that good assessment should exemplify. The paper then reviews research results regarding the technical quality and consequences of using this new form of assessment for large-scale accountability…

This study analyzed the implementation of a teacher performance appraisal process that encourages self-directed learning (SDL), highlighting the extent to which teacher efficacy (TE) influenced the its success. The study also examined whether lack of readiness for SDL was an implementation obstacle. Finally, it noted other barriers and obstacles…

This paper reports on the progress of a Nevada Teacher Enhancement grant, Reinventing Teacher Preparation and Licensing through Performance-Based Reform in Nevada, toward meeting its stated goals in the first year. The goals are: (1) Nevada will use performance-based licensing for licensing teachers; and (2) Nevada will have National Board of…

A task force appointed by the governor developed Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards to encourage a higher level of learning for all public school students. The standards describe the skills children should have and the things they should know by the end of grades 4, 8, and 12. Every subject is divided into content standards that tell what…

Performance assessment tests have been problematic, and states that have experimented with them have had poor results. The tests have been implemented prematurely and before being adequately researched, which has resulted in problems related to test validity and scoring, student bluffing on answers, high failure rates, accuracy, and student…