Designed to provide an international cross-section of data on science and mathematics education, this document describes the educational systems of countries that developed innovative approaches to science education. The science-centered systems of Japan, People's Republic of China, East Germany, West Germany, and the Soviet Union are featured in…

This document discusses the Assessment Policy Committee established to design and supervise the conduct of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and describes the legislation supporting the Committee. It proposes that the governance of NAEP be the responsibility of a board composed largely of educational policy makers, and those…

The status of pre-college science education in Japan is reviewed and analyzed in this paper from four different perspectives having to do with the impact of the national syllabus and with social problems, teacher problems, and the changes occurring with students. Japan's national syllabus is explained and elements related to its implementation,…

With the introduction of the Australian Satellite System (AUSSAT), a new era of communications will begin for all of Australia which will enhance existing distance education services by bringing more cost effective communications to a broad range of users. The improved capacity, reliability, and quality of communications will make possible the…

In Latin American education systems the inspectorate is an administrative level linking the central national educational administration to the local operations level. Traditionally the inspector's function has been to enforce fulfillment of pedagogical and administrative norms at the local level and to transmit pertinent information on achievement…

Activities of the Scottish Microelectronics Development Programme (SMDP) related to the introduction and coordination of educational microcomputing in Scotland from 1980 to February 1984 are described. The background of the program is outlined, and it is noted that SMDP has become a division of the Scottish Council for Educational Technology…

A review of policy statements made in the past 10 years in Soviet academic journals and Communist Party newspapers indicates that integrating rural and urban populations has become a concern of academics, government officials, and policymakers in the Soviet Union. One means by which the rural segment of Soviet society could be pushed or helped…

This paper describes the development of a proposed Japanese Science Information System (SIS), a nationwide network of research and academic libraries, large-scale computer centers, national research institutes, and other organizations, to be formed for the purpose of sharing information and resources in the natural sciences, technology, the…

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are reviewed to outline the achievement levels of students in the United States. This examination of NAEP data showing changes in levels of achievement during the 1970s leads to a number of conclusions. The overall picture for 9-year-olds is promising. The outlook for 13-year-olds,…

The 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will mark the first time that state-level comparisons will be possible with NAEP data. The 1990 data will contain, as a trial component, state-level assessments of eighth graders in mathematics. Mathematics and reading comparisons for fourth graders will be added in 1992. Statistical…

The three issue papers in this document contain the recommendations made by a Working Group on Youth Service America (YSA) regarding pending and proposed youth service legislation. "Recommendations to the President about the Youth Entering Service to America Foundation" discusses youth service and its mission. Operating tenets for the…

The use of standardized testing in secondary schools (with students between 10 and 19 years old) is described for four European countries: (1) England; (2) West Germany; (3) the Netherlands; and (4) Sweden. In the decentralized English system, several published standardized tests are available; they are used less at the secondary level than in…

This paper provides an update on the status of library systems development in Canada and describes the new initiatives which the National Library is undertaking cooperatively with other institutions to facilitate the development of a nationwide decentralized bibliographic communication network. In order to place current network initiatives and the…

As an initial review of National Assessment of Educational Progress data designed to determine whether the achievement of American youth is improving, a limited examination of changes in levels of achievement during the 1970s is presented. Benchmark assessments established in 1974-75 indicates a large degree of consistency from one learning area…

To further the National Institute of Education's goal of ensuring a coordinated and nationally linked outreach capability for providing schools with the knowledge and services generated through research and development (R&D), the nation's R&D centers developed an interorganizational and collaborative school improvement program known as the…