This book is about the assessment and inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, in statewide and district assessment programs. It addresses aspects of assessment such as testing practices, test content, legal guidelines, technical aspects of tests, students' learning objectives, and instructional programs. Throughout the book,…

This report discusses several studies of Running Start, a dual-enrollment program for high school juniors and seniors in Washington. The program was created in 1990 by the Washington State Legislature to expand educational choices for high school students. In 1991-1992, there were less than 1,000 students participating; in 1998-1999 there were…

Oregon's Education Act for the 21st century sets academic and performance standards for all students statewide. The implementation of statewide standards entails a major change from a time-based to a standards-based educational system, and will require that all students achieve the performance standards for each curricular area. This report to the…

These two newsletter issues of the National Transition Alliance (NTA) for Youth with Disabilities present articles concerning the transition of youth with disabilities from school-to-work (STW) and related informational items. The first issue contains the following articles: "Contextual Learning" (analysis of one of the five categories…

This report describes assessment and outcomes at Isothermal Community College (ICC) (North Carolina), focusing on four areas: institutional assessment, program assessment, classroom (course) assessment, and individual student assessment. Competencies and their criteria are outlined and include: (1) communications--upon completion of an associate's…

This collection presents 90 papers or summaries of papers presented at a 2000 conference on self-study and institutional improvement for institutions of higher education. Papers are grouped into these chapters, with some sample topics in parentheses: (1) "New Designs in Higher Education, Improving Student Learning: Selected PEW Projects"…

This collection presents 90 papers or summaries of papers presented at a 2000 conference on self-study and institutional improvement for institutions of higher education. Papers are grouped into these chapters, with some sample topics in parentheses: (1) "State, Regional, and National Initiatives" (program descriptions); (2) "Validating Quality in…

This assessment of placement test scores in reading, math, and sentence skills from incoming students at College of the Desert (California) shows that students are overwhelmingly underprepared for study at the college. Only 15% of students were prepared in sentence skills, 27% in reading skills, 7% in math skills; only 3% were prepared in all 3…

Logistic and Cox regression methods are practical tools used to model the relationships between certain student learning outcomes and their relevant explanatory variables. The logistic regression model fits an S-shaped curve into a binary outcome with data points of zero and one. The Cox regression model allows investigators to study the duration…

This paper falls into two main sections: (1) an overview of contemporary research on effective professional learning for practicing educators; and (2) recommendations for action to promote effective learning for practicing educators. Three central questions guide the paper: (1) When does professional learning lead to improved learning outcomes for…

Indicators of school-level achievement, such as the percentage of students who are proficient in a particular content area, are subject to random year-to-year variation in much the same way that the results of an opinion poll will vary from one random sample to another. This random variation, which is more pronounced for a small school, should be…

In response to the increased need for remediation, the Illinois Community College Board conducted a study examining the scope, cost, structure, outcomes, and policies of the remedial/developmental education in the Illinois Community College System. Findings indicated an increase in enrollment in remedial/developmental coursework, with math…

Intended to link civic education curriculum, instruction, and assessment, this guide is directed to those educators who are looking for ways to authentically assess students in the area of civic education. The handbook is designed to connect content and the broader goals of preparing youth to participate in democratic society. It is based on the…

This document discusses educational assessment and accountability in current educational reform efforts and the implications for students with disabilities. A preface addresses common educational reforms, new laws promoting education reform, and how today's reforms fit with special education. The paper then describes three types of assessment:…

The Interdisciplinary Assessment Model was created out of the need for improved assessment of learning, especially the assessment of critical thinking and problem solving. Development of the model required establishing a common language for library media specialists to cover various curriculum areas, a comparison of current state standards for…