The central role of teachers' interpretive assessments in guiding the growth of young writers is explored. Theories of reader response and literary criticism have been used to design a framework that integrates what is read with what is written. The current context of writing assessment is explored, and some of the other authors' efforts to…

Because the assessment needs of young children and infants with handicaps are often quite different from those of the school-age populations with which child study teams have the most experience, this manual addresses issues relevant to the pre-kindergarten population. Chapter 1 provides an overview of general issues related to preschool…

In 1991, the Kansas Association of School Boards began a program called Quest for Quality. The program is based on the belief that public schools must adjust to changes in children, families, communities, and economic and political conditions in the nation and the world. Quest for Quality also reaffirms the American school system's responsiveness…

The Council for Curriculum and Learning was appointed to develop a plan for implementing the promises of the New Compact for Learning of New York State. This document considers the roles of the Council and state and local districts in working toward New Compact ideas. The New Compact requires a new vision of curriculum, instruction, and assessment…

This document, part of a series of papers which describe the assessment of student learning in various school curriculum areas from prekindergarten through grade 12, focuses on the assessment of student learning in fine arts education. After an overview of current curriculum goals in fine arts education, subsequent sections describe…

The National Adult Literacy Survey profiled the literacy of U.S. adults based on their performance on tasks reflecting materials and demands of daily life. Data were gathered through interviews with a random sample of 13,600 people over 16, a survey of 1,000 adults in each of 12 states, and interviews with 1,100 prison inmates, making a total of…

This guidebook is designed to help teachers think about the important role of assessment in guiding students' narrative writing, with an emphasis on the close connections among curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The assessments that are given as examples stem from a long-term collaboration between the Center for Research on Evaluation,…

This theme issue presents an overview of the standards movement, and examines some difficulties in implementing high standards in an equitable manner for all students. "Faster Than a Plymouth: Reflections on the 'Opportunity To Learn Standards'" (Bradley Scott) discusses the need to create similar experiences and opportunities for…

This report describes the background, nature of, and results from a survey of the 1997 Pine Valley High School (Michigan) graduating class. Pine Valley is a name used for purposes of the report. The questionnaire, administered in June 1997, was designed to: (1) identify the curriculum areas students wished they had studied or studied in greater…

This study investigated the characteristics and beliefs of Head Start teachers and teacher aides and the classroom structural dimensions that are associated with Head Start classroom quality. The quality of classroom teaching practices was assessed using the Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version. Teachers completed the…

This study investigated whether classroom quality is related to child progress in meeting developmental milestones. The study used the "Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs: Research Version," a developmental checklist administered by teachers in a Head Start program. Findings indicated that pre-assessment and child age…

This selection of readings in the field of educational reform presents 46 articles, mostly from the news media, and 2 cartoons related to improvement of the educational system. It opens with "Network Notes," brief reports and reviews about events and recent publications of interest to those concerned with educational reform. The first…

In response to the concern that the reading needs of students at Mt. San Antonio College (California) were not being met, this study reviewed the research on reading in three areas: (1) the connection between instruction of both reading and writing; (2) the preferred instrument for the assessment of reading for placement; and (3) the recommended…

This booklet is designed to help parents understand how Washington schools are raising their academic standards. It also points out questions parents should ask about their children's schools and describes some at-home activities that will help a child make the most of time in and out of the classroom. The educational improvement effort in…

Data from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) reveal that gains in performance for the African American student population of Region VII of the state's educational system were not keeping pace with the performance of African Americans in the rest of Texas. This study investigated practices in school districts in the region in which…