Data from 20 years (1970-90) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are summarized. The NAEP represents the nation's only ongoing assessment of the academic achievement of American students. Its assessments of educational achievement of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 are presented as "The Nation's Report Card".…

This paper discusses the relationship of the content of nationally standardized and normed achievement tests and that of local school curricula and the effect that relationship has on the meanings and uses of the test scores. The following questions are considered: (1) whether tests have to match what is taught to be useful; (2) whether it is fair…

This brochure highlights the role of the school counselor in using educational research, and emphasizes the relationship between bias (racism and sexism) and past and present research. The tests counselors use, the ways test results are interpreted, and counseling techniques are all based on educational research. Counselors are cautioned to…

The contributions of educational indicators to the eighth grade passing rates on the Minimum Performance Test (MPT) for Arkansas' 329 school districts for the 1987-88 school year were investigated. The variables/educational indicators reported in this study included: school district size in terms of average daily attendance, number of teachers…

This document, the 1987-89 statewide (Indiana) performance report, addresses 14 objectives that the state, through its educational institutions, strived to achieve. The report is organized around the strategic directions adopted by the State Commission for Higher Education as part of its work plan for 1987-90. The objectives successfully achieved…

Recent educational reform initiatives have caused the state to examine its role in regulation of schools, and the current regulatory processes have been found to be in need of revision. The current system, in which the state grants "recognition" to schools that meet its standards based on whether they meet a rigidly defined set of…

Based on research by the Migrant Education Secondary Assistance (MESA) project, this report presents final recommendations for the improvement of migrant student graduation rates and secondary education. The strongest areas of need revealed in MESA findings were: (1) better identification and recruitment of secondary migrant students and dropouts;…

The roles of cognition and metacognition were examined in the mathematical problem-solving behaviors of students as they worked in small groups. As an outcome, a framework that links the literature of cognitive science and mathematical problem solving was developed for protocol analysis of mathematical problem solving. Within this framework, each…

The Maryland Community College Program Evaluation System is based on a quantitative review of community college program information by the State Board for Community Colleges and a subsequent qualitative assessment conducted by the individual community colleges in response to specific questions raised by the board. This document first presents the…

This case study identifies valid indicators of teacher education program quality selected from: (1) 15 interviews of purposefully sampled faculty members and all administrators of a teacher education program at an urban university, obtained with a 12-page interview guide and 5 written prompts; and (2) an analysis of scales of self-efficacy,…

Guidelines and implementation options for a program to evaluate the outcomes of collegiate education in New Jersey are discussed. A good program must seek to: (1) maintain public confidence; (2) nuture institutional autonomy and individual diversity; and (3) stimulate educational excellence. College outcomes that the program should cover are:…

This document provides an overview of the 1980 and 1981 Illinois Inventory of Educational Progress (IIEP) in mathematics. Development of the IIEP is discussed, and results and analyses of the tests administered to students in grades 4, 8, and 11 are presented. Test items are included. Factor analysis identified two factors, "knowledge of…

Curriculum alignment (CA) refers to the congruence of all the elements of a school's curriculum: curriculum goals; instructional program--what is taught and the materials used; and tests used to judge outcomes. CA can be a very powerful can be a very powerful factor in improving schools. Although further research is needed on CA, there is…

Aspects of proposed higher education reforms that involve assessment of students learning are clarified by the president of the Educational Testing Service. Governors and state legislators are advised not to adopt state minimum competency standards for higher education. It is claimed that the responsibility for setting instructional standards and…

The Utvardering genom uppfoljning (UGU) project was initiated in Sweden to follow individual students throughout their school career to understand their experiences and learnings during that time. Approximately 18,600 students from grades six and three comprised the survey population. This newsletter serves as an interim report highlighting key…