This book was designed to help citizens evaluate and improve their local schools. It contends that the solution to the potential end of America's progress is through positive school reform--the public management of schools. It presents a system of participative and results-oriented management that is implemented by boards, administrators, and…

A study was undertaken to obtain direct empirical evidence for the validity and usefulness of English as a second language (ESL) placement of a shortened version of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test being used in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and locally developed and scored writing tests. The LACCD provided…

A job analysis was conducted focusing on the knowledge important for beginning Earth and Space Science teachers. The results of the job analysis will be used to define the content domain of the subject assessment in Earth and Space Sciences for the Praxis series of professional assessments for beginning teachers. A domain of 292 knowledge…

This document contains guidelines to be used by California schools in conducting the Program Quality Review (PQR). The goal of the self-review process is to enable the entire school community to focus, through extensive discussion, on how the curriculum and instruction in a school can be improved so that all students can be fully engaged in a…

This paper provides a cross-program view of the results of three successful school improvement programs that regional educational laboratories developed and implemented. The programs and their developers are: (1) A+chieving Excellence from the Mid-Continental Regional Educational Laboratory; (2) Onward to Excellence (OTE) from the Northwest…

A study investigated whether the academic writing task surveys conducted at American universities reflect accurately the need for student academic writing skills. These surveys are used as a basis for designing composition courses for both native English-speakers and students of English as a second language. The study is restricted to surveys in…

In 1990, pursuant to the Washington community college system's request, the Washington state legislature appropriated additional funding to pursue assessment at the local college level as a way to address issues of institutional improvement. Each college submitted preliminary plans to the State Board for Community College Education (SBCCE) which…

Issues in the development of assessments of higher order thinking skills for college graduates are discussed in the order in which they were presented when this series of papers was commissioned. With regard to Issue 1, it is generally agreed that the development of these skills is a desirable goal, but there is little consensus on how they should…

Paine College, a four-year liberal arts institution in Augusta, Georgia, serving mostly black students recently completed an assessment and evaluation plan aimed at all units of the college. The plan was developed by members of the Committee on Institutional Effectiveness and Research over 12 months and focuses on the school's primary mission to…

A year-long study in 1991 that aimed to develop self-assessment skills in one third-grade class in Australia is reported. The roles that the length and naturalistic features of the study played in the success of skill development are explored. The class contained 20 students, ages 8-9 years, present for the whole school year (four 11-week terms).…

In 1989, the Australian state of Victoria introduced a major curriculum reform in postcompulsory education. Curriculum requirements are set out as guidelines to allow schools to vary content and approach while still meeting prescribed work requirements. Assessment responsibilities have shifted from externally set and examined tasks to school-based…

In April 1991, the Board of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) voted to accept a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to: (1) measure teacher competency levels in the educational assessment of students; (2) identify a topic for the development of a training prototype; and (3) prepare a prototype training module on the selected…

The Student Achievement Accountability Committee (SAAC) of the San Diego (California) City Schools was formed to make recommendations concerning accountability in relation to the district's objective of closing the student achievement gap. The SAAC was formed in 1990 with representation from school administrators, parents, and teachers. The SAAC…

In response to the legislative mandate and the increasing need for timely and high-quality data by policymakers at various levels, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has initiated a number of actions, programs, and surveys to improve the amount and quality of education information. To improve the relevance of data, the NCES has…

This document presents a framework for teaching language, literacy, and numeracy as the central elements of competence for work and social activity in Australia. The framework contains guidelines that set the overall agenda for curriculum and assessment, with which the needs of workplaces, educational institutions, and community groups can be…