This report is the culmination of a process that began in 1994, at a planning meeting to determine whether there was a sufficient knowledge base to inform the development of a research agenda on the education of language minority children. A committee was established to review what is known about the linguistic, cognitive, and social processes…

This digest discusses the origins of Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, his definition of intelligence, the incorporation of the theory into the classroom, and its role in alternative assessment practices. Gardner defines intelligence as the "capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more…

Several international agencies related to the United Nations and the World Bank convened the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtein, Thailand, March 5 through 9, 1990. The 1,500 conference participants adopted two texts, the "World Declaration on Education for All" and the "Framework for Action To Meet Basic Learning…

This booklet is designed to give teachers some of the latest ideas about how arts principles and concepts can best be understood, taught, and used in the classroom to improve instruction in the arts and other disciplines. Considering the stance of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Goals…

This document summarizes the results of a national survey that tested 4th, 8th, and 12th graders' ability to analyze geographic data in a variety of formats; explain complex geographic phenomena and processes; and show knowledge of relationships between human and geographic events. The survey tested three content dimensions: space and place,…

The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) is a partnership of the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Colorado at Boulder, Stanford University, The RAND Corporation, the University of Pittsburgh, the Educational Testing Service, and the University of California, Santa Barbara.…

A survey was conducted to establish the content validity of the material presented during a diagnostic and evaluative procedures course for elementary education majors. Although the content was consistent with information typical of the course, validation through the opinions of practicing teachers could strengthen its validity with the students.…

This brief reviews the concept of multiple intelligences (MI) and discusses the implementation of the theory of MI in the New City School, an independent school in St. Louis (Missouri). The theory of MI, as developed by Howard Gardner, says that there are at least seven different intelligences: linguistic, logical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic,…

To be indispensable, any professional who works within the school environment must have expertise that others do not have. In the case of psychologists in schools, they must be able to uncover, use, and communicate essential and necessary information about students which facilitates academic and personal growth either directly or indirectly and…

This report is a first look at the results of the 1994 NAEP geography assessment. It presents national findings of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students' overall performance on the NAEP geography scale, and summary data for the major demographic subpopulations in the United States. Results are reported on a 500-point NAEP scale, used to show…

This study describes an innovative alternative assessment program used in an undergraduate educational psychology course. Subjects were 60 undergraduate students enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a midwestern liberal arts college. Each student was required to demonstrate mastery of course objectives through a course portfolio. The study…

As a conclusion to a symposium on issues related to diversity and American education reform in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals, this paper summarizes important issues of language and culture that must be faced in the process of implementing Goal 3. One of the prerequisites for dealing effectively with these issues is an…

The perspectives in these essays present an examination of the Kentucky educational reform effort, with an examination of its rationale, various facets, and the reactions to its implementation. The ambitious assessment system includes multiple-choice and open-ended items, performance tasks, and portfolio assessments. The following are included:…

Many private schools administer some type of standardized test to prospective students in an attempt to assess the student's potential for success in high school. The test results are used to assist the school in deciding whether to accept the student or to assist in the placement of the student in the appropriate curriculum level. This study…

Information about the performance of higher education graduates and how we can develop better performance indicators is limited. There is some information on aspects of the results of higher education from synthesis of small scale research projects, from standardized tests, and from national surveys. There are also efforts underway to design an…