This publication presents five essays by teachers on accountability, particularly the descriptive review format for elementary and secondary education. Following a brief foreword, an opening essay, "Children's Values and Standards: Investigating Sources" (Cecelia Traugh), describes issues of teacher and student values and standards which…

As an introduction to a 1992 symposium of educators, administrators, researchers, and legislators concerned with the education of minority students, this paper reviews the overriding issues related to diversity and American education reform in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals. Framed in a context of economic uncertainty,…

The term "conative" is used to describe constructs that span both motivational and volitional aspects of human behavior, distinguished from constructs that emphasize cognition and affection. Among the conative constructs are achievement strivings, beliefs about self-esteem and self-efficacy, interests and attitudes about learning,…

The goal of the district assessment program of the Des Moines (Iowa) school district is to provide information which improves teaching and increases learning. Students participate in a number of assessment activities, including norm-referenced, standardized tests, college entrance examinations, Advanced Placement Tests, the district's…

During the 1980s, considerable attention was given to the influence of "effective" elementary schools on students' school achievement. Effective schools were typically defined as those with certain characteristics that had been found to be positively correlated with student achievement scores. This paper presents findings of a longitudinal study…

This document contains a brief overview and introduction to the Urban District Assessment Consortium (UDAC), sample performance items with student responses, and sample open-ended items with student responses. The UDAC is a multiyear cooperative effort that is comprised of 11 major urban school districts across the United States and the Center for…

In spring 1994, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) collected information on student achievement in reading, U.S. history, and geography at grades 4, 8, and 12. To provide a context for interpreting NAEP findings, the project collected background information from students, teachers, and school administrators using separate…

Teachers, administrators, volunteers, and students involved in Adult Basic Education/English-as-a-Second-Language (ABE/ESL) programs in Washington were interviewed regarding their perceptions of assessment and their assessment needs. The primary objective of the study was to gather information that could be used in developing an assessment model…

This report is a summary of a May 1994 meeting on the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. The report reviews the background of the meeting, states the issues addressed, and summarizes the major points of agreement reached. A set of recommendations is offered for making participation and accommodation…

The Accountability Atlas presents information about the students, programs, staff, and services of the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), California. Most of the information is for the 1993-94 academic year, with some longitudinal data provided. The atlas is divided into the following six chapters: student access; student success; student…

The work carried out in Edmonton School District Number 7 as part of the Educational Quality Indicators (EQI) project in the Alberta (Canada) schools resulted in development and validation of processes, criteria, and reporting methods related to student achievement in six "essential learning outcomes" keyed to the more traditional…

Each year 1.5 million students take the ACT Assessment to help themselves identify and develop realistic plans for their postsecondary education and career goals. The ACT Assessment includes the following tests: (1) English; (2) Mathematics; (3) Reading; and (4) Science Reasoning. Students receive four test scores, seven subscores, and a composite…

This report presents information about the performance of the 1994 graduating seniors nationwide who took the ACT Assessment as juniors or seniors. Average scores are on the scale for the Enhanced ACT Assessment, which was introduced in 1989. It must be recalled that ACT-tested seniors may not be representative of the total population of…

Performance-based assessments and the instructional programs from which they emerge and into which they fit demand intelligent caring teachers with experience and knowledge in assessments, instruction, student learning, and human development theory. Full implementation of performance-based assessments requires that teachers discuss performance and…

The Oklahoma Educational Indicators Program is a system developed under the Oklahoma Education Reform Act of 1990 to assess the performance of public schools and school systems. "Results 1993" includes data for the 1992-93 school year for all categories of measurement. Applicable indicators have been compiled separately for each school…