In this report data obtained from the 1975-76 Delaware Educational Assessment Program is aggregated to the state level. Results are presented in two sections: (1) the status report section, and (2) the needs assessment section. The status report section presents state achievement outcomes and state norms at school and district levels for resource…

Literacy is a term that has been defined many ways, with definitions ranging from those that are very narrow to those that are very broad. Among the more wide sweeping was that of the 1991 National Literacy Act, which defined literacy as a wide range of language tasks associated with everyday life, including those "necessary to function on…

This report examines the efficacy of the Boston Pilot Schools, a model of urban schools created in 1994 to promote innovation and increased choice options within the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Unlike most urban public schools, the Boston Pilot Schools have control over budget, staffing, curriculum, governance, and time, all critical conditions…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is praiseworthy for the special attention it gives to improved learning for children who have been ignored or left behind in the past. The emphasis on closing the achievement gap is certainly commendable, as is the encouragement given to states to adopt ambitious subject matter standards and enhance teacher…

This report provides a consolidated public record of the performance of Edison-run schools. Edison agrees to provide annually to each local partner comprehensive information about the operation and outcomes of its local partnership schools. Edison is also required by charter-school laws to report on its partnership schools. This report includes…

This series of three brief articles, written by the Nebraska commissioner of education, addresses schools for the future. It proceeds with two assumptions: (1) all students can learn and can learn at much higher levels than they are now doing; and (2) schools should be ready and able to teach all kids. The first article addresses, generally, the…

Technical questions regarding the reliability and validity of large-scale portfolio assessment were studied which focused on: (1) whether raters can score collections of writing reliably with rubrics designed for single samples; (2) whether ratings derived from different frameworks differ in their capacities to support technically sound…

This case study examines the history and current circumstances of education in Humphreys County (Mississippi) in the context of its participation in the Delta Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI), which aims to improve science and mathematics achievement through systemic reform. This report describes the county's history, demography, and economic…

This report card, third in a series of biennial report cards on higher education, consists of a national report card and 50 state report cards. Measuring Up 2004 evaluates state performance in six categories, and for the first time, compares each state's current results with its own performance a decade ago. Contents include: (1) Foreword (James…

This study was conducted to better understand the relative affordability of public university education in Canada and the United States. The report was written to answer two key questions: (1) How does access to university education in Canada compare to access in the US? and (2) How affordable is the Canadian university system compared to the…

The chapters in this collection explore alternative assessment and give specific examples of successful efforts by teachers to develop their own systems of assessment. Taken together, these chapters are a rejection of the ranking and separating of students according to test scores, and an argument for richer forms of mixed alternative assessments.…

In 1993, the Ministry of Education and Training in Ontario (Canada) issued a curriculum policy document that defined educational outcomes and recommended that many of the outcomes could be achieved through an integrated approach to learning. This study considers the third year after the mandated changes began. Other changes, including a new…

The end-of-grade component of the North Carolina Testing Program was implemented in 1992-93 in response to state legislation. The end-of-grade tests emphasize higher-order thinking skills and the ability of students to solve real-life types of problems. These tests also reflect the higher standards set forth in national curriculum standards for…

Getting ahead and getting an education are inseparable in the minds of most Americans. Social mobility lies at the core of the American dream, and educational opportunity is the primary avenue by which to realize this dream. This book suggests that it is time to consider whether the connection between schooling and social mobility is doing more…

This document contains 25 papers presented at 1993 and 1995 conferences convened as part of a 7-year international project concerned with the integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream schools. The papers are: (1) "The OECD Project: Integrating Students with Special Needs into Mainstream Schools" (Peter Evans and Don…