This report is part of a two-volume publication that outlines the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) 5-year plan. The plan was developed in 1995 to transform education in DoD schools and is based on the vision that the DoDEA will be a learner-centered organization, unbound by traditional school concepts of time, location, and age…

As part of the test development process, this document provides the released mathematics items and student responses to some questions from the Michigan High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) in mathematics. This packet is designed for teachers and students who are interested in understanding how the open-ended items from the HSPT in Mathematics are…

This paper explores accountability issues at the district level by focusing on school-district features that might influence school achievement. It examines the effect of input variables on student performance, over a period of four years, and takes these into account when considering school performance. For its theoretical framework, the study…

The passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in the 1990s made Kentucky one of the first states to initiate comprehensive education reform. It established a legislatively mandated goal that all public schools reach "proficiency" (100 of 140 points) on an accountability index by 2014. This paper tries to predict which schools…

For several decades there has been a loud outcry from the early childhood education community that assessment, especially standardized assessment, is inappropriate during the early years. As we move through the first decade of the twenty-first century, there is a new public outcry for standards and accountability--even for preschool programs.…

This chapter presents the author's perspective on the future of educational assessment in her school district. The author reviews issues including how much testing is reasonable (in terms of time and money), how to support more instructionally useful assessment, the impact of technology on assessment, and accountability. (GCP)

This policy brief summarizes research results and provides guidance regarding decisions associated with school accountability. Unlike previous notions of accountability, a standards-based system examines outputs, such as student performance and graduation rates, as well as inputs like the amount of instructional time or the number of books in the…

This book explains to teachers and administrators the processes for creating student showcase portfolios to be used in student-led conferences. The portfolio is an assessment document of student performance, while the student-led conference truly demonstrates student learning. Creating portfolios without the purpose of sharing them with an…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) offers a unique opportunity to examine some of the issues related to gender differences in mathematics achievement in an international context. TIMSS report of 8th grade mathematics achievement revealed few significant differences in mean achievement by gender; differences that did…

This report defines and explains the importance of the learning outcomes approach. According to the paper, this approach bases curriculum design, content, delivery and assessment on the application and integration of knowledge, skills and values -- a comprehensiveness that is not achieved with a competency approach. The report also discusses…

This study guide is designed to help teachers understand the role assessment plays in helping students learn and to help teachers improve their own assessment capacities. The guide contains assigned readings, discussion questions, activities, checks for understanding, and reflections for learners using the "Classroom Assessment: Linking…

This book describes the rationale and research underlying the testing of an "audit" that explored how school districts organize themselves to reform middle-grades education. The volume is intended for those who seek to improve achievement, equity, and learning communities. Section 1 describes the theory, research, and framework for district…

This document combines in one place the provisions of Washington State law that provide the legal framework for "education reform." Due to the nature in which Washington State laws are "codified" in statute and to the comprehensiveness of education reform, the laws regarding education reform are scattered throughout the Revised…

This guide provides a "road map" to the various ways that schools and employers assess high-performance competencies, such as problem solving, information management, and communication and negotiation skills. The guide begins with a brief analysis of why it is important to assess these skills in light of the current standards environment…

Major topics in the field of assessment measurements are described in this text. Focus is on appropriateness for use in the art classroom. The volume prepares teachers to address assessment effectively as it relates to their own art classroom practices. Familiar art assessment strategies and procedures are presented along with new insights about…