This document, prepared by the U.S. Department of Education-National Science Foundation (ED-NSF) Task Group on Systemic Reform, proposes a framework for creating a comprehensive, coordinated approach to the reform of elementary-secondary education. The group focuses on two themes of educational reform--increasing the capacity for reform at the…

New federal proposals have fueled national interest in class-size reduction (CSR). However, CSR raises numerous concerns, some of which are addressed in this policy brief. The text draws on the experiences of states and districts that have implemented CSR. The brief addresses the following 15 concerns: Do small classes in and of themselves affect…

This volume presents feature articles and other information about institutional research and the North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR). The four feature articles are intended to provide a comprehensive guide to doing effective institutional research. These articles are: (1) "On the Nature of Institutional Research and the…

This publication focuses on the major issues and requirements that schools need to consider in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program. It is the first in a series on assessment by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. The primary purpose in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program must be to improve…

For more than 75 years, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has been dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of mathematics. NCTM provides professional development opportunities through annual, regional, and leadership conferences and publishes journals, books, videos, and software. This handbook offers information…

A study skills course was evaluated for effects on results from the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) (D. Mealy, 1988). Subjects were students in a freshman level college study skills course. At pretest, there were 29 students in the treatment condition, and by the post-test 25 students remained. In a followup telephone survey, 21…

Kentucky's systemic reform initiative has been heralded as one of the more comprehensive and well-sustained reforms in recent history. To evaluate the course of this reform, the challenges associated with researching and evaluating a statewide systemic reform effort are detailed here. By using a description of the politics of evaluating systemic…

Standard setting is a fairly widespread activity in educational and psychological measurement, but there is no formal psychometric theory to guide the development of standard setting methodology. This paper presents a conceptual framework for such a psychometric theory and uses the conceptual framework to analyze a number of methods for setting…

Universities have long been in the business of assessment, particularly the assessment of students. Recently, several national and regional accreditation agencies have mandated that universities also engage in self-assessment programs. However, assessment is not clearly defined from campus to campus. Some of the issues in educational assessment in…

The "Mental Measurements Yearbook" (MMY) series has provided researchers and practitioners with availability and evaluative information about commercially available English-language tests for over 50 years. However, two myths exist that are believed by some users of these resources. The first myth is that there are some minimum quality…

Indiana's progess toward meeting each of the six national goals proposed at the Education Summit in 1989 is described in this report. For each of the six goals, the progress made and the work remaining to meet future needs are provided. Information for each goal includes: (1) statement of the goal; (2) key questions (e.g., for goal 1--readiness,…

School improvement and self-evaluation efforts in Negari Brunei Darussalam are highlighted in this paper, which focuses on those efforts undertaken since the Ministry of Education's 1990 plan to review the administration of national schools. A questionnaire administered to all primary and secondary schools and colleges elicited information about…

Findings of a study that evaluated the effectiveness of the Minnesota Education Effectiveness Program (MEEP) are presented in this report. MEEP is a school-based program designed to improve the Minnesota educational system and is facilitated through ongoing staff development processes. The participating schools are supported by a statewide network…

An overview of national and international research on school effectiveness is provided in this paper. Following an introduction, the first section examines some national studies, with a focus on the differences in empirical evidence for effective school factors. These studies are similar in that they are outcome-oriented, seek factors of school…

While no one instrument can accurately evaluate or assess every college or university debate program, two separate frameworks can be established based in forensics and assessment literature. The first framework is a descriptive/analytic/evaluative framework for a debate program based on the philosophies of the several national conferences on…