The questions of purposes and methods as related to assessment of student learning are considered. It is difficult to find assessment invoked without a parallel call for improvement, particularly improved teaching and learning. Also, much attention has focused on problematic dimensions of measuring what students learn, but the fundamental set of…

Three articles on assessment in higher education include the following: "More Savvy, Good Signs, Next Steps: A Report on the Third National Conference on Assessment in Higher Education," by Pat Hutchings, on tapping expert judgment, getting students invested, and deepening understanding; "Perspectives on General Education and Its…

This report provides suggestions on how a language arts writing skills assessment program could be structured to ensure that school districts in Oregon carry out the intent of state standards. The report includes: (1) a list of common curriculum goals that relate to writing; (2) general implications for assessment; (3) criteria for differentiating…

The purpose of this released exercise set is to provide easy access to released exercises from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) third mathematics assessment, conducted in 1981-82. Documentation includes basic reference numbers, objective classifications National Assessment has found useful, timing and administration data for…

This report is in compliance with Section 405(k) of the General Education Provisions Act which states that the Director of the National Institute of Education (NIE) provide for a review of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) at least once every three years and provide for public comment on its conduct and usefulness. To obtain…

Designed for use by those administrative personnel in local school districts who are responsible for preparing written releases of the district's educational quality assessment (EQA), this booklet contains aids and suggestions for making the release more effective. Each section of the booklet deals with a different aspect of writing the EQA,…

Some of the assumptions underlying educational assessment policies in England and Wales are discussed in terms of contradictions in the aims of those policies. Two key initiatives--the national "bench-mark" testing and records of achievement--provide the focus for illustrating the potentially fundamental change of emphasis in the nature…

This 1987-1988 study was conducted to determine how full-day kindergarten was received in the school district of Philadelphia and to identify strengths and weaknesses of the program. Assessed were principals' and teachers' perceptions of the full-day program, the demand for it, and available space. Principals and teachers viewed full-day…

The School-Age Child Care Program Quality Review Instrument is a compilation of standards designed to measure the quality of a state-funded, center-based child care program for school-age children. These standards were established in compliance with the requirements specified in Sections 8208 and 8463 of California's Education Code. The instrument…

The theoretical differences between the traditional definition of dimensionality and the more recently defined notion of essential dimensionality are presented. Monte Carlo simulations are used to demonstrate the utility of W. F. Stout's procedure to assess the essential unidimensionality of the latent space underlying a set of terms. The…

The purpose of this project was to develop an evaluation system for the competency-based vocational program developed by Wisconsin's Division of Corrections, Department of Public Instruction (DPI), and the Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education System (VTAE). Site visits were conducted at five correctional institutions in March and April of…

Recent commission and task force reports calling for significant improvements in American education are considered in this set of three papers, and methods for implementing the recommendations are suggested. In his paper, Glen Harvey reviews the reports, noting the extent to which they fail to consider change implementation research and commenting…

The Chapter 1 Program Improvement Project of the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools was designed to provide technical assistance to schools in order to facilitate program change and improve student achievement. The project was a joint effort by the Technical Assistance Center of the Northwest Regional Educational Center and the Portland District…

This report by the Superintendent of schools in Washington, D.C., describes the activities and progress of the school system for the year 1986-87. It is the 21st largest school district in the United States, and one of the most culturally diverse. Progress is reported on all levels, with particular attention to the computer literacy program, which…

This study, which resulted in a revised music curriculum for the Snohomish, Washington, School District, addressed the problem of relating the measurement and evaluation of students in music courses to established student learning objectives. Part 1 establishes student learning objectives based on a proposed curriculum for a comprehensive K-12…