Educators hold varied opinions about the nature of the social foundations of education. The social-foundations perspective generally characterizes education as an integrated multidisciplinary approach to the study of education, which focuses on the relationship among social conditions, values, and educational policies. This paper supports the…

On September 30, 1993, Far West Laboratory (FWL) and the California Assessment Collaborative (CAC) sponsored a cost/benefit forum to examine cost-analysis issues associated with the development and implementation of instructionally sound assessment. This report highlights the central ideas addressed at the forum, incorporates the audience…

Analytic scoring was added to the 1994 Iowa Writing Assessment as a complement to focused holistic scoring. Four trait scores are provided: ideas/content, organization, voice, and conventions. Scoring protocols were developed on the basis of students' actual writing samples, with particular attention to factors affecting the fairness and…

In recent years, attention to educational reform began to focus on state-level governance and policy. This paper presents findings of a study that examined continuity and change in state-level Performance Reporting (PR) policies in the United States, particularly their relationship to education reform. The paper provides a brief history of…

The Maltese islands consist of Malta, Gozo, and Comino and two tiny uninhabited islands, strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. This handbook contains a brief description of secondary education in Malta. Following the introduction, section 1 provides an overview of the mission of the Ministry of Education and Human…

New to the current assessment-reform movement is an emphasis on the use of performance assessments to support systematic state-, district-, or school-wide objectives. This document presents findings of a study that sought to document and analyze the key characteristics of performance assessments, the facilitators and barriers in assessment reform,…

The New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) supports seven design teams that develop and implement comprehensive designs for high-performance schools. By 1995 plans had been developed for over 200 participating schools. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the elements of school-accountability systems that aid or…

The volume contains papers presented at "Winds of Change: A Colloquium in Music Education," and examines the current need for reform in music education. Assessments of music's failure to achieve central curricular status, and outline scenarios for reform and improved status for music education are presented. The reform plans emphasize the value of…

This paper reports the results of an analysis of the relationship between scorer behaviors and score variability. Thirty-six essay scorers were interviewed and asked to perform a think-aloud task as they scored 24 essays. Each comment made by a scorer was coded according to its content focus (i.e. appearance, assignment, mechanics, communication,…

Since the early 1980s, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) have shown unprecedented interest in the setting and evaluating of educational standards and in improving assessment procedures. This book is the outcome of a study undertaken by the OECD in…

This document reports on the evaluation of eight women's studies programs in the State University of Florida System. After reviewing the development of women's studies as a discipline, sections of the report cover measures of quality and vigor in women's studies programs, curriculum, women's studies programs as community builders on and off…

States across the United States are setting tough new standards, defining what students should know and be able to do. Unlike more traditional assessments, standards-led assessments are more closely linked to curriculum, incorporate preestablished performance goals, and require students to demonstrate a broad range of problem-solving skills. This…

The Ability Explorer (AE) is a newly developed self-report inventory of abilities that is appropriate for group or individual administration. There are machine-scorable and hand-scorable versions of the test, and there are two levels. Level 1 is for students from junior high to high school, and Level 2 is for high school students and adults.…

The United Kingdom's 1992 Education Act established the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), which was mandated to oversee an inspection system for all schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which the inspection process helped schools with their school-development planning. A survey was mailed to…

Elements of arbitrariness in the standard setting process are explored, and an alternative to the use of cut scores is presented. The first part of the paper analyzes the use of cut scores in large-scale assessments, discussing three different functions: (1) cut scores define the qualifications used in assessments; (2) they simplify the reporting…