The 10 papers in this book attempt to provide some creative approaches to assessment of individuals with disabilities as they transition from the school experience to the adult world. The papers are: (1) "For Whom the Test Is Scored: Assessments, the School Experience, and More" (Douglas Fisher and Caren L. Sax); (2) "Person-Centered Planning:…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 clarified that special education was to fully participate in educational accountability systems related to standards-based reform. Special education students could participate in the general assessment, with or without accommodations, or in an alternate…

Florida's Performance Assessment System for Students with Disabilities (PASSD) is a response to growing demands that students with disabilities be included in school evaluation and accountability efforts through alternate assessments. Chapter 1 introduces PASSD and provides background information. It notes that the focus of PASSD is noncategorical…

U.S. student scores in science compare unfavorably with those of other nations, and other standardized test scores by U.S. students are also comparatively lower. Polls of parents indicate dissatisfaction with U.S. education. College teachers and employers feel that high school graduates are weak in skills. This document offers negative perceptions…

The use of the Scholastic Assessment Tests (formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) (SAT) for assessment in the Georgia university system was studied. The study involved more than 243,000 students entering the University of Georgia over a 25-year period and used at least 883 different regression equations to correlate high school average (HSA), SAT…

This report provides a comprehensive account of the performance of students with disabilities on state assessment measures. Following an overview of the issues, it explains the laws that govern the reporting of assessment results (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA) and Title I of the Elementary and Secondary…

This essay is based on the author's presentation at the Wachman Fund's 2003 history institute, "Teaching Japan." An overview of Japan's educational system and common misconceptions about Japanese schools are presented. American resistance to comparative education ins general is also discussed. By setting aside traditional biases against…

This "Research to Practice Note" provides an overview of the cognitive science and measurement theory and research findings that support the EFF approach to assessment. Among the key findings addressed are the following: (1) Good assessment is grounded in a clear and explicit model of the cognitive processes that underlie complex and purposeful…

The experience of Maryland in implementing large scale assessment in the context of school reform is explored. The ways in which the state Department of Education has worked with divergent groups to build a continuing and strong school reform program are discussed. In 1987 Maryland's governor created a Commission on School Performance. This was…

The purpose of this study was twofold: to develop teachers' assessment skills and to enable teachers to apply this knowledge to the creation of assessment tasks for the language arts curriculum thereby linking curriculum to assessment. Using a newly developed language arts curriculum, 79 urban Connecticut teachers were asked to develop the…

After assessing national progress toward the 1990 National Education Goals, President Clinton announced his "Call to Action for American Education" in February 1997, which identified critical areas where work was still needed. The Department of Education (ED) developed seven priorities to help focus its efforts. The priorities are: read…

Americans are increasingly disenchanted with what they perceive to be lackluster efforts to improve schools. Some new approaches are needed. Schools must be re-created by local school leaders and by teachers who will focus on their vision or visions of what their school culture, learning, and teaching would be like if all conditions were as they…

America's common schools are at a crossroads. This collection of speeches, articles and columns, written by the executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), between 1994-1997, addresses many of the issues today. The overriding theme is the need to preserve common schools, which are presented as the key instrument…

This document presents the Strategic Plan and Academic Development Plan for Kapi'olani Community College (KCC) (Hawaii). In addition to its liberal arts transfer mission, KCC offers the state's only programs in Health Sciences and Legal Education and the only community college nursing programs on Oahu. The goals in the Strategic Plan document…

The percentage of high school students passing the first semester Algebra 1A final exam in January 2000 dropped precipitously from the passing rate one year earlier. That decline in final exam passing rates was due largely to the adoption among all schools of a uniform algebra exam combined with a system-wide uniform grading scale. High school…