A collection of essays comparing educational policies of the United States and Australia is reviewed. The book is criticized for a lack of a sociocultural framework and a dearth of new material on American education but is commended for its contribution to the understanding of the Australian educational policy. (TJH)

Considers the complex and highly interactive features of the instructional setting when evaluating the reading context. Emphasizes that the focus should be on assessing the elements of the context that are most likely to impact specific students' performance in reading and writing. (MG)

Assessment is one of the most beneficial activities a university can undertake. Assessment proceeds through four stages that are discussed including: readiness, implementation, acceptance, and commitment. (MLW)

The danger of using student performance as a basis for budgeting and program accountability is that it promises accountability through simple measurement of complex realities, with qualitative measures overwhelming less precise qualitative measures. (MSE)

Reviews the United Kingdom's Eleven-plus Examination and discusses its use in developing countries. Notes that the rise of the comprehensive school has made the use of the examination redundant. Points out that the examination still thrives outside the United Kingdom, perhaps because it was implemented differently in those locales. (KO)

Notes that the goal of interactive assessment is to discover the conditions under which a student will succeed in reading, rather than simply describing a student's current status as a reader. Illustrates the differences between static and interactive assessment by presenting a case study of a seventh grade at-risk student. (RS)

The article reviews a recent report of the Task Group on Assessment and Testing under the 1988 Education Reform Act (Great Britain) as it applies to students with special educational needs. Concerns are raised regarding the detail of planning, language content, and the way progression is to be demonstrated. (DB)

The comparison of student-generated marks with those generated by teachers is discussed. Studies including such comparisons in the context of higher education courses are reviewed. Methodological issues in studies of this type are discussed and recommendations concerning the analysis are offered. (Author/MLW)

School districts are being asked to provide expanded variety and quality of educational services with fewer tax dollars. Discusses the search for accountability, productivity, quality, and equity in education and alerts school business officials to the problems and conflicts inherent in such a search. (MLF)

Described is a rationale and process that can be used for the evaluation of environmental education programs. Expectations, planning, results, and using results are all discussed as steps in the evaluation process. (CW)

The history and outcomes of the Richardson Study, to assess the state of gifted education and make recommendations for its improvement, and the Pyramid Project, to assist four school districts in implementing the study's recommendations, are chronicled. (MSE)

Applications of Oscar K. Buros' values and convictions to current developments in measurement are considered. Biographical information and Buros' personal philosophy on applied measurement are discussed. The Buros tradition refocuses evaluators' attention on the implications of their work for the end users of measurement results--test users and…

Presents the results of a 1985 statewide assessment of the status of environmental science in Texas school districts. Characterized results in terms of grade level, course, teaching materials, techniques, curriculum emphases, implementation difficulties and needed assistance. Discusses implications for inservice programs, teaching practices, and…

A typology of educational monitoring systems is developed, emphasizing its usefulness for educational policymakers. Compliance monitoring, diagnostic monitoring, and performance monitoring are three major types, which are illustrated via case studies in New Jersey, Minnesota, and California, respectively. (SLD)

A trend among European business administration courses to collaborate on a joint degree basis with other institutions in Europe is discussed. The performance of students from England, France and Germany on a common business administration course was examined. The German students performed better than both the British and French students.…