A study was conducted to describe instructors' attitudes toward and use of assessment methods in postsecondary technical and occupational classrooms and laboratories. Data were collected through a questionnaire mailed to a random sample (n=318) of all postsecondary technical and occupational instructors in Ohio. Results indicated that instructors…

This report discusses the results of a survey administered in fall 1998 by the Office of Institutional Research at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Kansas. The survey, distributed every five years as part of an overall environmental scan, aims to assess residents' perceptions and opinions of the college. A sample of 1,005 Johnson County…

Administrative practices used by participants in administrator preparation programs who return to practice are described in this paper. The practices, which extend reflective, intellectual, critical, and participatory concepts into action models, include restructured educational assessment, peer coaching, and professional development. All are…

The status of education in Enewetak, an island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is described in this report. Concern about the island's educational system was generated by the fact that none of the eighth-grade graduates had passed the government high school entrance exam since 1980. A visit made by a representative of the Pacific Region…

Findings of a follow-up study that examined the experiences of 1991 high school graduates of the Center for the Arts and Sciences (CAS) program in Saginaw, Michigan, are presented in this paper. A survey mailed to 33 graduates received 16 responses. Findings indicate that all respondents were enrolled in a school, college, or training program. The…

The debate about possible tradeoffs between quantity and quality in schools has been confused by using available data as a basis for conceptual definitions. Under certain conditions expansion of enrollment or class sizes will have either no influence or a positive influence on the the quality of learning. The conventional wisdom about tradeoffs…

This report is a summary of a March 1994 meeting to agree on guidelines for making inclusion and accommodation decisions concerning students with disabilities in national and state large-scale assessments. Much of the discussion at the meeting focused on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Factors that lead to the exclusion of…

This, the second in UNESCO's series of World Education Reports, is designed to provide useful data and analysis on major current issues and trends in education worldwide. Written for a wide audience including policy makers, educators, and citizens, it provides an empirical basis for discussion of education. The main task facing education today is…

This paper presents the evaluation results of the "Exploring with Technology" grant funded during the 1992-1993 school year by the Florida Department of Education. The grant proposed to integrate a variety of technological applications with the social studies curriculum. The main purpose of the paper is to discuss the process evaluation…

This paper presents a comprehensive, curriculum-based assessment (CBA) system for preschool education programs. Central to this system, entitled Continuous Assessment and Monitoring of Preschool Progress (CAMPP), is a series of short duration probes of critical preschool skills. These probes are designed to be used in a frequent and repeated…

By definition, differential item functioning (DIF) refers to unequal probabilities of a correct response to a test item by examinees from two groups when controlled for their ability differences. Simulation results are presented for an attempt to purify a test by separating out multidimensional items under the assumption that the intent of the…

This report summarizes Alaskan school districts' 1992-93 education plans and each district's "School Report Card to the Public." It summarizes the districts' progress toward their 1991-92 education goals, reports on standardized test results, and summarizes comments on schools' performance, parent involvement, and other indicators of…

Conceptual problems in the school-effectiveness literature are examined in this paper, with a focus on the development of two models for school effectiveness. Four necessary components of an effective-schools model include the nature and extent of the educational goals, techniques for recognition, methods for measuring school effectiveness, and…

This document presents an evaluation of actions taken by the Texas State Board of Education during the 1991-92 school year to achieve the goals and objectives of its "Long-Range Plan." Following the vision statement, an evaluation summary describes progress made toward statewide education goals. Each of the nine chapters after the…

This paper lists practices recommended by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood concerning work with infants and young children who are gifted, in early intervention and early childhood special education programs. An introductory section discusses the benefits of early intervention with gifted children and notes the…