This paper challenges the commonly held view that Latin America has solved its access problems to primary education. The consequences of this view would be that the policy recommendations of the World Conference on Education for All, held in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990 would be less applicable to Latin America than to Africa or Asia. The first part…

This document is the third in a series of collection of papers from workshops sponsored by the Faculty of Education at the Western Australian Institute of Technology. It contains three papers from a seminar on educational evaluation held early in 1984. The papers present ideas involving the need for the evaluation of instruction within school…

Assessment of higher order literacy skills encounters three initial problems aside from assessment methods: (1) definition of literacy; (2) range of skills to assess; and (3) whether or not higher order literacy can be assessed independently of a particular content area. Regardless of definitions, the general performance areas to be covered must…

An alternative to multiple-choice testing is suggested for educational assessment. The use of what is called "multiple-rating items" is proposed. A multiple-rating item calls for the examinee to rate all of a set of things instead of picking one as with a multiple-choice item. The respondent has to provide a specific rating of each…

This paper is an attempt to organize the many loosely connected efforts to develop psychology-referenced assessments, focusing on the development of assessments to guide specific instructional decisions, sometimes referred to as diagnostic assessments. Many of the arguments apply to program evaluation as well, because assessments that reveal the…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the impact and institutionalization of Project READ/Inquiring School, a school-reform project for systemic change. The product of collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and several school districts in western Pennsylvania, the project's goals are: (1) to help schools build literacy…

This paper discusses the conflict created by two trends in education--the push for a multicultural curriculum and for accountability. Proponents of multicultural education argue that national standardized tests fail to tap diverse students' knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Approaches for reframing the paradox--diverse assessment,…

This guidebook is designed to help the individual school faculty, staff, and administration create a school plan. Five features critical to a successful school-improvement plan include: support by research findings; a focus on student achievement; attention to issues of quality and equity; collaboration; and an ongoing and self-renewing process.…

The "National Education Goals Report: Building A Nation of Learners, 1993" provides the most current information on where U.S. schools stand in regard to achieving the National Education Goals. Some of the key findings of the report are summarized in this digest. The six goals pertain to school readiness; high school completion; student…

This paper examines whether the Title I/Chapter 1 tradition of leading the way in educational evaluation will continue or whether Chapter 1 will change its role by delegating decision-making authority over evaluation methodology to state and local school systems. Whatever direction Chapter 1 takes, states, school systems, and schools must be held…

Three factors in the 1990s will increase the importance of schools in the development of children. First, the character of schools will change as more students with special educational needs are integrated into mainstream classes. Second, efforts will be made to keep these students out of specialized teaching arrangements and in normal classrooms.…

This paper explores the meaning of Total Quality Management (TQM), examines the development of the concept, and assesses the application of TQM to education. In summary, TQM has the following points of relevance for education: (1) The interest and welfare of every student must be a primary concern; (2) the authoritarian management model does not…

Recent developments have increased the need for both theoretical and practical dialogues concerning children's attention and activity levels. This book explores the complex issues and concerns in helping children with attention deficit disorder. The book is organized in three major sections. The first section describes current issues about…

This paper describes the processes involved in selecting peer institutions for appropriate benchmarking using national databases (NCES-IPEDS). Benchmarking involves the identification of peer institutions and/or best practices in specific operational areas for the purpose of developing standards. The benchmarking process was borne in the early…

To say that assessments must be authentic, dynamic, fluid, and formative is not to say that normative, standardized evaluations have no place in the overall assessment scheme. What is needed is a combination and balance of assessments. The tri-assessment model promotes using traditional assessments along with portfolio and performance assessments.…