This book examines the process of developing an authentic system of instruction and assessment to measure student performance based on tasks that are relevant and useful in real life. The process of making the transition from traditional to authentic assessment is presented in a systematic, step-by-step fashion. Chapters are: (1) "Initiating…

The various ways that standards and standards-based education are being addressed around the United States are described. The education community can trace the start of the modern standards movement to the publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983 (National Commission on Excellence). The first education summit in 1987 then became a…

In this critique of elementary and secondary education in the United States, the first section discusses the history of the U.S. educational system and how the development of the schools' curricula and assessment programs have been adapted to the white, male, Eurocentric style of learning. The second section looks at inequalities in learning and…

Early evidence on California's Class Size Reduction (CSR) Program suggests that teacher applicant pools have been depleted and that many teachers who lack experience and credentials were hired. To examine the impact of CSR, a study analyzed whether the experience and qualifications of teachers in reduced-size classes vary across schools and, if…

This digest summarizes a report that addresses trends and issues in assessment in relation to the role of college faculty, including advances in assessment to make it more congenial to faculty, different ways in which institutions have approached assessment, and how assessment can be viewed as a faculty role. The report identifies such major…

This report details recent activities and impacts of the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Consortia and Clearinghouse. Although the legislation that created the Consortia specified 13 areas of possible focus, only eight areas capture the primary services provided. The eight areas discussed in this report include collaboration and communication;…

This annotated bibliography presents articles reflecting some of the current holdings on alternative and innovative assessment in the social studies at the Assessment Resource Library. There are two sections to the bibliography: a listing of the articles themselves in alphabetical order by primary author, and an index. Each document is described…

Mentors working with students with teacher education portfolios often struggle with how much and what kind of direction to provide to scaffold students' reflections. An analysis of early childhood licensure students' conversations about portfolio making suggests a tri-part framework for the direction mentors offer. First, students ask for…

This guide is organized around a list of skills that all students should know and be able to do at each grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade. It provides parents, teachers, and students with knowledge of what is being taught in a logical scope and sequence by grade level. The purpose of this guide is to help build a basis for…

In a study designed to determine the impact of state curriculum initiatives on curriculum framework, student assessment, and textbook adoption in the science curriculum, researchers interviewed state education agency staff, completed four case studies in four districts, and surveyed 100 school districts at random in each of the three diverse…

This evaluation of compensatory education programs in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Public Schools, funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, uses an indicator-based multiple-year approach to chart changes between 1985-86 and 1988-89. An educational indicator is a number that provides useful information…

A study was conducted at San Jose City College (SJCC) to identify and track 163 new students enrolled in Math 310 over a period of several semesters. Data on the students' competency and persistence rates were collected for fall 1990 and spring 1991, along with subsequent math class enrollments and success rates. Study findings included the…

This paper reports on a study of the foundation and application of two procedures used to specify appropriate weights to be applied to components in determining the overall quality of a school. These procedures are multiattribute utility technology (MAUT) and policy capturing, and the paper presents the results of applying them, using key…

Findings of a follow-up study that examined the experiences of the 1987 and 1988 graduates of the Center for the Arts and Sciences (CAS) program in Saginaw, Michigan, are presented in this paper. A survey mailed to a total of 78 program graduates, 36 from 1987 and 42 from 1988, elicited 21 responses, the majority of whom were from white females.…

This report describes a methodology for increasing the validity and reliability of inferences made about the problem-solving ability of science students that is based on performance on different kinds of tests. The generalizable cognitive components of problem solving that might be targeted by assessment are described, and specifications are…