The assessment instruments of the Maine Educational Assessment emphasize extended constructed-response questions. The results from these assessments are reported in terms of percentages of students at four performance levels. The Student-Based Constructed-Response Method was used to establish performance standards for these levels on the…

The information contained in this report was compiled by The Children's Foundation in fall 1995 and reflects data provided by the regulatory offices in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The study is organized in alphabetical order of the states and territories. The requirements, regulations, and policies…

This resource paper explains the rights, responsibilities, and supports for deaf-blind students in postsecondary education. It examines the etiologies and backgrounds of four distinct groups of deaf-blind individuals, the types of services and accommodations they require in postsecondary education, and how a college or university can provide these…

The 1997 Child Care Center Licensing Study contains an update of information compiled in 1991 by the Children's Foundation. The data was obtained from the central regulatory office of each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The study is organized in alphabetical order by states and territories. The…

Through international comparisons, countries may come to recognize weaknesses in their own systems while identifying strengths that might otherwise be overlooked. The 36 indicators included are the product of an ongoing process of conceptual development and data collection and represent the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the…

Issues surrounding the transfer function of California's community colleges are analyzed in this report. First, a historical overview is provided of the role of community colleges, their relationship to the California State University and the University of California systems, and expectations concerning transfer. Next, problems associated with…

This report contains the proceedings of a public forum held to explore and exchange definitions and theories of literacy and to present examples of successful literacy programs in Louisiana in 1990. The following presentations are included: "Conference Welcome" (Patti Roemer); "Conference Introduction" (Michael Sartisky);…

This study explored the nature and extent of programs and services available for culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged gifted learners. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey of directors of gifted programs in 49 states and territories and a questionnaire survey of 51 local school districts that have active programs for…

After a brief review of recent research concerning teacher testing, this paper presents concrete examples of multiple-choice test items that assess more than teachers' minimal, basic knowledge. Specifically, multiple-choice test items used for the assessment of pedagogical content knowledge (C-P items) are contrasted with items used for the…

This resource guide reviews a variety of performance-based student assessment strategies, and provides examples of, and references for, the strategies. Strategies include anecdotal records, interviews, peer report and group evaluations, and portfolios. Materials in the guide include: (1) a resource guide update form for teachers; (2) department…

A vocabulary and list of important words in the Yurok language includes the history of a community project directed toward collecting and preserving the vanishing language and culture of Northwestern California Indians. An alphabetical vocabulary list presents English terms with Yurok equivalents in Unifon spelling and definitions in English.…

To describe rural poverty in Wisconsin in a manner useful to educators, policymakers, clergy, and businesspersons, census statistics, primarily from 1980, were used to look separately at rural nonfarm, farm, and urban families and persons. Other census data provided comparability. As measured in 1980, 6% of urban and rural nonfarm families had…

Two secondary out-of-school activities were evaluated to determine how well each met rigorous definitions of curriculum. It was found that the activities--a whitewater canoe trip and a series of 3 10-day expeditions to a boreal forest, a subarctic area, and a mountain setting--both met the criteria for curriculum including intent of the teacher to…

As part of a 45-state study, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed during the 1982-83 school year to 70 of Oklahoma's 237 public K-12 school districts enrolling fewer than 1,000 students; the questionnaire requested information about rural districts, teachers, students, and school programs. For the 45 responding districts, average student…

A project was conducted to plan and conduct a one-day workshop to assist counselors in providing vocational guidance to disadvantaged students. The objectives of the workshop, which was held by the Department of Vocational Education of the University of Pittsburgh, were as follows: to generate awareness of new and emerging occupations and…