The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) has been underway since 1997. Since then, fourth grade students have been assessed annually on the Colorado Model Content Standards for Reading and Writing. In 1998, testing began on third grade reading. Over the course of time, other grades and subject areas will be phased in. In the spring of 2000,…

SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) is one of the 10 federally funded regional educational laboratories. This annual publication captures and shares the experiences of SERVE school districts that have volunteered to share their efforts at assessment reform. This issue contains the following: (1) "We Never Get over the Fear of…

The student affairs researcher often assists student affairs directors and professionals to accomplish their program assessment goals. This study identifies the information, consultation, and training needs in research and assessment of student affairs professionals at a research institution. The paper also summarizes the problems and…

This digest offers guidelines to help teachers prepare students with disabilities to succeed on state and district writing assessments. Teachers are urged to use the three principles of effective writing instruction: (1) use a basic framework of planning, writing, and revision; (2) instruct students in steps of the writing process and the features…

This document is a 2001 report on student satisfaction at the Redwood and Riverside campuses of Rogue Community College (RCC) (Oregon). Surveys were used to help assess the community college's overall effectiveness and address the needs of students. A total of 269 (120 from Redwood and 149 from Riverside) student surveys were returned--most…

This memorandum from the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to state directors of special education presents questions and answers related to inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district-wide assessments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. The 26 questions and answers address…

Using secondary sources and interviews, this study collected data from the 50 states on how they assess student and school performance and implement accountability. Detailed findings revealed an array of practices by states. The findings answer: (1) "How are states measuring student performance?" (2) "How are states reporting performance on these…

The use of achievement tests for high-stakes decision making is discussed, and some comments are made about Ralph Tyler's contributions to educational assessment and what has resulted from them. The assessment war was raging more than 100 years ago, as historical records of testing student achievement demonstrate. Ralph Tyler, in the 1960s, did…

This paper discusses students with disabilities who do not fit into large-scale traditional assessment systems, seeks to clarify what is meant by "gray areas of assessment," delineates the primary issues that surround and contribute to gray areas, and provides suggestions for developing fully inclusive systems. It provides brief case studies of…

This book is intended to introduce the classroom teacher and prospective teacher to the elements of measurement and assessment that are essential to good teaching. The main theme is that assessment plays an important role in the instructional process. This edition has been revised to reflect major changes in educational assessment since the last…

This book examines charter-school legislation in the United States, as well as charter-school operations in Colorado, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Georgia. It reviews the legislative process in these four states, focusing on the compromises forged as lawmakers worked for adoption. It describes whether the states' resulting programs provide…

This report describes the status of Texas schools as required by state law. The document contains 6 chapters on the following topics: (1) student performance on state assessments; (2) student dropouts; (3) state performance on the academic excellence indicators; (4) district and campus performance in meeting state accountability standards; (5)…

This report from St. Louis Community College (Missouri) provides an update of the college's activities and outcomes in accordance with the North Central Association's (NCA) standards for institutional effectiveness. It also outlines the college's assessment operations for the next five years, identifying specific activities to develop the…

Bringing standards, assessment, and accountability from the state down to school districts is not the right way to implement new policies. Standards, assessment, and accountability must be thought of in a holistic way, and the complexity of the issues must be recognized. Educators must welcome the demand and directive that standards be…

Discusses the charge given to the National Commission on Excellence in Education by Secretary of Education T. H. Bell when he created it on August 26, 1981. Includes a summary of the report, "A Nation at Risk." (JOW)