Examines the organizational implications of the recent education reform panels and commissions, including the question of expected linkage between reports and action at the local level. Looks at the commissions as ceremonies with deep symbolic meaning and the potential power to express, shape, reorganize, or create educational values. (RDN)

Outlines three major bodies of theory that give rise to models of oral work, questions the implications each has for assessment, and considers the extent to which these theories have been born in mind by college examination boards. (HOD)

Concluding thoughts of offered about the evidence regarding improved learning and the role of research and evaluation in further improvements. It is suggested that continual monitoring of outcomes will be necessary because of changing times. Suggested readings are included on attrition and retention, developmental outcomes, innovation and…

Four possibilities are proposed for assessing the technical competence possessed by prospective teachers that build on and further extend the "credit hours earned" and "years of occupational experience" criteria. (HD)

The author's hope for the future of private higher education does not rest on its claim to being unique or on the importance of a plurality in education, but on its dedication to furthering intellectual excellence, especially in terms of the study of literature. (LBH)

A survey of undergraduate grade point averages from 1960 to 1974 at 50 institutions indicates a steady increase during that period. If the current concern about grade inflation is sustained, more institutions will probably explore methods to extend the distinctions that record the scholastic achievement of undergraduates. (LBH)

Some of the criticisms of American higher education are identified and answered. Areas covered include increasing costs, economic and noneconomic impacts on future life, preparation for the future, and the charge of too much overeducation. This paper is adapted from a convocation speech by the president of Dartmouth College. (LBH)

The author describes the process of randomized study for charter schools. Because most charter schools have more applicants than places, which are awarded by lottery, it is possible to follow a charter school's entire pool of applicants. The author contrasts the ability of using the entire applicant to pool of charter schools to a study that…

Do state standards and assessments provide accurate, meaningful information about the college readiness levels of the state's high school students? To suggest an answer to this question, this study examined data from one state in which students in grades 8 and 10 take both a statewide assessment and the corresponding component of ACT's Educational…

The 2004-05 school year was tumultuous for charter schools, marked by dueling studies with conflicting conclusions on whether charter schools boost student performance or hinder it. Even before this dustup occurred, a consortium of foundations decided to support a new national research center to raise the standard of research on charter schools…

The present condition of rural education in the western region of China is not optimistic. Existing problems include lacking education investment, poor school-running conditions, simplified running pattern and laggard concept of education. The countermeasures are: firstly, governments at all level especially the center one should increase input to…

Northwest Evaluation Association regularly conducts studies of alignment between the RIT scale and the scales used for statewide achievement tests. In recent years, educational experts have put increasing emphasis on the need for triangulation of student achievement information in order to assure that important educational decisions are based on…

The proceedings of the 24th annual meeting of the Psychology of Mathematics Education North American Chapter (PME-NA) contains research reports, plenaries, and poster presentations. Papers include: (1) "What Do We Believe about Teacher Learning and How Can We Learn With and From Our Beliefs?" (Deborah Loewenberg Ball); (2) "Toward Evidence for…

This is a report on the 2000-2001 community college courses offered in conjunction with high schools in the state of Arizona. The purpose of the partnership between the two types of institutions is to offer community college instruction to high school students. The students must be admitted to the community college in order to enroll in the…

This paper makes the case that, as implemented so far, there has been an inverse correlation between innovation and accountability in statewide assessment systems. The higher the stakes attached to the assessment results, the more conservative the assessment methodology ultimately used. Case studies of two state assessment programs were carried…